Attenuation of mechanical hyperalgesia following spinal cord injury by administration of antibodies to nerve growth factor in the rat

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2003-01, Vol.336 (2), p.117-120
• Main Authors: Gwak, Young Seob, Nam, Taick Sang, Paik, Kwang Se, Hulsebosch, Claire E, Leem, Joong Woo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-nerve growth factor; Antibodies - administration & dosage; Antibodies - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Cell physiology; Central pain; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hindlimb - physiopathology; Hyperalgesia - drug therapy; Hyperalgesia - etiology; Hyperalgesia - physiopathology; Mechanical hyperalgesia; Molecular and cellular biology; Nerve Growth Factors - immunology; Nerve Growth Factors - metabolism; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold; Physical Stimulation; Posterior Horn Cells - drug effects; Posterior Horn Cells - physiopathology; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reference Values; Responses to growth factors, tumor promotors, other factors; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spinal Cord Injuries - complications; Spinal cord injury; Thoracic Vertebrae; Touch; Wide dynamic range neurons
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/S0304-3940(02)01251-X

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to central pain syndrome including hyperalgesia to mechanical stimulation. Since there is evidence that nerve growth factor (NGF) contributes to pain-related behaviors, we wished to determine if anti-NGF might inhibit abnormal somatosensory behaviors that develop following SCI in rats. SCI was performed in male Sprague–Dawley rats by T13 spinal hemisection. After spinal hemisection, animals were untreated or treated daily with anti-NGF or saline intraperitoneally for 10 days. In groups of both hemisection only and hemisection with saline treatment, mechanical hyperalgesia developed in both hindlimbs, as evidenced by a decrease in paw withdrawal thresholds. Mechanical responsiveness of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons on both sides of spinal cord also increased. The anti-NGF treated group demonstrated significant suppression of both mechanical hyperalgesia and increased WDR neuronal responsiveness. These results indicate that anti-NGF prevents the development of abnormal somatosensory behavior and suggest a potential pre-emptive analgesic treatment for central pain.