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Increased Release of Serotonin in the Spinal Cord During Low, But Not High, Frequency Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Rats With Joint Inflammation
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Increased Release of Serotonin in the Spinal Cord During Low, But Not High, Frequency Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Rats With Joint Inflammation

Kathleen A Sluka, Tammy L Lisi and Karin N Westlund
Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Vol.87(8), pp.1137-1140
2006
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2006.04.023
PMCID: PMC2746636
PMID: 16876561

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Abstract

Sluka KA, Lisi TL, Westlund KN. Increased release of serotonin in the spinal cord during low, but not high, frequency transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in rats with joint inflammation. To determine the release pattern of serotonin and noradrenaline in the spinal cord in response to transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) delivered at low or high frequency. Prospective randomized allocation of 3 treatments. Research laboratory. Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight range, 250−350g). Knee joints of rats were inflamed with a mixture of 3% carrageenan and 3% kaolin for 24 hours prior to placement of push-pull cannulae into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Push-pull samples were collected in 10-minute intervals before, during, and after treatment with low-frequency TENS (4Hz), high-frequency TENS (100Hz), or sham TENS. TENS was applied to the inflamed knee joint for 20 minutes at sensory intensity and 100-μs pulse duration. Push-pull samples were analyzed for serotonin and noradrenaline by high performance liquid chromatography with coulemetric detection. Spinal concentrations of serotonin and noradrenaline. Low-frequency TENS significantly increased serotonin concentrations during and immediately after treatment. There was no change in serotonin with high-frequency TENS, nor was there a change in noradrenaline with low- or high-frequency TENS. Low-frequency TENS releases serotonin in the spinal cord to produce antihyperalgesia by activation of serotonin receptors.
Pain Rehabilitation Serotonin Hyperalgesia Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation

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