title: Oral Administration of Pregabalin in Rats before or after Nerve Injury Partially Prevents Spontaneous Neuropathic Pain and Long Outlasts the Treatment Period.
abstract: METHODS
  Pregabalin alleviates stimulus-evoked neuropathic pain (NeuP) in some pain patients and rodents in models of painful neuropathies. But it is not known if pregabalin can also alleviate spontaneous NeuP. Sciatic and saphenous neurectomy in rats elicits spontaneous self-mutilation of the denervated hindpaw, a behavior that models spontaneous NeuP. We tested if pregabalin (20 or 30 mg/kg/day; twice daily, per os) for 7 days before denervation, or 42 days thereafter, can suppress this behavior.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the vehicle, pregabalin administered in both treatment regimens markedly and significantly delayed autotomy onset and suppressed its levels for weeks after treatment cessation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At doses known to effectively suppress stimulus-evoked pain in rats, pregabalin can prevent development of spontaneous NeuP and suppress it postoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Ran-Ran
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guo-Dong
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Wei-Wei
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Shi-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ze''ev
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Seltzer
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000069583:Pregabalin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000069583:Pregabalin