JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (22) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McCleane, G. J. Articles by Dickenson, A. H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by McCleane, G. J. Articles by Dickenson, A. H. Related Collections Pain Pharmacology

---

PAIN MEDICINE

Does a Single Intravenous Injection of the 5HT3 Receptor Antagonist Ondansetron Have an Analgesic Effect in Neuropathic Pain? A Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Study

Rampark Pain Centre, Lurgan, Northern Ireland, and the *Department of Pharmacology, University College, Gower Street, London

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Gary McCleane, Rampark Pain Centre, 2 Rampark, Dromore Road, Lurgan, BT66 7JH, N. Ireland, UK. Address email to gary{at}mccleane.freeserve.co.uk

Neurokinin–1-expressing neurones in lamina I to III of the spinal cord are intimately involved in the regulation of ascending and spino-bulbal pathways that regulate excitatory transmission. In experimental animals, ablation of these neurones reduces the responses to a variety of nociceptive stimuli. Furthermore, in animals, spinal application of the selective 5HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron mimics these effects, indicating that 5HT3 receptors play a pronociceptive role and mediate descending excitatory controls that allow spinal neurones to fully code peripheral stimuli. In this study, we examined the potential analgesic effect of a single IV injection of ondansetron in humans with chronic neuropathic pain. Each consenting subject received a single IV injection of 8 mg ondansetron and placebo in varying order at least 1 wk apart with pain scores being recorded for the 48 h preceding and after each injection. Pain scores were significantly reduced 2 h after ondansetron injection (but at no other time point). This suggests that ondansetron can have an analgesic effect in neuropathic pain. Side effects were minor and infrequent.

IMPLICATIONS: The selective 5HT3 receptor antagonist ondansetron, currently used as an antiemetic, may also have analgesic properties. Side effects with a single IV injection are infrequent and usually mild.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. E. Benarroch Descending monoaminergic pain modulation: Bidirectional control and clinical relevance Neurology, July 15, 2008; 71(3): 217 - 221. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. D'Mello and A. H. Dickenson Spinal cord mechanisms of pain Br. J. Anaesth., July 1, 2008; 101(1): 8 - 16. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Z.-Q. Zhao, S. Chiechio, Y.-G. Sun, K.-H. Zhang, C.-S. Zhao, M. Scott, R. L. Johnson, E. S. Deneris, K. J. Renner, R. W. Gereau IV, et al. Mice Lacking Central Serotonergic Neurons Show Enhanced Inflammatory Pain and an Impaired Analgesic Response to Antidepressant Drugs J. Neurosci., May 30, 2007; 27(22): 6045 - 6053. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999