Mechanical allodynia in rats is blocked by a Ca2+ permeable AMPA receptor antagonist

Mild thermal injury to the hindpaw induces tactile allodynia distal to the injury. The allodynia is blocked by non-NMDA, but not NMDA, antagonists. The calcium permeable subtype of non-NMDA receptors is blocked by Joro spider toxin (JSTX). We injected JSTX or saline intrathecally followed after 5 min, 6 or 24 h by thermal injury. Rats receiving saline had decreased mechanical thresholds. Rats receiving 3 microg JSTX 5 min or 6 h prior to burn showed no allodynia. JSTX had no prominent side effects at doses between 1 and 5 microg. JSTX (5 microg) had no effect on thermal threshold. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that spinal mechanisms leading to tactile allodynia in this injury model act via a calcium permeable AMPA linkage.