title: The Effect of GCSB-5 a New Herbal Medicine on Changes in Pain Behavior and Neuroglial Activation in a Rat Model of Lumbar Disc Herniation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lumbar disc herniation can induce sciatica by mechanical compression and/or chemical irritation. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of GCSB-5 (Shinbaro®) and NSAIDs on pain-related behavior and on the expressions of microglia, astrocytes, CGRP, TRPV1, IL-6, and CX3CL1 in a rat model of lumbar disc herniation.
  
  
  METHODS
  112 male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent implantation of nucleus pulposus to a dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Rats were divided into five groups as follows; a saline group (the vehicle control group) (n=27), a 10 mg/kg aceclofenac group (the aceclofenac group) (n=22), and 100, 300 or 600 mg/kg GCSB-5 groups (the GCSB-5 100, 300, or 600 groups) (n=21 for each group). Rats were tested for mechanical allodynia at 3 days after surgery and at 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days, 35 days, 42 days, 49 days, and 56 days after treatment commencement. Immunohistochemical staining of microglia (Iba1), astrocytes (GFAP), CGRP, and TRPV1, and PCR for IL-6 and CX3CL1 were performed on spinal dorsal horns and DRGs at 56 days after medication commencement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After 56 days of GCSB-5 300 administration, mechanical withdrawal thresholds were significantly increased (p<0.05), and immunohisto-chemical expressions of Iba1, GFAP, CGRP, and TRPV1 were reduced than other groups, but this difference was not statistically significant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate GCSB-5 reduces mechanical allodynia and downregulates neuroglial activity and the expressions of CGRP and TRPV1 in the spinal segments of a rat model of lumbar disc herniation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Medical Devices Clinical Trial Center, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: So-Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Medical Devices Clinical Trial Center, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Mi Jung
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Ok
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Baek
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, Catholic University of Daegu, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Gyu
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kwak
authors.affiliation: Medical Devices Clinical Trial Center, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Ho
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Ahn
keywords: Astrocytes; Calcitonin gene-related peptide; GCSB-5; Lumbar disc herniation; Microglia; Neuropathic pain