Abstract
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) can induce loss of nociception as well as mechanical
hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia. Pharmacological and clinical studies have shown
that buprenorphine, a low-molecular-weight, lipophilic, opioid analgesic available
as a transdermal matrix patch formulation, acts on neuropathic pain. To assess the
role of buprenorphine in the treatment of DPN-associated neuropathic pain, we used
a well-established experimental rat model of DPN in which buprenorphine at doses of
1.2 and 2.4 μg/kg/h was administered by implantable Alzet osmotic pumps for 3 weeks.
After 6 weeks of diabetes, nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and behavioural responses
to noxious mechanical and thermal stimuli were assessed. Diabetic rats showed an impairment
of NCV, mechanical allodynia, and thermal hypoalgesia. Both doses of buprenorphine
significantly reversed the diabetes-induced allodynia up to day 7 of treatment. Buprenorphine
did not alter either thermal perception or NCV.
Perspective
This study evaluated, through a multimodal approach, the analgesic effect of buprenorphine
in an experimental rat model of painful DPN. Our results suggest a possible role for
buprenorphine in the management of DPN-associated neuropathic pain.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: July 13, 2009
Accepted:
April 2,
2009
Received in revised form:
March 18,
2009
Received:
January 29,
2009
Footnotes
Supported in part by an unrestricted research grant from Grunenthal Italia.
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
