• Jun-Beom Lee, Jeong-Hyun Byun, In-Sung Choi, Young Kim, and Ji Shin Lee.
• Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School & Hospital, Gwangju, Korea.
• Ann Rehabil Med. 2015 Oct 1; 39 (5): 667-75.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) applied proximal to the injured peripheral nerve on the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in a neuropathic pain rat model.MethodsNineteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. All rats underwent chronic constriction injury (CCI) procedure. After 7 days of CCI, withdrawal frequency of affected hind paw to mechanical stimuli and withdrawal latency of affected hind paw to heat stimulus were measured. They were randomly divided into two groups: group A, CCI group (n=9) and group B, CCI treated with PRF group (n=10). Rats of group B underwent PRF procedure on the sciatic nerve. Withdrawal frequency and withdrawal latency were measured at 12 hours, and 7 days after PRF. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were performed using a TNF-α antibody.ResultsBefore PRF, withdrawal frequency and withdrawal latency were not different in both groups. After PRF, withdrawal frequency decreased and withdrawal latency prolonged over time in group B. There was significant interaction between time and group for each withdrawal frequency and withdrawal latency. Group B showed decreased TNF-α immunoreactivity of the spinal cord and sciatic nerve at 7 days.ConclusionPRF applied proximal to the peripheral nerve injury is potentially helpful for the reduction of neuropathic pain by neuromodulation of inflammatory markers.

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