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Neuroprotective Effect of Anethole Against Neuropathic Pain Induced by Chronic Constriction Injury of the Sciatic Nerve in Mice

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Abstract

Neuropathic pain is an intractable disease with few definitive therapeutic options. Anethole (AN) has been confirmed to possess potent anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties, but its effect on neuropathic pain has not been reported. The present study was designed to investigate the antinociceptive effect of AN on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain in mice. AN (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) and pregabalin (40 mg/kg) were intragastric administered for 8 consecutive days from the 7th day post-surgery. Behavioral parameters were measured on different days, namely, 0, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 14, from CCI operation. Additionally, electrophysiological and histopathological changes were analyzed on the 14th day. Afterward, immunofluorescence and Western blot were utilized to examine the activation of glial cells and the expression of inflammatory cytokines, respectively. AN treatment of CCI mice considerably alleviated hyperalgesia and allodynia, ameliorated abnormal sciatic nerve conduction, and restored injured sciatic nerves in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, AN suppressed the activation of glial cells, down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL-6, and IL-1β), and up-regulated the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10). These assays first indicated that AN exerted an antinociceptive effect on CCI-induced neuropathic pain, and might be attributed to the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activities of AN.

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Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81360182), the Key Research and Development Project in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (2017BY079) and the “13th Five-Year Plan” Major Science and Technology Project in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (2016BZ07). We are indebted to the staff in the Animal Center and the Science and Technology Centre who provided assistances in the study.

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  1. Bing Wang and Guoxin Zhang have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750004, People’s Republic of China

    Bing Wang, Guoxin Zhang, Mei Yang, Ning Liu & Jianqiang Yu

  2. Ningxia Hui Medicine Modern Engineering Research Center and Collaborative Innovation Center, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750004, People’s Republic of China

    Ning Liu & Jianqiang Yu

  3. College of Nursing, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750004, People’s Republic of China

    Yu-Xiang Li

  4. Department of Anesthesiology, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750004, People’s Republic of China

    Hanxiang Ma

  5. Ningxia Key Laboratory of Craniocerebral Diseases of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 750004, People’s Republic of China

    Lin Ma, Tao Sun & Jianqiang Yu

  6. Department of Pharmacology, Peking University, Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China

    Huanran Tan

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  1. Bing Wang
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Correspondence to Huanran Tan or Jianqiang Yu.

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All procedures were performed as approved by the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee of Ningxia Medical University. This study complied with the IASP guidelines and ethical regulations on conscious-experimental animals research.

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Wang, B., Zhang, G., Yang, M. et al. Neuroprotective Effect of Anethole Against Neuropathic Pain Induced by Chronic Constriction Injury of the Sciatic Nerve in Mice. Neurochem Res 43, 2404–2422 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-018-2668-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-018-2668-7

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