Extracellular aminoacids in the amygdala and nucleus accumbens in the rat during acute pain

In the present experiments extracellular arginine, glutamate and aspartate were studied in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala and core of the nucleus accumbens during the formalin test (phase I). A combination of capillary zone electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence detection and microdialysis in freely moving rats was used. Glutamate and arginine significantly increased in the nucleus accumbens after formalin injection; glutamate, arginine and aspartate significantly increased in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, after formalin injection. These experiments suggest that rapid neurotransmitters changes observed in the nucleus accumbens and amygdala, are possibly related to immobility and emotional states such as anxiety, aversion and/or depression caused by pain.