A. Pujol et al., A DEVELOPMENTAL-STUDY ON STRESS-INDUCED ANTINOCICEPTION MEASURED BY THE TAIL ELECTRIC-STIMULATION TEST, Pharmacology, biochemistry and behavior, 46(2), 1993, pp. 373-376
The possible influence of weaning on the development of different neur
al mechanisms involved in stress-induced antinociception (SIA) was stu
died. Male Wisfar albino rats were used for studies on adult and pre-
and postweanling rats of 20 and 25 days of age, respectively. Animals
were stressed by warm-water (20C) swimming for 3-min periods. Antinoci
ception wasd assessed by the tail electric stimulation test. The thres
holds for the motor response (tail withdrawal) (TW), vocalization duri
ng stimulus CV), and vocalization afterdischarge (VAD) were recorded.
These responses are considered to be integrated at spinal, medulla obl
ongata, and diencephalon-rhinencephalon levels, respectively. In 20-da
y-old neonates, swimming stress only induced significant increases in
the VAD thresholds that were not significantly reversed by naloxone (N
AL) (1 mg/kg). Twenty-five-day-old rats showed increased thresholds fa
r the three nociceptive responses after stress, the effects on TW and
V being antagonized by NAL. Adult rats subjected to stress showed incr
eased thresholds for the three responses, an effect that was antagoniz
ed by NAL in all cases. These results suggest that the weaning period
might be critical for the development of the mechanisms mediating SIA.
Besides, a different involvement of opioid systems throughout develop
ment, particularly in relation to the affective/emotional component of
pain, is also suggested.