These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Effects of analgesics on delayed postherpetic pain in mice.
    Author: Takasaki I, Sasaki A, Andoh T, Nojima H, Shiraki K, Kuraishi Y.
    Journal: Anesthesiology; 2002 May; 96(5):1168-74. PubMed ID: 11981158.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Postherpetic neuralgia is pain that persists long after the disappearance of the cutaneous lesions of herpes zoster. However, the mechanisms of this delayed pain are unclear. Herpes simplex virus infection induces cutaneous lesions and pain-related responses in mice. The authors examined whether such responses would persist after the disappearance of the cutaneous lesions and whether some analgesics would be effective against them. METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were inoculated with herpes simplex virus type 1 on the unilateral hind paw. Pain-related responses of hind paw were determined using von Frey filaments. Beginning 5 days after inoculation, mice were given perorally the antiherpes agent acyclovir five times a day for 7 days. Effects of morphine (3-5 mg/kg subcutaneously), gabapentin (30-100 mg/kg perorally), mexiletine (10-30 mg/kg intraperitoneally), and diclofenac (30 mg/kg intraperitoneally) on pain-related responses were examined on days 25-35 after inoculation. RESULTS: Viral inoculation induced cutaneous lesions and pain-related responses beginning on day 5 after inoculation. Acyclovir treatment healed all skin lesions by day 15 after inoculation. Approximately half of the mice given acyclovir showed pain-related responses at least until day 40 after inoculation. Morphine, gabapentin, and mexiletine dose-dependently inhibited pain-related responses, but diclofenac had no effects. CONCLUSIONS: The authors show a mouse model of delayed postherpetic pain. This may be useful for manifesting the mechanisms of postherpetic neuralgia and the factors contributing to the transition from acute herpetic pain to delayed postherpetic pain. This may also be useful for the development of new analgesics against postherpetic neuralgia.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]