Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior
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Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Sep 2014
Tramadol reduces anxiety-related and depression-associated behaviors presumably induced by pain in the chronic constriction injury model of neuropathic pain in rats.
Depression and anxiety are common comorbidities of neuropathic pain (NP). Pharmacological preclinical studies on NP have given abundant information on the effects of drugs on reflex measures of stimulus-evoked pain. However, few preclinical studies focus on relief of comorbidities evoked by NP. ⋯ Tramadol reduced the immobility time in CCI rats by 22% (P<0.001), while having no effect on sham. Tramadol reversed the changes in mechanical sensitivity as well as anxiety-related and depression-associated behaviors that are caused by injury of the sciatic nerve with only minor effects in the absence of injury. These data suggest that tramadol relieves chronic pain and its indirect consequences and comorbidities, and that this study also is a model for pharmacological studies seeking to investigate the effect of drugs on the major disabling symptoms of NP.
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Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Sep 2014
Combined inhibition of FAAH and COX produces enhanced anti-allodynic effects in mouse neuropathic and inflammatory pain models.
Common pharmacological treatments of neuropathic and chronic inflammatory pain conditions generally lack efficacy and/or are associated with significant untoward side effects. However, recent preclinical data indicate that combined inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), the primary catabolic enzyme of the endocannabinoid N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide; AEA), produces enhanced antinociceptive effects in a variety of murine models of pain. Accordingly, the primary objective of the present study was to investigate the consequences of co-administration of the COX inhibitor diclofenac and the highly selective FAAH inhibitor PF-3845 in models of neuropathic pain (i.e., chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI)) and inflammatory pain induced by an intraplantar injection of carrageenan. Here, we report that combined administration of subthreshold doses of these drugs produced enhanced antinociceptive effects in CCI and carrageenan pain models, the latter of which was demonstrated to require both CB1 and CB2 receptors. The combined administration of subthreshold doses of these drugs also increased AEA levels and decreased prostaglandin levels in whole brain. Together, these data add to the growing research that dual blockade of FAAH and COX represents a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neuropathic and inflammatory pain states. ⋯ Tandem inhibition of FAAH and COX attenuates inflammatory and neuropathic pain states, which may avoid potentially harmful side effects of other therapeutic options, such as NSAIDs or opioids.
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Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Sep 2014
In vivo effects of synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-073 and phytocannabinoid Δ9-THC in mice: inhalation versus intraperitoneal injection.
Human users of synthetic cannabinoids (SCBs) JWH-018 and JWH-073 typically smoke these drugs, but preclinical studies usually rely on injection for drug delivery. We used the cannabinoid tetrad and drug discrimination to compare in vivo effects of inhaled drugs with injected doses of these two SCBs, as well as with the phytocannabinoid Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9)-THC). Mice inhaled various doses of Δ(9)-THC, JWH-018 or JWH-073, or were injected intraperitoneally (IP) with these same compounds. ⋯ Injected JWH-018 and JWH-073 fully substituted for Δ(9)-THC, but substitution was partial (JWH-073) or required relatively higher doses (JWH-018) when drugs were inhaled. These studies demonstrate that the SCBs JWH-018 and JWH-073 elicit dose-dependent, CB1 receptor-mediated Δ(9)-THC-like effects in mice when delivered via inhalation or via injection. Across these routes of administration, differences in cataleptic effects and, perhaps, discriminative stimulus effects, may implicate the involvement of active metabolites of these compounds.
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Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Sep 2014
The inhibitor of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II KN93 attenuates bone cancer pain via inhibition of KIF17/NR2B trafficking in mice.
The N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) containing subunit 2B (NR2B) is critical for the regulation of nociception in bone cancer pain, although the precise molecular mechanisms remain unclear. KIF17, a kinesin motor, plays a key role in the dendritic transport of NR2B. The up-regulation of NR2B and KIF17 transcription results from an increase in phosphorylated cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB), which is activated by calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). ⋯ These results showed that inoculation of osteosarcoma cells induced progressive bone cancer pain and resulted in a significant up-regulation of p-CaMKII, NR2B and KIF17 expression after inoculation. Intrathecal administration of KN93, a CaMKII inhibitor, down-regulated these three proteins and attenuated bone cancer pain in a dose- and time-dependent manner. These findings indicated that CaMKII-mediated KIF17/NR2B trafficking may contribute to bone cancer pain, and inhibition of CaMKII may be a useful alternative or adjunct therapy for relieving cancer pain.
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Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. · Sep 2014
Antidepressant-like effects of salidroside on olfactory bulbectomy-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and hyperactivity of HPA axis in rats.
Salidroside (SA) is the primary bioactive marker compound in the standardized extracts from Rhodiola rosea. Although it has potential antidepressant activity in a rat behavioral despair model, the mechanisms of antidepressant effect for SA remain unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the antidepressant effects of SA and to discuss the potential mechanisms in olfactory bulbectomized (OBX) rats. ⋯ The antidepressant mechanisms of SA might be associated with its anti-inflammatory effects and the regulation of HPA axis activity. Reversal of abnormalities of GR may be partly responsible for those effects. These findings suggested that SA might become a beneficial agent to prevent and treat the depression.