Effects of Aralia continentalis on hyperalgesia with peripheral inflammation

This study aimed to determine the antinociceptive effect of Aralia continentalis extract (AC) on Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats received an injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into the articular cavity of the ankle joint, and then antinociceptive behaviors and spinal Fos expression were examined. AC was found to suppress significantly nociceptive behaviors caused by CFA injection. In addition, it also decreased adjuvant-induced Fos expression in the lumbar spinal cord induced by CFA. In conclusion, this study showed that AC produced significant antinociceptive effects on CFA-induced arthritis in rats, and it is suggested that AC is recommended to alleviate the arthritis-related symptoms in humans. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.