Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in a rat model of neuropathic pain

Abstract

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are free radicals produced in biological systems that are involved in various degenerative brain diseases. The present study tests the hypothesis that ROS also play an important role in neuropathic pain. In the rat spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model of neuropathic pain, mechanical allodynia develops fully 3 days after nerve ligation and persists for many weeks. Systemic injection of a ROS scavenger, phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN), relieves SNL-induced mechanical allodynia in a dose-dependent manner. Repeated injections cause no development of tolerance or no loss of potency. Preemptive treatment with PBN is also effective in preventing full development of neuropathic pain behavior. Systemic injection was mimicked by intrathecal injection with a little less efficacy, while intracerebroventricular administration produced a much smaller effect. These data suggest that PBN exerts its anti-allodynic action mainly by spinal mechanisms. Systemic treatment with other spin-trap reagents, 5,5-dimethylpyrroline-N-oxide and nitrosobenzene, showed similar analgesic effects, suggesting that ROS are critically involved in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Thus this study suggests that systemic administration of non-toxic doses of free radical scavengers could be useful for treatment of neuropathic pain.

Effect of vitamin C on morphine use after laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomized controlled trial

“…Kim et al 5 showed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a role in neuropathic pain mediation, and they also showed that the use of ROS scavengers ameliorated the mechanical discomfort in a single nerve ligation pain model in rats. Thus, vitamin C may play a role in antinociception through its antioxidative properties.…”

“…3 Vitamin C is also known for its antioxidant, neuroprotective, and neuromodulating effects. [3][4][5][6][7] Clinical studies have shown that oral supplementation of vitamin C in the range of 0.5-3 g might play a role in pain treatment without any significant side effects. In a double-blind placebo-controlled crossover study, Jensen et al 8 have shown that 1 g of vitamin C reduced pain and improved function in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis.…”

Oxidative challenges sensitize the capsaicin receptor by covalent cysteine modification

“…Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to cause persistent pain (40)(41)(42)(43)(44) C111 C164 C239 C264 C269 C369 C393 C397 C540 C586 C624 C641 C722 C748 C772 C783 are indiscriminative (45), compromising multiple cell types to exacerbate tissue inflammation and nociception. Although a significant part of hyperalgesia can arise from action of ROS on the spinal cord (44,46), sensory transduction channels in peripheral nerves may also contribute to pain related to oxidation.…”

The Effect of Anakinra on Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathic Pain in Rats

“…It has been found in numerous studies that reactive oxygen species (ROS) cause nerve injury-related pain and inflammatory pain (7). Paclitaxel has also been reported to activate proinflammatory cytokine expression (8)(9)(10)(11).…”