Impaired Nociception and Peripheral Opioid Antinociception in Mice Lacking Both Kinin B1 and B2 Receptors

Abstract

Background Kinins (e.g., bradykinin) acting through the constitutively expressed B2 and the injury-induced B1 receptors are involved in pain and hyperalgesia, as previously shown by use of receptor-selective antagonists and single-receptor knockout models. Because the overall contribution of kinins to painful processes remains unclear, the aim of this study was to analyze pain-related behaviors of mice unable to respond to kinins because of a lack of both B1 and B2 receptors. Methods In knockout mice lacking both B1 and B2 receptors and in wild-type mice (n = 8-21 per group) the authors assessed nociceptive thresholds to mechanical and heat stimuli (von Frey and Hargreaves tests, respectively) in healthy animals and after induction of inflammatory and neuropathic pain, acid-induced visceral nociception, and modulation of nociceptive responses by peripherally administered opioid agonists. Results In knockout mice lacking both B1 and B2 receptors baseline nociceptive responses to heat were unaltered, nocifensive responses to bradykinin were abolished, acute acetic acid-induced visceral nociception was reduced by approximately 70% (mean difference: 19.5 writhes/30 min) and heat hypersensitivity in carrageenan-induced paw inflammation was decreased 48 h after injection (mean difference 2.88 s), hypersensitivities in chronic complete Freund's adjuvant-induced paw inflammation or after chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve were unchanged, and peripheral μ- and δ-opioid-induced analgesia after chronic constriction injury was reduced by 30-35% (mean differences: μ-agonist: 0.495 g, δ-agonist: 0.555 g). Conclusions These data suggest that kinins are important for nociception associated with acute short-lasting inflammation but are less essential in chronic stages of pain. The results also highlight a new protective function of kinins via interactions with the opioid system.