1 We recently demonstrated that intrathecal administration of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) and PGF 2a induced allodynia through a pathway that includes the glutamate receptor and nitric oxide (NO)-generating systems from pharmacological studies. In order to clarify the involvement of NO in prostaglandin-induced allodynia, we measured NO released from rat spinal cord slices by a chemiluminescence method. 2 PGE 2 stimulated NO release from both dorsal and ventral regions all along the spinal cord. PGE 2 stimulated the release within 10 min and increased it in a time-dependent manner. 3 The PGE 2 -induced NO release was observed at 100 nM ± 10 mM. PGF 2a stimulated the release at concentrations higher than 1 mM, but PGD 2 (up to 10 mM) did not enhance it. 4 17-Phenyl-o-trinor PGE 2 (EP 1 4EP 3 ) and sulprostone (EP 1 5EP 3 ) were as potent as PGE 2 , but PGE 1 was less potent, in stimulating NO release. While M&B 28767 (EP 3 ) did not enhance the release, butaprost (EP 2 ) stimulated it at 1 mM. The PGE 2 -evoked release was blocked by ONO-NT-012, a bifunctional EP 1 antagonist/EP 3 agonist. 5 The PGE 2 -evoked release was Ca 2+ -dependent and blocked by MK-801 (NMDA receptor antagonist) and L-NAME (NO synthase inhibitor). The release was also inhibited by PGD 2 and dibutyryl-cyclic AMP. 6 The present study demonstrated that PGE 2 stimulates NO release in the rat spinal cord by activation of NMDA receptors through the EP 1 receptor, and supports our previous ®ndings that the NOgenerating system is involved in the PGE 2 -induced allodynia.