Evidence for a role of endocannabinoids, astrocytes and p38 phosphorylation in the resolution of postoperative pain.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An alarming portion of patients develop persistent or chronic pain following surgical procedures, but the mechanisms underlying the transition from acute to chronic pain states are not fully understood. In general, endocannabinoids (ECBs) inhibit nociceptive processing by stimulating cannabinoid receptors type 1 (CB(1)) and type 2 (CB(2)). We have previously shown that intrathecal administration of a CB(2) receptor agonist reverses both surgical incision-induced behavioral hypersensitivity and associated over-expression of spinal glial markers. We therefore hypothesized that endocannabinoid signaling promotes the resolution of acute postoperative pain by modulating pro-inflammatory signaling in spinal cord glial cells.

Methodology/principal findings

To test this h

SUBMITTER: Alkaitis MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2878341 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature