title: Pulsed radiofrequency attenuates diabetic neuropathic pain and suppresses formalin-evoked spinal glutamate release in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) has been used to treat chronic pain for years, but its effectiveness and mechanism in treating diabetic neuropathic pain are still unexplored. The aim of this study was to elucidate the modulation of diabetic neuropathic pain induced by streptozotocin and the release of spinal excitatory amino acids by PRF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal administration of streptozotocin. Pulsed radiofrequency was applied to L5 and L6 dorsal roots at 42 °C for 2 min. The responses of all of the groups to thermal, mechanical and cold stimuli were measured for a period of 6 d after this process. Seven days after PRF treatment, intrathecal microdialysis was used to examine the effect of pulsed radiofrequency on the formalin-evoked spinal release of excitatory amino acids and concurrent behaviour responses from diabetic rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three weeks after intraperitoneal streptozotocin treatment and before PRF application, mechanical, thermal and cold hypersensitivity occurred. Application of PRF significantly alleviated hyperglycaemia-induced mechanical, thermal and cold hypersensitivity and also attenuated the increase in formalin-evoked CSF glutamate concentration, compared with sham treated diabetic rats.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It may be concluded that PRF has an analgesic effect on neuropathic pain by suppressing the nociception-induced release of excitatory neurotransmitters. PRF may provide a novel promising therapeutic approach for managing diabetic neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Centre, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Hsin
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Centre, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shao-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jen-Kun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Centre, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Centre, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Ren
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D061208:Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D055571:Secretory Pathway / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D005557:Formaldehyde; D018698:Glutamic Acid
keywords: diabetes; glutamate; microdialysis.; neuropathic pain; pulsed radiofrequency