Time course of the effect of i.t. injection of a generic AS to CaV3 subunits on mechanical and thermal nociception in healthy and mononeuropathic rats (CCI model). (A, B) Three groups (n=5–7) of animals were injected (i.t.) twice daily during 4 days with 10 μl containing either 12.5 μg of AS-CaV3-com (filled circles), 12.5 μg of the mismatch ODN (open circles), or the saline vehicle alone (open triangles). The rats were tested for nociceptive responses to a noxious pressure (A, paw pressure test) and to noxious thermal stimulus (B, tail immersion test). The response scale was measured in grams applied to the paw for the pressure test (vocalization thresholds) and in seconds for the latency of tail withdrawal from the water bath. Note that in both tests, the AS injection produced a 4-day significant antinociceptive effect. (C, D) For mononeuropathic rats, similarly, three groups of 5–7 animals were treated with AS-CaV3-com (filled circles), the mismatch ODN (open circles), and the saline vehicle (open triangles). Evoked mechanical (C) and thermal (D) hyperalgesia was scored using the paw pressure and the paw immersion tests. Thresholds were measured before (day −7) and after (day 0) the induction of neuropathy, then daily (days 4–12) after the end of the AS injection protocol. Note that the anti-hyperalgesic effect of AS-CaV3-com was prolonged in mononeuropathic animals compared to healthy rats. Each point represents the mean±s.e.m. from 5–7 animals per treatment group. Statistical differences between measures P<0.05 (*: AS-CaV3-com versus saline; •: AS-CaV3-com versus mismatch) were calculated by ANOVA followed by a protected least significant difference (PLSD) Fischer t-test.