The effects of bradykinin and prostaglandin E1 on rat cutaneous afferent nerve activity

1 The activity produced by intra-arterial bradykinin and prostaglandin E1 was investigated in multifibre strands dissected from the saphenous nerves of anaesthetized rats. 2 Bradykinin (0.5-10mug) alone produced little activity in nerve strands but produced considerable activity following a 10 min infusion, but not a single injection, of prostaglandin E1 (5-100 ng). 3 Prostaglandin E, alone produced a few large height spikes but following several injections of bradykinin smaller height spikes were also produced by prostaglandin E1. 4 It was concluded that the presence of a low concentration of prostaglandin E, is required for bradykinin to manifest its actions and that bradykinin and prostaglandin E1 are mutually potentiating in their effects on afferent nerve terminals.