The present study was designed to investigate the involvement of the cytokine
tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) in the brain in the antinociceptive mechanism of action of the antidepressant drug
amitriptyline. Amitriptyline is one of the most commonly employed antidepressants in the clinical management of chronic
neuropathic pain, however the mechanism of its action remains unknown. Previous studies from our laboratory have demonstrated a central role of elevations in brain-derived TNF levels in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. As an extension of these findings, in the present study, the involvement of this cytokine in the antinociceptive mechanism of amitriptyline was investigated.
