Intrathecal administration of doxepin attenuated development of formalin-induced pain in rats

The aim of the present research was to assess the influence of a tricyclic antidepressant doxepin administered intrathecally (i.t.) on the pain behavior in the formalin test (100 microl of 12% formalin was injected into the dorsal part of the hind paw under halotane anesthesia) in male Wistar rats. The influence of doxepin (62.5 microg i.t.) on the pain threshold and number of formalin-induced pain behaviors, as well as antinociceptive effect of morphine was studied. Doxepin significantly increased the nociceptive threshold in the paw pressure test, reduced formalin-induced pain behavior and potentiated morphine antinociceptive effect in formalin test. The obtained results indicate that analgesic effect of doxepin used before the injury is observable at the spinal level after intrathecal treatment, but not only after peripheral administration, which was shown in our previous study. The results of the present research demonstrated a possibility to modify the spinal nociceptive process by administration of doxepin before the formalin injection.