Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition reduces spinal nociceptive activity

Line M Jacobsen; Guro S Eriksen; Linda M Pedersen; Johannes Gjerstad

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2010.02.049

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibition reduces spinal nociceptive activity

Neurosci Lett. 2010 Apr 12;473(3):212-5. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.02.049. Epub 2010 Feb 26.

Authors

Line M Jacobsen¹, Guro S Eriksen, Linda M Pedersen, Johannes Gjerstad

Affiliation

¹ National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway. line.jacobsen@stami.no

PMID: 20219633
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2010.02.049

Abstract

Several variants of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene have recently been linked to pain sensitivity. In the present study, electrophysiological field potential recordings from the dorsal horn in rats were used to examine the spinal effect of reduced COMT activity. The data demonstrated that 30 mg/kg of the COMT inhibitor OR 486 reduced spinal nociceptive responses to painful stimuli (p<or=0.01, OR 486 vs. vehicle) and attenuated the expression of spinal long-term potentiation (LTP), an often studied model for central sensitization (p<or=0.01, HFS vs. HFS+OR 486). Our findings suggest that low COMT activity may have an antinociceptive effect in the spinal cord.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Catechol O-Methyltransferase / physiology
Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors*
Catechols / pharmacology
Electrophysiology
Female
Long-Term Potentiation
Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / drug effects
Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / physiology
Pain / physiopathology*
Posterior Horn Cells / drug effects
Posterior Horn Cells / physiology
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Spinal Cord / drug effects
Spinal Cord / enzymology*
Spinal Cord / physiopathology
Synaptic Transmission / drug effects

Substances

Catechol O-Methyltransferase Inhibitors
Catechols
Catechol O-Methyltransferase
OR486