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. 2006 Aug;87(8):1137-40.
doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2006.04.023.

Increased release of serotonin in the spinal cord during low, but not high, frequency transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in rats with joint inflammation

Kathleen A Sluka  1 , Tammy L Lisi, Karin N Westlund
Affiliations

Increased release of serotonin in the spinal cord during low, but not high, frequency transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in rats with joint inflammation

Kathleen A Sluka et al. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the release pattern of serotonin and noradrenaline in the spinal cord in response to transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) delivered at low or high frequency.

Design: Prospective randomized allocation of 3 treatments.

Setting: Research laboratory.

Animals: Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight range, 250-350 g).

Intervention: Knee joints of rats were inflamed with a mixture of 3% carrageenan and 3% kaolin for 24 hours prior to placement of push-pull cannulae into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Push-pull samples were collected in 10-minute intervals before, during, and after treatment with low-frequency TENS (4 Hz), high-frequency TENS (100 Hz), or sham TENS. TENS was applied to the inflamed knee joint for 20 minutes at sensory intensity and 100-mus pulse duration. Push-pull samples were analyzed for serotonin and noradrenaline by high performance liquid chromatography with coulemetric detection.

Main outcome measures: Spinal concentrations of serotonin and noradrenaline.

Results: Low-frequency TENS significantly increased serotonin concentrations during and immediately after treatment. There was no change in serotonin with high-frequency TENS, nor was there a change in noradrenaline with low- or high-frequency TENS.

Conclusions: Low-frequency TENS releases serotonin in the spinal cord to produce antihyperalgesia by activation of serotonin receptors.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Time course of release of (A) noradrenaline and (B) serotonin in response to treatment with low-frequency, high-frequency, or sham TENS. Significant increases in serotonin occur during and immediately after low-frequency TENS. Dialysate samples were collected in 10-minute intervals. Data are presented as a percentage of baseline, with baseline set at 100%. The four 10-minute baseline samples were averaged to give one baseline number per animal for calculation of percentage of baseline responses. *Significantly different from sham TENS and high-frequency TENS.
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