The FDA-approved compound, pramipexole and the clinical-stage investigational drug, dexpramipexole, reverse chronic allodynia from sciatic nerve damage in mice, and alter IL-1β and IL-10 expression from immune cell culture.

During the onset of neuropathic pain from a variety of etiologies, nociceptors become hypersensitized, releasing neurotransmitters and other factors from centrally-projecting nerve terminals within the dorsal spinal cord. Consequently, glial cells (astrocytes and microglia) in the spinal cord are activated and mediate the release of proinflammatory cytokines that act to enhance pain transmission and sensitize mechanical non-nociceptive fibers which ultimately results in light touch hypersensitivity, clinically observed as allodynia. Pramipexole, a D2/D3 preferring agonist, is FDA-approved for the treatment of Parkinson's disease and demonstrates efficacy in animal models of inflammatory pain.

Legal aspects of laboratory medicine.

Societal expectations of modern laboratory medicine will engender increasing scrutiny about the accuracy of laboratory data, the timeliness of performing laboratory tests, and the transmission of the results. Laboratorians who understand basic medicolegal principles applicable to laboratory medicine will be comfortable at the interface between law and medicine, and likely will practice acceptable laboratory medicine. Good medicine is good law.