Effects of chronic administration of amitriptyline, gabapentin and minocycline on spinal brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and neuropathic pain behavior in a rat chronic constriction injury model.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In animal models of neuropathic pain (NP), promising results have been reported with the administration of minocycline, possibly through inhibition of spinal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression. No data are available on the effect of amitriptyline and gabapentin on spinal BDNF expression. If the mechanism of action of the latter drugs does not involve brain-derived NP inhibition, further clinical research in BDNF is warranted.

METHODS:

In this placebo-controlled study, we investigated the effects of amitriptyline (5 mg/kg), gabapentin (50 mg/kg), and minocycline (25 mg/kg) twice a day on NP behavior in a sciatic chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model. Drug treatment started 7 days after CCI and lasted 14 days. At postoperative day 21, spinal BDNF expression in laminae I and II was quantified using immunocytochemistry.

RESULTS:

Sciatic CCI resulted in NP behavior throughout the duration of the experiment in the placebo group. When administered for 2 weeks, minocycline (P ≤ 0.001) and amitriptyline (P ≤ 0.05), but not gabapentin, reduced thermal hyperalgesia. None of these drugs reduced mechanical allodynia. As opposed to amitriptyline and gabapentin, 2 weeks of treatment with minocycline reduced brain-derived, neurotrophic factor immunoreactivity (P ≤ 0.05) in the ipsilateral dorsal horn.

CONCLUSIONS:

Minocycline and amitriptyline both reduce NP behavior in a sciatic CCI rat model, but only minocycline reduces spinal BDNF, indicating different modes of action of these 2 drugs. The observed actions of minocycline closely fit the clinical needs for the treatment of NP.

• Authors: Pascal Vanelderen, Tom Rouwette, Tamás Kozicz, René Heylen, Jan Van Zundert, Eric W Roubos, Kris Vissers
• Journal: Regional anesthesia and pain medicine (Reg Anesth Pain Med) 2013 Mar-Apr Vol. 38 Issue 2 Pg. 124-30 ISSN: 1532-8651 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 23337936 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Amines
• Analgesics
• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
• Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids
• Amitriptyline
• gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
• Gabapentin
• Minocycline

Topics

• Amines (administration & dosage)
• Amitriptyline (administration & dosage)
• Analgesics (administration & dosage)
• Animals
• Behavior, Animal (drug effects)
• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (metabolism)
• Constriction
• Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids (administration & dosage)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Down-Regulation
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Gabapentin
• Hyperalgesia (diagnosis, drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology, psychology)
• Immunohistochemistry
• Male
• Minocycline (administration & dosage)
• Neuralgia (diagnosis, drug therapy, metabolism, physiopathology, psychology)
• Pain Measurement
• Pain Perception (drug effects)
• Pain Threshold (drug effects)
• Posterior Horn Cells (drug effects, metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Sciatic Nerve (surgery)
• Spinal Cord (drug effects, metabolism, physiopathology)
• Time Factors
• gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (administration & dosage)