RESUMO
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the potential role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) in the orofacial inflammatory pain.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>SD rats received subcutaneous injection of 2.5% formalin 50 µl in the left vibrissa pad to establish the inflammatory pain model. The rats were grouped into the control group, the formalin group (FOR group), the formalin + saline group (FOR + NS group) and the formalin + SB203580 group (FOR + SB group). SB203580 or saline was inserted into the rat's cisterna magna 20 minutes prior to the formalin injection, then the behavioral changes were tested. The immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting analysis were performed to examine c-fos, p38MAPK and phosphorylated p38 (p-p38) activity in Vc at 20, 60, 120, 180 minutes after formalin injection.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>p38MAPK was constitutively expressed in Vc (P > 0.05) and p38MAPK was activated following formalin injection.Compared with the control group at 20 min (0.12 ± 0.01), the level of p-p38 in FOR group (0.66 ± 0.04) and FOR + NS group (0.64 ± 0.04) increased significantly (P < 0.001). The expression of p-p38 peaked at 20 minutes, and then declined in each group. Intracisterna magna pretreatment of p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 resulted in potent attenuation of phase II of pain behavior (P < 0.05), while the expression of c-fos was also inhibited, especially at the point of 120 min (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase played a major role in the development of orofacial inflammatory pain and it was verified by the experimental result that p38MAPK inhibitor SB203580 inhibited the formalin-induced orofacial pain.</p>