The invention provides a method of determining whether a compound alleviates vasoconstriction-independent nerve pain mediated by endothelin-1 (ET-1). The method involves (i) determining whether the compound has the ability to inhibit a vasoconstriction-independent ET-1 action, and, if the compound has the inhibitory ability, then ii) determining whether the compound reduces vasoconstriction-independent nerve pain by testing the compound in human patients suffering from pain mediated by the vasoconstriction-independent ET-1 action. The invention also includes a method of determining whether a compound alleviates pain caused by nerve injury in human patients. The method involves (i) determining whether the compound has the ability to inhibit an inflammatory leukocyte response, and, if the compound has the inhibitory ability, then (ii) testing the compound in human patients suffering from pain caused by nerve injury to determine whether the compound alleviates the pain.

A invenção fornece um método de determinar se um composto alivia a dor vasoconstriction-independente do nervo mediada por endothelin-1 (ET-1). O método envolve (i) determinando se o composto tem a abilidade de inibir uma ação ET-1 vasoconstriction-independente, e, se o composto tiver a abilidade inhibitory, então ii) determinando se o composto reduz a dor vasoconstriction-independente do nervo testando o composto nos pacientes humanos que sofrem da dor mediada pela ação ET-1 vasoconstriction-independente. A invenção inclui também um método de determinar se um composto alivia a dor causada por ferimento do nervo em pacientes humanos. O método envolve (i) determinando se o composto tem a abilidade de inibir uma resposta inflammatory do leukocyte, e, se o composto tiver a abilidade inhibitory, então (ii) testando o composto nos pacientes humanos que sofrem da dor causada por ferimento do nervo determinar se o composto alivia a dor.