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- Title
Spinal Cord Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels Increase after Dexamethasone Treatment in Male Rats with Chronic Inflammation.
- Authors
Laste, Gabriela; Ripoll Rozisky, Joanna; de Macedo, Isabel Cristina; Souza dos Santos, Vinicius; Custódio de Souza, Izabel Cristina; Caumo, Wolnei; Torres, Iraci L.S.
- Abstract
Dexamethasone is widely used in the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases for its pain-modulating effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dexamethasone on nociception and local inflammation, and the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the spinal cord in male rats with chronic inflammation induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Rats were randomly divided into a control group (not manipulated) and 2 CFA-induced chronic inflammation groups (in the 15th post-CFA injection): 1 injected with vehicle (saline solution) and 1 received dexamethasone (0.25 mg/kg) for 8 days. The hot-plate and electronic von Frey tests were performed 24 h after the end of treatment. BDNF spinal cord levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).The level of inflammation in the tibiotarsal joint (the ankle region) was evaluated histologically at the end of treatment. Dexamethasone produced significantly increased latency in the hot-plate test (one-way ANOVA, p < 0.05) and withdrawal threshold in the electronic von Frey test (p < 0.005).The dexamethasone group showed increased spinal cord BDNF levels compared to the other groups (one-way ANOVA p, < 0.05). Histological analysis showed a local inflammatory response only in animals treated with vehicle, which demonstrated that the dexamethasone treatment decreased the inflammatory process. Our findings corroborate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory properties of dexamethasone. In addition, we showed that the dexamethasone treatment increased BDNF levels in the spinal cord; its pain- modulating effects can be attributed to this effect.
- Publication
Neuroimmunomodulation, 2013, Vol 20, Issue 2, p119
- ISSN
1021-7401
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1159/000345995