Evidence for peripherally antinociceptive action of propofol in rats: behavioral and spinal neuronal responses to subcutaneous bee venom.

In the present study, behavioral and in vivo electrophysiological methods were used to examine the peripheral effects of propofol on tonic ongoing pain-related responses produced by subcutaneous bee venom-induced inflammatory pain state. Local administration of 0.5 microg propofol produced significant suppression of the well-established ongoing pain responses in both conscious rats and dorsal horn nociceptive neurons. The locally antinociceptive action of propofol is not caused by systemic effect, because contralateral administration of the same dose of drug did not produce any effect. This result indicates that besides central actions, propofol has peripherally antinociceptive action as well.