Abstract
New pain treatments are in demand due to the pervasive nature of pain conditions. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) has shown potential in treating pain in both clinical and preclinical settings, although the mechanism of this effect is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the major inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is involved in HBO2-induced antinociception in the central nervous system (CNS). To accomplish this goal, pharmacological interactions between GABA drugs and HBO2 were investigated using the behavioral acetic acid abdominal constriction test. Western blotting was used to quantify protein changes that might occur as a result of the interactions. GABAA but not GABAB receptor antagonists dose-dependently reduced HBO2 antinociception, while antagonism of the GABA reuptake transporter enhanced this effect. Western blot results showed an interaction between the pain stimulus and HBO2 on expression of the phosphorylated β3 subunit of the GABAA receptor at S408/409 in homogenates of the lumbar but not thoracic spinal cord. A significant interaction was also found in neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression in the lumbar but not thoracic spinal cord. These findings support the notion that GABA may be involved in HBO2-induced antinociception at the GABAA receptor but indicate that more study will be needed to understand the intricacies of this interaction.