Combined effects of bee venom acupuncture and morphine on Oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain in mice

Woojin Kim, Min Joon Kim, Donghyun Go, Byung Il Min, Heung Sik Na, Sun Kwang Kim

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    47 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Oxaliplatin, a chemotherapeutic drug for colorectal cancer, induces severe peripheral neuropathy. Bee venom acupuncture (BVA) has been used to attenuate pain, and its effect is known to be mediated by spinal noradrenergic and serotonergic receptors. Morphine is a well-known opioid used to treat different types of pain. Here, we investigated whether treatment with a combination of these two agents has an additive effect on oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain in mice. To assess cold and mechanical allodynia, acetone and von Frey filament tests were used, respectively. Significant allodynia signs were observed three days after an oxaliplatin injection (6 mg/kg, i.p.). BVA (0.25, 1, and 2.5 mg/kg, s.c., ST36) or morphine (0.5, 2, and 5 mg/kg, i.p.) alone showed dose-dependent anti-allodynic effects. The combination of BVA and morphine at intermediate doses showed a greater and longer effect than either BVA or morphine alone at the highest dose. Intrathecal pretreatment with the opioidergic (naloxone, 20 μg) or 5-HT3 (MDL-72222, 15 μg) receptor antagonist, but not with α2-adrenergic (idazoxan, 10 μg) receptor antagonist, blocked this additive effect. Therefore, we suggest that the combination effect of BVA and morphine is mediated by spinal opioidergic and 5-HT3 receptors and this combination has a robust and enduring analgesic action against oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalToxins
    Volume8
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2016 Jan 22

    Bibliographical note

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

    Keywords

    • Bee venom acupuncture
    • Chemotherapy induced neuropathic pain
    • Morphine
    • Oxaliplatin

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Toxicology
    • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

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