Tatsuya Maekawa, Hiroshi Nojima and Yasushi Kuraishi*
Department of Applied Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences,
Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194,
Japan
*Corresponding author.ﾊﾊFAX:+81-76-434-5045
E-mail: kuraisiy@ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp
Abstract: To assess the itch-associated response of primary afferents
innervating the murine skin in vivo, dose-response curves and time-courses
for itch-scratching and cutaneous nerve firing responses to intradermal
injections of pruritogens (histamine and serotonin) were compared in ICR
and ddY mice. Serotonin increased the itch-scratch response and cutaneous
nerve firing in either ICR or ddY mice. Histamine increased these two responses
in ICR, but not ddY, mice. The dose-response curves and time-courses for
serotonin- and histamine-induced nerve firing were similar to those for
the itch-scratch response. The results suggest that cutaneous nerve firing
evoked by peripherally given pruritogens includes the itch-associated response.
Keywords: Itch-scratch response, Cutaneous nerve firing, Strain difference
Copyrightｩ The Japanese Pharmacological Society 2000
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