SUPPRESSANT EFFECTS OF MIDAZOLAM ON RESPONSES OF SPINAL DORSAL HORN NEURONS IN RABBITS

Recordings of noxious intra-arterial bradykinin (BK)-induced chemonociceptive and spontaneous activity from 30 single spinal lamina V neurones of the dorsal horns in non-anaesthetized and decerebrated rabbits, were performed with tungsten microelectrodes. Intravenous injection of midazolam (0.2 mg/kg; 7 neurones) depressed BK-induced neural discharges by 55.0 +/- 6.2% (P < 0.05) and 57.9 +/- 8.4% (P < 0.05) 5 and 25 min after administration, respectively. Treatment with flumazenil (0.2 mg/kg, i.v.; 7 neurones), administered 20 min after midazolam, completely reversed the inhibition by midazolam of the BK-induced spinal lamina V neural responses and spontaneous neuronal activity. In contrast, a large dose of naloxone (1.0 mg/kg, i.v.; 6 neurones), administered 20 min after midazolam, failed to alter the midazolam-induced depressant effects on the nociceptive responses, at the spinal dorsal horn. Treatments with flumazenil (5 neurones) and naloxone (5 neurones) did not influence either the spontaneous or the BK-induced neuronal discharges, recorded in spinal lamina V cells. Midazolam depressed the nociceptive responses probably through its agonistic activity on the binding to the GABA-benzodiazepine-barbiturate system in the spinal dorsal horn.