• Mahsa Sadeghi, Swetha S Murali, Richard J Lewis, Paul F Alewood, Sarasa Mohammadi, and MacDonald J Christie.
• Discipline of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. mac.christie@sydney.edu.au.
• Mol Pain. 2013 Jan 1;9:51.

BackgroundAntagonists of N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC), Ca(v)2.2, can manage severe chronic pain with intrathecal use and may be effective systemically. A series of novel ω-conotoxins that selectively inhibit N-type VGCCs was isolated from Conus catus. In the present study, the potency and reversibility of ω-conotoxins CVID, CVIE and CVIF to inhibit N-type calcium currents were investigated in mouse isolated dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The systemic potency of each ω-conotoxin to reverse signs of mouse chronic inflammatory pain was also compared.ResultsIn DRG neurons, the rank order of potency to inhibit N-type calcium currents was CVIE > CVIF > CVID. After subcutaneous administration, CVID and CVIE, but not CVIF, partially reversed impaired weight bearing in mice injected with Freund's complete adjuvant (CFA) three days prior to testing. No side-effects associated with systemic administration of ω-conotoxins were observed.ConclusionsThe present study indicates a potential for CVID and CVIE to be developed as systemically active analgesics with no accompanying neurological side-effects.

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