N-palmitoylethanolamide in the anterior cingulate cortex attenuates inflammatory pain behaviour indirectly via a CB1 receptor-mediated mechanism
Laboratory studyOther animals
- Design
- Laboratory study
- Subjects
- Rats given formalin to induce nociceptive behaviour, with PEA injected into the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)
- Dose used in the study
- PEA administered directly into the ACC; dose not stated in the abstract
- Duration
- Not stated in the abstract
- What was measured
- Formalin-evoked nociceptive behaviour, roles of PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma, CB1 and TRPV1 receptors, ACC anandamide levels, and c-Fos expression in amygdala, medulla and spinal cord
What the authors reported
Intra-ACC PEA reduced early formalin-evoked pain behaviour, an effect blocked by a CB1 antagonist but not by PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma or TRPV1 antagonists, and PEA raised anandamide levels in the ACC. It also reduced c-Fos expression in the basolateral amygdala but not in other regions tested.
Limits of this study
A rat study using direct brain injection of PEA; it cannot show effect from oral or systemic PEA use in people. Funding and conflicts not stated in the abstract.
Source
PubMed 27649266 · doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000687
Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.