Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nerve injury sometimes leads to chronic neuropathic pain associated with neuroinflammation in the nervous system. In the case of chronic neuropathic pain, the inflammatory and algesic mediators become predominant and result in pain hypersensitivity following nervous system damage. It is well known that urinary trypsin inhibitor (ulinastatin, UTI) has an anti-inflammatory activity. Recently, the neuroprotective action of UTI on the nervous system after ischemic injury has been reported. Thus, we evaluated the neuroprotective effect of ulinastatin in a rat model of neuropathic pain. METHODS: Neuropathic pain was induced with L5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 100-120 g. The rats were divided into 3 groups, with n = 8 in each group. The rats in the control group (group 1) were administered normal saline and those in group 2 were administered UTI (50,000 U/kg) intravenously through the tail vein for 3 days from the day of SNL. Rats in group 3 were administered UTI (50,000 U/kg) intravenously from the 5(th) day after SNL. The paw withdrawal threshold was measured using the von Frey test for 3 days starting from the 5(th) day after SNL. RESULTS: The paw withdrawal thresholds were significantly increased in the rats of group 2 compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ulinastatin, which was administered for 3 days after SNL, increased the paw withdrawal threshold and it could have a neuroprotective effect in the rat model of neuropathic pain.