Effects of intrathecal galanin on nociceptive responses in rats with mononeuropathy

The present study was performed on rats with experimental mononeuropathy in duced by left common sciatic nerve loose ligation. Unilateral sciatic nerve loose ligation induced decreases of the hindpaw withdrawal latency to the hot-plate test, cold-plate test and the Randall Selitto test. Sciatic nerve loose ligation induced hyperesponsiveness to touch at room temperature als o. Intrathecal administration of either 3 or 6 nmol of galanin, but not 1 n mol, induced significant bilateral increases in hindpaw withdrawal latencie s to the hot-plate test, cold-plate test and the Randall Selitto tests in r ats with left mononeuropathy. The results indicate that galanin may play im portant roles in transmission of presumed nociceptive information in the sp inal cord of mononeuropathic rats.