NEUROCHEMISTRY OF GESTATION-PRODUCED ANALGESIA

该实验室先前的研究表明， 怀孕时，母体脊髓阿片样物质被激活， 介导特定阿片系统的系统 被调节的（阿片受体和内源性 激活它的配体）。 具体 目的是（1）确定脊髓阿片剂的类型 介导脊髓阿片样物质的受体（μ，δ，κ） 妊娠镇痛。 (2)确定内源性阿片样物质 配体（脑啡肽，强啡肽，B-内啡肽），介导 妊娠期脊髓镇痛 (3)确定浓度 脑啡肽、强啡肽、B-内啡肽和总阿片肽的谱 妊娠（20天）和非妊娠（20天） 怀孕的老鼠 除此之外，实验将 进行，以确定怀孕的方面（变化， 外周激素浓度，增加对 子宫颈等）这是造成 妊娠期间脊髓阿片活性。 的具体目标 （4）确定是否与镇痛相关 假前列腺素包括脊髓阿片成分， 与实际妊娠相关的镇痛，以及（5） 确定施加在子宫上的力增加的影响 子宫颈对非妊娠女性和假孕女性痛阈的影响 大鼠 这项研究将表明，如果增加压力， 子宫颈在怀孕期间自然发育， 分娩可能至少是一种内在刺激， 在激活母体阿片系统和伴随的 痛阈升高。

Previous studies in this laboratory have demonstrated that during pregnancy there occurs an activation of a maternal spinal opioid system(s) that mediated characterize the specific opioid system(s) that is being modulated (type of opioid receptor and endogenous ligand that activates it) during gestation. The specific objectives are to (1) Determine the type(s) of spinal opiate receptor (mu, delta, kappa) that mediates the spinal opioid analgesia of pregnancy. (2) Determine the endogenous opioid ligand(s) (enkephalin, dynorphin, B-endorphin) that mediates the spinal analgesia of pregnancy. (3) Determine the concentration profile of enkephalin, dynorphin, B-endorphin and total opioid activity in spinal cord superfusate of pregnant (day 20) and non- pregnant rats. In addition to the above, experiments will be conducted to determine the facet(s) of pregnancy (changes in peripheral hormone concentration, increased pressure against the uterine cervics, etc.) that is responsible for the increase in spinal opioid activity during gestation. The specific objectives will be to (4) Determine if the analgesia associated with pseudopregnancy involves a spinal opioid component as does the analgesia that is associated with actual pregnancy, and (5) Determine the effect of increased force applied to the uterine cervix on pain thresholds on non-pregnant female and pseudopregnant rats. This study will indicate if the increase pressure against the uterine cervix that develops naturally during pregnancy and labor might be at least one of the internal stimuli that results in the activation of maternal opioid system(s) and the concomitant elevation in pain threshold.