NMDA receptor antagonists, MK-801 and ACEA-1011, prevent the development of tonic pain following subcutaneous formalin.

Subcutaneous injection of formalin produces a biphasic pain response: an early, transient phase followed by a late tonic phase. The present study examined the involvement of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor in the development of the late pain produced following subcutaneous injection of formalin into the hind paw in mice. Blockade of the NMDA receptor by its non-competitive antagonist, MK-801, prior to formalin injection, but not after, reduced pain during the late phase. Similarly, blockade of the NMDA receptor allosteric site by the novel glycine site antagonist, ACEA-1011, also reduced the pain response in the late phase. These results suggest that the development of the late phase of formalin pain is due to NMDA-mediated activity during the early phase.