Gut pain and hyperalgesia induced by capsaicin: a human experimental model

Abstract

Human experimental visceral pain models using chemical stimulation are needed for the study of visceral hyperexcitability. Our aim was to stimulate the human gut with chemical activators (capsaicin, glycerol) and measure quantitatively the induced hyperexcitability to painful mechanical gut distension. Ten otherwise healthy subjects with an ileostoma participated. Increasing volumes of capsaicin 50 μg/ml (0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 3 ml), glycerol (2.5, 5, and 10 ml) or saline (2.5, 5, and 10 ml) intermingled with sham stimuli were randomly applied to the ileum via the stomal opening at three occasions separated by a week. After each application, pain intensity, qualities, and referred pain area were assessed together with the pain threshold to distension of the proximal gut. ‘Boring’ and ‘hot’ pain were evoked in all subjects by low doses (median 0.5 ml) of capsaicin. The median pain onset, peak pain, and pain duration were 55, 85, and 420 s, respectively. Referred somatic pain developed around the stomal opening with a correlation between the pain area and pain intensity. After application of capsaicin, significant hyperalgesia was found to distension of the gut (a 28% reduction pressure in pain threshold). No significant manifestations were found after application of glycerol and saline. Application of capsaicin to the human ileum induces pain and mechanical hyperalgesia. Specific activation of nociceptors in the gut mucosa provides new possibilities to study clinical relevant visceral pain mechanisms.