Capsaicin prevents the hyperalgesia induced by peripheral group I mGluRs activation

Group 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are expressed in peripheral and central neural tissues and involved in peripheral and central sensitization in various pain models. However, there are limited reports that activation of peripheral group I mGluRs could evoke pain. Furthermore, any behavioral evidences could not be found out, showing what kind of afferent fibers are involved in peripheral mGluRs-mediated hyperalgesia. This study was undertaken to clarify whether peripherally injected group I mGluRs agonists could induce pain-related behaviors and capsaicin-sensitive afferent fibers might be involved in the hyperalgesia. To assess pain sensitivity, mechanical threshold for paw withdrawal response (PWT) was measured and number of spontaneous flinching behavior was counted. Intraplantar injection of group I mGluR agonist, (RS)-3,5-dihydroxyphenylglycine (DHPG) and mGluR5 agonist, (RS)-2-chloro-5-hydroxyphenyglycine (CHPG) immediately induced pain-like behaviors, such as decrease of PWT and increased number of flinchings. These agonists-induced pain-like behaviors were blocked by group I mGluRs antagonist, (RS)-1-aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid (AIDA) and mGluR5 antagonist, 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl) pyridine hydrochloride (MPEP). Perineural pretreatment of 1% capsaicin solution significantly reduced pain-related behaviors induced by DHPG and CHPG, proposing that capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent fibers could be responsible for the hyperalgesia induced by activation of peripheral group I mGluRs. This study presents the first behavioral evidence that peripheral group I mGluRs activation could induce spontaneous as well as mechanical hyperalgesia and capsaicin-sensitive afferent fiber could be implicated the group I mGluR mediated hyperalgesia.

• Intraplantar injection of group I mGluR agonists resulted in decrease of PWT.
• The agonists also induced spontaneous flinching behaviors.
• These pain-related behaviors were prevented by preemptive capsaicin treatment.
• Group I mGluR-induced hyperalgesia might be via capsaicin-sensitive afferent fibers.