Dynamics of changes in nociceptive reactions of rats after peripheral administration of lipopolysaccharide

The type of changes in nociceptive reactions of rats was studied at various time intervals after intraperitoneal injection of LPS in a dose of 30 μg/kg. The perceptual component of nociception in animals was evaluated from the tail-flick latency in response to light-heat stimulation. The emotional component of nociception in rats was determined from the vocalization threshold during electrocutaneous stimulation of the tail. The tail-flick latency of animals under conditions of light-heat stimulation was shown to decrease 1 day after peripheral administration of LPS, which illustrates an increase in the perceptual component of nociception at the relatively early stage of antigenic stimulation. A significant decrease in the tail-flick latency and vocalization threshold in rats in response to nociceptive stimulation was observed on day 7 after LPS injection. These changes demonstrate an increase in the perceptual and emotional components of nociception at the late period after antigen exposure. Our results indicate that antigenic stimulation due to peripheral administration of LPS is followed by the increase in nociceptive sensitivity of rats. LPS-induced variations in the emotional and perceptual components of nociception in animals suggest the existence of specific mechanisms for systemic regulation of pain. They probably depend on the period of study and type of immune reactions during antigenic stimulation.