Antinociceptive effects of intracerebroventricular administration of guanine-based purines in mice: Evidences for the mechanism of action

It is well known that adenine-based purines exert multiple effects on pain transmission. However, less attention has been given to the potential effects of guanine-based purines (GBPs) on pain transmission. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) guanosine and GMP on mice pain models. Mice received an i.c.v. injection of vehicle (saline or 10 μM NaOH), guanosine (5 to 400 nmol), or GMP (240 to 960 nmol). Additional groups were also pre-treated with i.c.v. injection of the A1/A2A antagonist caffeine (15 nmol), the non-selective opioid antagonist naloxone (12.5 nmol), or the 5'-nucleotidase inhibitor AOPCP (1 nmol). Measurements of CSF purine levels and cortical glutamate uptake were performed after treatments. Guanosine and GMP produced dose-dependent antinociceptive effects. Neither caffeine nor naloxone affected guanosine antinociception. Pre-treatment with AOPCP completely prevented GMP antinociception, indicating that conversion of GMP to guanosine is required for its antinociceptive effects. Intracerebroventricular administration of guanosine and GMP induced, respectively, a 180- and 1800-fold increase on CSF guanosine levels. Guanosine was able to prevent the decrease on cortical glutamate uptake induced by intraplantar capsaicin. This study provides new evidence on the mechanism of action of GBPs, with guanosine and GMP presenting antinociceptive effects in mice. This effect seems to be independent of adenosine and opioid receptors; it is, however, at least partially associated with modulation of the glutamatergic system by guanosine.