Abstract

Oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy drug, often leads to neuropathic cold allodynia after a single administration. Bee venom acupuncture (BVA) has been used in Korea to relieve various pain symptoms and is shown to have a potent antiallodynic effect in nerve-injured rats. We examined whether BVA relieves oxaliplatin-induced cold allodynia and which endogenous analgesic system is implicated. The cold allodynia induced by an oxaliplatin injection (6 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated by immersing the rat's tail into cold water (4°C) and measuring the withdrawal latency. BVA (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) at Yaoyangguan (GV3), Quchi (LI11), or Zusanli (ST36) acupoints significantly reduced cold allodynia with the longest effect being shown in the GV3 group. Conversely, a high dose of BVA (2.5 mg/kg) at GV3 did not show a significant antiallodynic effect. Phentolamine (α-adrenergic antagonist, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) partially blocked the relieving effect of BVA on allodynia, whereas naloxone (opioid antagonist, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) did not. We further confirmed that an intrathecal administration of idazoxan (α₂-adrenergic antagonist, 50 g) blocked the BVA-induced anti-allodynic effect. These results indicate that BVA alleviates oxaliplatin-induced cold allodynia in rats, at least partly, through activation of the noradrenergic system. Thus, BVA might be a potential therapeutic option in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy. © 2013 Bong-Soo Lim et al.

Indexed keywords

EMTREE drug terms: bee venom; idazoxan; naloxone; oxaliplatin; phentolamine; water

EMTREE medical terms: acupuncture; allodynia; animal experiment; animal model; article; cold allodynia; cold sensitivity; controlled study; immersion; latent period; male; nonhuman; peripheral neuropathy; priority journal; rat

Chemicals and CAS Registry Numbers: idazoxan, 79944-56-2, 79944-58-4; naloxone, 357-08-4, 465-65-6; oxaliplatin, 61825-94-3; phentolamine, 50-60-2, 73-05-2; water, 7732-18-5