Mwobobia R M, Kanui T I, Abelson K S P
School of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, South Eastern Kenya University, P O Box 170-90200, Kitui, Kenya.
Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamvej 3B, 2200, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Heliyon. 2020 Oct 23;6(10):e05216. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05216. eCollection 2020 Oct.
The naked mole rat (NMR) is a rodent that has gained importance as a biomedical research model for various conditions like hypoxic brain injury, cancer and nociception. This study was designed to investigate possible involvement of the noadrenergic receptor system in antinoception in the NMR, using the alpha-2 adrenergic receptor specific ligands clonidine (agonist) and yohimbine (antagonist) in the formalin test. Formalin test followed 30 min after intraperitoneal administration of ligands or control. A total of 96 naked mole rats were used. A significant reduction in nociceptive behaviours was demonstrated after administration of clonidine in the doses 1,3,10 and 30 μg/kg (n = 8 per group). Doses of clonidine above 30 μg/kg caused loss of motor and proprietion skills exhibited by prostration and failure to turn over when placed on their backs. The antinociception by 3 μg/kg clonidine was reversed by administration of 30 μg/kg of yohimbine. The present study demonstrates that the noradrenergic receptor system is present and involved in formalin test-related antinociceptive mechanisms in the NMR, similar to other mammals. Given the increasing importance of the NMR as a model for pain and nociception, the species may prove useful as an animal model for noradrenergic mechanisms in pain modulation.
裸鼹鼠是一种啮齿动物，作为多种病症（如缺氧性脑损伤、癌症和痛觉感受）的生物医学研究模型，其重要性日益凸显。本研究旨在通过在福尔马林试验中使用α-2肾上腺素能受体特异性配体可乐定（激动剂）和育亨宾（拮抗剂），来探究去甲肾上腺素能受体系统在裸鼹鼠痛觉感受中的可能作用。在腹腔注射配体或对照后30分钟进行福尔马林试验。总共使用了96只裸鼹鼠。给予1、3、10和30μg/kg剂量的可乐定后，伤害性反应行为显著减少（每组n = 8）。剂量高于30μg/kg的可乐定导致运动和本体感觉技能丧失，表现为俯卧以及仰卧时无法翻身翻转。给予30μg/kg育亨宾可逆转3μg/kg可乐定的镇痛作用。本研究表明，与其他哺乳动物类似，去甲肾上腺素能受体系统存在于裸鼹鼠中，并参与福尔马林试验相关的镇痛机制。鉴于裸鼹鼠作为疼痛和痛觉感受模型的重要性日益增加，该物种可能被证明是一种用于研究去甲肾上腺素能机制在疼痛调节中作用的有用动物模型。
