Peripheral inflammation-induced increase of AMPA-mediated currents and Ca2+ transients in the presence of cyclothiazide in the rat substantia gelatinosa neurons

This study employing a rodent model of acute pain investigated the influence of carrageenan-induced inflammation on the ability of S-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor activation to induce membrane currents and rises in cytosolic free calcium concentration ([Ca2+](i)) in the rat substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons using simultaneous whole-cell patch-clamp recording and fura-2 calcium imaging in spinal cord slices of L4-L5 segments. The novel finding of this study is that carrageenan-induced inflammation, in the presence of cyclothiazide, an inhibitor of AMPA receptor desensitization, produces a sustained facilitation of the AMPA-mediated membrane current and rises in [Ca2+](i) in both the soma and proximal dendrites of SG neurons recorded on the injected side 3 h after the induction of inflammation. These results suggest that in carrageenan-inflamed rats AMPA receptors undergo some alterations that influence AMPA receptors desensitization and/or sensitivity to cyclothiazide. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.