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Changes in Purines Concentration in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Pregnant Women Experiencing Pain During Active Labor

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Abstract

Labor pain has been reported as a severe pain and can be considered as a model of acute visceral pain. It is well known that extracellular purines have an important role in pain signaling in the central nervous system. This study analyzes the relationship between extracellular purines and pain perception during active labor. A prospective observational study was performed. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the purines and their metabolites were compared between women at term pregnancy with labor pain (n = 49) and without labor pain (Caesarian section; n = 47). Control groups (healthy men and women without chronic or acute pain—n = 40 and 32, respectively) were also investigated. The CSF levels of adenosine were significantly lower in the labor pain group (P = 0.026) and negatively correlated with pain intensity measured by a visual analogue scale (r = −0.48, P = 0.0005). Interestingly, CSF levels of uric acid were significantly higher in healthy men as compared to women. Additionally, pregnant women showed increased CSF levels of ADP, GDP, adenosine and guanosine and reduced CSF levels of AMP, GTP, and uric acid as compared to non-pregnant women (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that purines, in special the nucleoside adenosine, are associated with pregnancy and labor pain.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by the Brazilian research agencies FINEP, CNPq, CAPES, FAPERGS, UFRGS and INCT for Excitotoxicity and Neuroprotection (INCTEN/CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Health Sciences (ICBS), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Anexo, Porto Alegre, RS, 90035-003, Brazil

    André P. Schmidt, Gisele Hansel, Alex T. Giordani, Luís V. Portela & Diogo O. Souza

  2. Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    André P. Schmidt & Elaine A. Félix

  3. Division of Anesthesia, Department of Surgery, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    André P. Schmidt & Florentino F. Mendes

  4. Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Ana E. Böhmer

  5. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, RS, Brazil

    Félix A. Soares

  6. Programa de Pós-graduação em Saúde e Comportamento, Centro de Ciências da Vida e da Saúde e Hospital Universitário São Francisco de Paula, Universidade Católica de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil

    Jean P. Oses

  7. Department of Anesthesia and Surgical Intensive Care, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Irimar P. Posso & José Otávio C. Auler Jr.

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  1. André P. Schmidt
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  2. Ana E. Böhmer
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  7. Irimar P. Posso
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  8. José Otávio C. Auler Jr.
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  9. Florentino F. Mendes
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  10. Elaine A. Félix
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  11. Luís V. Portela
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  12. Diogo O. Souza
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to André P. Schmidt.

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Additional information

Implications Statement This study demonstrated that the CSF levels of adenosine were significantly reduced in pregnant women experiencing pain during active labor. These findings suggest that purines, in special the nucleoside adenosine, are associated with pregnancy and labor pain.

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Schmidt, A.P., Böhmer, A.E., Hansel, G. et al. Changes in Purines Concentration in the Cerebrospinal Fluid of Pregnant Women Experiencing Pain During Active Labor. Neurochem Res 40, 2262–2269 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-015-1716-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-015-1716-9

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