Management of chronic
pain is restricted by the lack of effective tools. This study evaluated the efficacies of
sinomenine combined
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride in treating peripheral and central chronic
neuropathic pain. The study was conducted in mice with photochemically induced sciatic nerve injury, and in rats with photochemically induced
spinal cord injury. For assessing the effectiveness of combined
therapy,
sinomenine,
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.), and
pain behavioral tests were performed. At sub-effective dosages, pre-administration of
sinomenine (for 60 min) plus
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride, generated significant anti-allodynic effects in mice or rats with peripheral or central
neuropathic pain. However, these effects were abolished when
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride was pre-administered, and then
sinomenine was given 60 min later. The combined efficacies of
sinomenine and
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride, cannot be blocked or reversed by the
naloxone, suggesting the underlying mechanism is not mediated by
opioid receptors. Moreover, following repeated treatments,
sinomenine and
gabapentin combination increased the baseline mechanical threshold, while generating prolonged
analgesia, without introducing notable side effects.
Sinomenine can enhance the efficacy of
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride in rodent models of peripheral or central
neuropathic pain, without introducing tolerance or other notable side effects. Findings of current study suggest that combing
sinomenine and
gabapentin or
ligustrazine hydrochloride could be highly beneficial in
neuropathic pain therapies.