Influence of intramuscular heat stimulation on modulation of nociception: complex role of central opioid receptors in descending facilitation and inhibition

It has been reported that the threshold to activate 'silent' or inactive descending facilitation of nociception is lower than that of descending inhibition. Thus, the development of pain therapy to effectively drive descending inhibition alone, without the confounding influences of facilitation is a challenge. To address this issue we investigated the effects of intramuscular stimulation with a heating-needle on spinal nociception, assessed by measuring nociceptive paw withdrawal reflex in rats. Additionally, involvement of the thalamic 'nociceptive discriminators' (thalamic mediodorsal (MD) and ventromedial (VM) nuclei), and opioid-mediated mechanisms were further explored. Descending facilitation and inhibition were elicited by 46 degrees C noxious heating-needle stimulation, and were regulated by thalamic MD and VM nuclei, respectively. In contrast, innocuous heating-needle stimulation at a temperature of 43 degrees C elicited descending inhibition modulated by the thalamic VM nucleus alone. Microinjection of mu/delta/kappa-opioid receptor antagonists beta-funaltrexamine hydrochloride/naltrindole/nor-binaltorphimine, into the VM nucleus attenuated the 46 degrees C intramuscular heating-needle stimulation-evoked descending inhibition, whereas treatment of the MD nucleus with beta-funaltrexamine hydrochloride significantly decreased the descending facilitation. By contrast, descending inhibition evoked by 43 degrees C heating-needle stimulation was only depressed by naltrindole, as opposed to mu- and kappa-opioid receptor antagonists, which failed to influence descending inhibition. The present study reveals distinct roles of mu-opioid receptors in the function of thalamic MD and VM nuclei, which exert facilitatory and inhibitory actions on nociception. Furthermore, innocuous, but not noxious, intramuscular heating-needle stimulation targeting delta-opioid receptors is suggested to be a promising avenue for the effective inhibition of pain.