title: Tetrodotoxin suppresses thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia in a rat full thickness thermal injury pain model.
abstract: Burn injuries have been identified as the primary cause of injury in 5% of U.S. military personnel evacuated from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Severe burn-associated pain is typically treated with opioids such as fentanyl, morphine, and methadone. Side effects of opioids include respiratory depression, cardiac depression, decrease in motor and cognitive function, as well as the development of hyperalgesia, tolerance and dependence. These effects have led us to search for novel analgesics for the treatment of burn-associated pain in wounded combat service members. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is a selective voltage-gated sodium channel blocker currently in clinical trials as an analgesic. A phase 3 clinical trial for cancer-related pain has been completed and phase 3 clinical trials on chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain are planned. It has also been shown in mice to inhibit the development of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. TTX was originally identified as a neurotoxin in marine animals but has now been shown to be safe in humans at therapeutic doses. The antinociceptive effects of TTX are thought to be due to inhibition of Na(+) ion influx required for initiation and conduction of nociceptive impulses. One TTX sensitive sodium channel, Nav1.7, has been shown to be essential in lowering the heat pain threshold after burn injuries. To date, the analgesic effect of TTX has not been tested in burn-associated pain. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a full thickness thermal injury on the right hind paw. TTX (8 μg/kg) was administered once a day systemically by subcutaneous injection beginning 3 days post thermal injury and continued through 7 days post thermal injury. Thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia were assessed 60 and 120 min post injection on each day of TTX treatment. TTX significantly reduced thermal hyperalgesia at all days tested and had a less robust, but statistically significant suppressive effect on mechanical allodynia. These results suggest that systemic TTX may be an effective, rapidly acting analgesic for battlefield burn injuries and has the potential for replacing or reducing the need for opioid analgesics.
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, 3698 Chambers Pass, Bldg 3611, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA.
authors.forename: Margaux M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, 3698 Chambers Pass, Bldg 3611, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, 3698 Chambers Pass, Bldg 3611, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA.
authors.forename: Lawrence N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Petz
authors.affiliation: WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc., Suite 420, 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 2N7, Canada.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Korz
authors.affiliation: WEX Pharmaceuticals Inc., Suite 420, 1090 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6E 2N7, Canada.
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: US Army Institute of Surgical Research, 3698 Chambers Pass, Bldg 3611, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234-6315, USA. Electronic address: john.l.clifford11.civ@mail.mil.
authors.forename: John L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Clifford
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D002056:Burns / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009020:Morphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D009020:Morphine
keywords: Mechanical allodynia; Tetrodotoxin; Thermal hyperalgesia; Thermal injury