Effect of Tanshinone IIA intrathecal injections on pain and spinal inflammation in mice with bone tumors

• Published in: Genetics and molecular research 2015-03, Vol.14 (1), p.2133-2138
• Main Authors: Ren, B X, Ji, Y, Tang, J C, Sun, D P, Hui, X, Yang, D Q, Zhu, X L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Disease Models, Animal; Diterpenes, Abietane - administration & dosage; Hyperalgesia - drug therapy; Hyperalgesia - etiology; Hyperalgesia - metabolism; Injections, Spinal; Interleukins - biosynthesis; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C3H; Myelitis - drug therapy; Myelitis - metabolism; Myelitis - pathology; Osteosarcoma - drug therapy; Osteosarcoma - metabolism; Osteosarcoma - pathology; Pain - drug therapy; Pain - metabolism; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - biosynthesis
• ISSN: 1676-5680; 1676-5680
• DOI: 10.4238/2015.March.20.24

The study aimed to investigate the effect of intrathecal injections of Tanshinone IIA on thermal hyperalgesia in a mouse model of bone cancer-pain. Spinal IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α expression levels were analyzed. C3H/HeNCrlVr male mice were assigned to groups that either received dose-dependent injections of Tanshinone IIA, or the DMSO + Sham, Tanshinone IIA + Sham, DMSO + Tumor, and Control groups. Paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) was measured with a radiant heat stimulus and mRNA expression levels were determined using real-time PCR. Fourteen days post-injection, PWTL in the DMSO + Tumor group was lower than that in the controls (P < 0.05). Twenty-one days post-injection, compared with the Control group, there was no significant difference in PWTL and IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α expression levels between the Tanshinone IIA + Sham and DMSO + Sham groups (P > 0.05). PWTL in the DMSO + Tumor group was significantly lower than the Control group (P < 0.05), while the expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly higher than controls. Compared with the DMSO + Tumor group, PWTLs were higher in the Tanshinone IIA - 20-μg and 40-μg groups, while expression levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were significantly lower (P < 0.05). These measures were not significantly different between the Tanshinone IIA 10 μg and the DMSO + Tumor groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, Tanshinone IIA may inhibit the release of inflammatory cytokines, such as, IL-1 β, IL-6 α, TNF-α.