Neuroscience Letters 2010-04-12

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

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

Index: Neurosci. Lett. 473(3) , 212-5, (2010)

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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