Influence of age on pain sensitivity in response to paw pressure and formalin injection in rats: a role of nitric oxide

The effect of age on pain response to paw pressure and intraplantar formalin injection in rats is elucidated. Pain responses evoked by mechanical pressure on hind paw and intraplantar injection of formaldehyde (5%) into the hind paw were evaluated in groups of adult, young and aged male Sprague Dawley rats, after intraperitoneal (i.p.) or intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of L-arginine or NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME). Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-diaphorase staining was done in the two groups. The results show that pain response was reduced in the aged rats and enhanced pain response to paw pressure in aged rats only. L-arginine (i.c.v.) had no effect on pain response to paw pressure in the two groups but enhanced biphasic pain response to formalin. L-NAME (i.p. and i.c.v.) suppressed pain response to paw pressure in the two groups. L-NAME (i.c.v.) suppressed pain response to formalin during the acute phase and enhanced it during the late phase. NADPH-diaphorase activity was significantly greater in young rats. In conclusion, pain response is blunted in the aged rats. NO might be involved in mechanical nociception in aged rats and in formalin-induced nociception in both groups. NO blockade has an antinociceptive effect on pain response. Central NO has dual role in pain response evoked by formalin.