Antinociceptive effects of fucoidan in rat models of vincristine-induced neuropathic pain

Abstract

Chemotherapeutic drugs commonly induce peripheral neuropathic pain, which limit their clinic use. In the present study, the effect of fucoidan on the development of vincristine-induced neuropathic pain was evaluated and the underlying mechanism was examined. A neuropathy model was established in Sprague-Dawley rats by intraperitoneal injection of vincristine sulfate 50 μg/kg once a day for 10 consecutive days. Fucoidan (50, 100 or 200 mg/kg.) and pregabalin (10 mg/kg) were injected for 14 consecutive days. Behavioral assessments were then performed and the expression of GABAB receptor was determined. The results showed that a single treatment with fucoidan did not prevent the induction of vincristine-induced mechanical or cold allodynia. However, repeated fucoidan administration attenuated vincristine-induced mechanical and cold allodynia in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, the analgesic effects of fucoidan contributed to an upregulation in the expression of GABAB receptor in the spinal cord. Furthermore, all the effects of fucoidan against vincristine-induced neuropathy were reversed by saclofen, a selective GABAB receptor antagonist. These results suggested that the antinociceptive effects of fucoidan may be through activation of GABAB receptor, and fucoidan may be a promising drug for the treatment of chemotherapeutic drug-induced neuropathic pain.