title: Antiallodynia and antihyperalgesia effects of ceftriaxone in treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neuropathic pain is a chronic and disabling syndrome with complex pathogenesis. It has been suggested that the function of glutamate transporters (GLTs) has a major role in the development of neuropathic pain. This study was performed to evaluate various doses of ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic, on the symptoms in the rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. This drug has been recently introduced as a selective up-regulator and activator of GLT1.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neuropathy was induced in adult male Wistar rats and animals were treated intraperitoneally with 100-400 mg/kg of ceftriaxone for seven consecutive days immediately after surgery. Gabapentin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was used as a reference drug. von Frey filaments, acetone drop and radiant heat methods were used to assess mechanical allodynia, thermal allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ceftriaxone in the repeated doses for 7 days showed significant antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects especially at a dose of 200 mg/kg twice a day.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that ceftriaxone as a modulator of glutamate uptake could provide beneficial effects in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain, especially allodynia that is less sensitive to the most available drugs.
authors.affiliation: 1 Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Valiollah
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Hajhashemi
authors.affiliation: 3 Pharmaceutical Research Center, Pharmacodynamy and Toxicology Department, School of Pharmacy, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, IR, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosseinzadeh
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
authors.forename: Bahareh
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Amin