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Characterization of nociceptive behavioural responses in the awake pig following UV – B ‐induced inflammation
Author(s) -
Di Giminiani P.,
Petersen L.J.,
Herskin M.S.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1002/j.1532-2149.2013.00340.x
Subject(s) - hyperalgesia , nociception , irradiation , stimulation , inflammation , medicine , threshold of pain , pig skin , chemistry , anesthesia , pharmacology , receptor , biomedical engineering , physics , nuclear physics
Background Among the current translational inflammatory pain models, the ultraviolet ( UV ) irradiation is of rapidly growing interest. The development of primary thermal and mechanical hyperalgesia has been observed in humans and rodents. The pig as a translational animal model might be advantageous due to its great homology with humans. Methods The skin in the flank of awake pigs was irradiated by a UV ‐ B light source (1 J/cm 2 ) and changes in thermal and mechanical sensitivity 24 and 48 h following irradiation were measured via assessment of nociceptive behaviours. Results Thermal sensitivity increased significantly within the inflamed site 24 h after irradiation as indicated by the reduction of latency to respond to thermal stimulation from baseline to 24 h ( P < 0.05). At 48 h, the response latency had not decreased any further ( P = 0.414). Thermal sensitivity was also higher at the inflamed skin site than at the control site 24 and 48 h following irradiation ( P < 0.05). An overall decrease of 50% of the baseline mechanical threshold was observed 24 and 48 h following UV ‐ B irradiation ( P = 0.092). Following the inflammatory challenge, the mechanical sensitivity was higher at the site of irradiation compared with the control skin at both 24 and 48 h ( P < 0.05). Conclusions Our study shows that behavioural recordings are a valid tool for the assessment of thermal hyperalgesia following UV ‐ B inflammation in porcine skin, but they were not capable of providing a clear indication of the development of mechanical hyperalgesia.