Treatment with the NMDA antagonist memantine attenuates nociceptive responses to mechanical stimulation in neuropathic rats

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 1995-09, Vol.198 (2), p.115-118
• Main Authors: Carlton, Susan M., Hargett, Gregory L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analgesics - pharmacology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Drug Implants; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - administration & dosage; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Glutamatergic system (aspartate and other excitatory aminoacids); Hyperalgesia - physiopathology; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Mechanical allodynia; Mechanical hyperalgesia; Medical sciences; Memantine - administration & dosage; Memantine - pharmacology; Neuropharmacology; Neurotransmitters. Neurotransmission. Receptors; Nociception; Peripheral nerve injury; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases - physiopathology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physical Stimulation; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate - antagonists & inhibitors
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/0304-3940(95)11980-B

Systemic treatment with the N-methyl- d-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine (MEM) resulted in a decrease in mechanical hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in neuropathic rats. Bolus injections of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg MEM (i.p.) attenuated withdrawal responses following mechanical stimulation for up to 6 h post-injection while saline had no effect. A more remarkable effect was observed following chronic treatment with MEM via mini-osmotic pumps (8 mg/kg per h for 7 days, i.p.), in which nociceptive responses were decreased during treatment and remained depressed for 3 days post-treatment. These antinociceptive effects can be obtained at doses which do not produce motor dysfunction. The results of this study demonstrate that MEM has a therapeutic effect on mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia and may be considered as an alternative treatment for pathological pain in the clinical setting.