ABSTRACT
AIM: To investigate the effect of injection stauntoniae ( IS) on inflammatory pain responses in mice.METHODS:The carrageenan test was used to determine the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of IS .Except for control group, the mice in other groups received an injection of λ-carrageenan solution (1%, 50 μL) into the plantar region of the left hind paws , followed by a subcutaneous injection of IS at doses of 12.5%, 50%and 100%or equal vol-ume of 0.9%NaCl.Both paw edema and hyperalgesia to thermal stimulation were measured 4 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h after the injection of λ-carrageenan solution.The lumbar-5 (L5) dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) of the mice were taken to inves-tigate the cyclooxygenase 2 ( COX-2) expression by immunohistochemical staining .RESULTS:Subcutaneous injection of IS potently inhibited paw edema and hyperalgesia induced by λ-carrageenan in the mice accompanied with the inhibition of COX-2 protein expression in L 5 DRGs.CONCLUSION:IS exerts the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects on the in-flammatory responses by inhibiting the protein expression of COX-2 in DRGs.