GABAergic mechanisms of analgesia: an update

Both directly acting (GABAA and GABAB agonists) and indirectly acting GABAergic agents (GABA uptake inhibitors and GABA-transaminase inhibitors) produce analgesia in a variety of animal test systems. Analgesia produced by GABAA agonists is probably due to a supraspinal action, although spinal sites may also play a role. GABAA agonist analgesia is insensitive to naloxone, bicuculline, picrotoxin and haloperidol, but is blocked by atropine, scopolamine and yohimbine suggesting a critical role for central cholinergic and noradrenergic pathways in this action. The lack of blockade by the GABAA antagonist bicuculline is difficult to explain. Both bicuculline and picrotoxin have intrinsic analgesia actions which may not necessarily be mediated by GABA receptors. The GABAB agonist baclofen produces analgesia by actions at both spinal and supraspinal sites. Baclofen analgesia is insensitive to naloxone, bicuculline and picrotoxin, and blockade by cholinergic antagonists occurs only under limited conditions. Catecholamines are important mediators of baclofen analgesia because analgesia is potentiated by reserpine, alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine, phentolamine, ergotamine, haloperidol and chlorpromazine. A role for serotonergic mechanisms is less well defined. Methylxanthines, which produce a clonidine-sensitive increase in noradrenaline (NA) turnover, increase baclofen analgesia by a clonidine-sensitive mechanism. Both ascending and descending NA pathways are implicated in the action of baclofen because dorsal bundle lesions, intrathecal 6-hydroxydopamine and medullary A1 lesions markedly decrease baclofen analgesia. However, simultaneous depletion of NA in ascending and descending pathways by locus coeruleus lesions potentiates baclofen analgesia suggesting a functionally important interaction between the two aspects. Baclofen analgesia within the spinal cord may be mediated by a distinct baclofen receptor because GABA does not mimic the effect of baclofen and the rank order of potency both of close structural analogs of baclofen as well as antagonists differs for analgesia and GABAB systems. The spinal mechanism may involve an interaction with substance P (SP) because SP blocks baclofen analgesia, and desensitization to SP alters the spinal analgesic effect of baclofen. GABA uptake inhibitors produce analgesia which is similar to that produced by GABAA agonists because it is blocked by atropine, scopolamine and yohimbine. Analgesia produced by GABA-transaminase inhibitors is similar to that produced by GABAA agonists because it can be blocked by atropine, but it is potentiated by haloperidol while THIP analgesia is not.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)