GABA B mediated analgesia in tonic pain in monkeys

The present study was designed to characterise the analgesia produced by the GABA B agonist baclofen in tonic pain in monkeys. The effect of various doses of baclofen was studied on formalin induced pain. Baclofen was injected intraperitoneally 30 min prior to formalin injection in five doses of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg/kg and the pain was quantified for a period of one hour. Baclofen produced dose related analgesia, 6 mg/kg having maximal effect. The antinociceptive effect of baclofen could be attributed to the effect of baclofen on GABA B receptors producing presynaptic inhibition of primary nociceptive afferents in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord.