Mechanical hyperalgesia in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Recent evidence strongly suggests that the hyperalgesia induced by agents acting directly on the primary afferent is mediated by stimulatory G-proteins and the cAMP second messenger system. In this study, we used the Randall-Selitto paw-pressure device to study hyperalgesia that develops in the streptozotocin-diabetic rat. Subcutaneous injection of streptozotocin in male Sprague-Dawley rats induced hyperglycemia and glucosuria detectable within 24 h of injection. A decrease in mechanical nociceptive threshold in the hindpaw was detected after one week. Intradermal injection of indomethacin, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, had no significant effect on nociceptive threshold; and prostaglandin E2, which produces hyperalgesia by a direct action on the primary afferent, decreased nociceptive threshold similarly in streptozotocin-diabetic and control rats. Guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate), which blocks stimulatory G-proteins, attenuated the prostaglandin E2-hyperalgesia in both streptozotocin-diabetic and control rats, but had no effect on baseline nociceptive threshold in either group. Intradermal injection of either 2',5'-dideoxyadenosine, an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase, or phosphodiesterase, which degrades cAMP, increased mechanical nociceptive threshold in streptozotocin-diabetic rats whilst not affecting mechanical nociceptive threshold in the control rats. Intradermal injection of 8-bromo cAMP, a membrane-permeable analog of cAMP, produced hyperalgesia of significantly greater magnitude in the streptozotocin-diabetic rats than the control rats. Intradermal injection of N6-cyclopentyl adenosine, an A1-type adenosine agonist, which can activate an inhibitory G-protein and decrease cAMP production, also increased nociceptive thresholds in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. This effect was blocked by pertussis toxin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)