Resveratrol is a natural
polyphenol that protects from
cancer and
cardiovascular diseases.
Resveratrol is able to induce apoptotic cell death and it inhibits the
cyclooxygenase (COX) cascade. We measured the antinociceptive effect of
resveratrol on
carrageenan-induced
hyperalgesia, prostaglandin-E2 (
PGE2) concentration in CSF and COX-1/COX-2 gene expression in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in rats.
Resveratrol induced a prolonged antinociceptive effect, which was correlated to the inhibition of COX-2
mRNA increase in DRG and cord elicited by
carrageenan. An increase in the basal threshold of mechanical nociception was also observed with
resveratrol in the absence of any inflammatory insult. A rapid bilateralisation of COX-2
mRNA production, not accompanied by a parallel increase in c-Fos expression, was observed in spinal cord three hours after the inflammatory insult. This increase in COX-2
mRNA concentration in the spinal cord on the opposite side of the inflammatory insult was abolished by
resveratrol. In conclusion, the antinociceptive effect exhibited by
resveratrol was related to the prevention of COX-2
mRNA increase induced by
carrageenan.
Resveratrol also prevented the bilateralisation of COX-2 expression. The later effect, together with the prolonged
analgesia induced by a single injection, may be of great benefit for preventing
chronic pain states often seen after inflammatory insults.