BACKGROUND Cyperus rotundus Linn. (Cyperaceae) is used to treat inflammation, pain, fever, wounds, boils and blisters in folk medicine. This study evaluated the antinociceptive effect of the hydromethanol extract of whole plant of C. rotundus (HMCR). METHODS The antinociceptive activity of HMCR was investigated in thermal-induced (hot plate and tail immersion) and chemical-induced (formalin) ...

The present study was aimed at investigating the analgesic properties of a combination of lidocaine and QX-222 and its effects on evoked pain behavior (complete Freund's adjuvant-induced allodynia and hyperalgesia in inflammatory condition) and spontaneous pain behavior (formalin-induced acute pain) in mice. Drugs were injected adjacent to sciatic nerve or into plantar. Motor function, thermal ...

The epidermis of wild mammals is occasionally lacerated or punctured and wound care behaviours evolved to keep animals healthy in nature. Communal licking may promote healing affected sites, relieve stress after a traumatic experience, reinforce social bonds among individuals. Yet, there are few reported cases communal free-ranging mammals. We report observations ungulate—free-ranging bison (Bi...

Dopamine (DA) is believed to play a fundamental role in reward processes. Virtually all drugs of abuse activate dopaminergic systems, as do "natural" rewards such as sexual interaction and food. Sweet-tasting solutions, for example, are a well characterized natural reward. In the present experiments, we used mice that cannot make DA (DD mice) to test the hypothesis that DA is necessary for rewa...

As sensory stimuli and behavioral demands change, the attentive brain quickly identifies task-relevant stimuli and associates them with appropriate motor responses. The effects of attention on sensory processing vary across task paradigms, suggesting that the brain may use multiple strategies and mechanisms to highlight attended stimuli and link them to motor action. To better understand factor...

Drug discovery for pain management is an important area of research given current limitations in medications for pain, including the addictive potential of opiates. While exercise may help worsen or lessen pain, the precise molecular mechanisms involved are incompletely understood. Thus, in the present study, we evaluated the effects of exercise intensity on pain via assessment of behavior and ...

Interleukin (IL)-33, the most recent member of the IL family of cytokines, signals through the ST2 receptor. IL-33/ST2 signaling mediates antigen challenge-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in the joints and cutaneous tissues of immunized mice. The present study asked whether IL-33/ST2 signaling is relevant to overt pain-like behaviors in mice. Acetic acid and phenyl-p-benzoquinone induced signif...