Evidence that substance P and somatostatin transmit separate information related to pain in the spinal dorsal horn.

Effects of various types of natural skin stimuli on the in situ release of immunoreactive substance P and somatostatin from the rabbit dorsal horn were examined. Noxious mechanical or thermal stimuli specifically increased the release of immunoreactive substance P or somatostatin, respectively. Innocuous stimuli did not affect the release of these peptides. These results suggest that the nociceptive mechanical or thermal primary afferents contain substance P or somatostatin, respectively.