Ligustilide Relieves Complete Freund’s Adjuvant-induced Mechanical Hyperalgesia through Inhibiting the Activation of Spinal c-Jun N-terminal Kinase/c-Jun Pathway in Rats
Yi-Rui Wang1, Hui Xu1, Min Tao1, Li-Hua Xu1, Xin-Chun Fu1★★ Corresponding author
- 1Department of Anesthesiology, Huangyan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou 318020, China.
CORRESPONDENCE
Xin-Chun Fu
Department of Anesthesiology, Huangyan Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou 318020, China.
Received: 04-12-2016; Revised: 13-12-2016; Accepted: 13-12-2016.
Volume 13, Issue 52 · pp. 634–638 · PUBLISHED 13 November 2017 · DOI: 10.4103/pm.pm_546_16
View on Pharmacogn. Mag. original site ↗
ABSTRACT
Background: Ligustilide, an active ingredient in a traditional Chinese medicine, has anti‑inflammatory and analgesic effects. The underlying mechanisms of the anti‑inflammatory pain effects of ligustilide are not completely understood. Objective: The aim of this study to investigate whether ligustilide conducts its analgesic effects on the complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)‑induced inflammatory pain through regulating the c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (JNK)/c‑Jun pathway in the spinal cord. Materials and Methods: Paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) and paw withdrawal latencies (PWLs) were tested to examine the analgesic effect of ligustilide on CFA‑induced inflammatory pain in rats. The change of spinal JNK/c‑Jun activation was detected by western blotting after CFA injection with or without consecutive intrathecal ligustilide administration. After SP600125 (JNK inhibitor) was intrathecally injected in CFA rats, PWTs and PWLs were tested to investigate the change of ligustilide’s analgesic effect. Results: Repeated intravenous injection of ligustilide could attenuate the pain hypersensitivity induced by CFA. CFA caused increased activation of spinal JNK/c‑Jun, which could be inhibited by ligustilide administration. Intrathecal injection of JNK inhibitor inhibited the CFA‑induced mechanical hyperalgesia. Conclusion: Ligustilide could inhibit the upregulation of spinal p‑JNK/p‑c‑Jun caused by CFA, and the inhibition of JNK/c‑Jun activation is closely related to its anti‑mechanical hyperalgesia effect in inflammatory pain.
KEYWORDS
REFERENCES
As publishedShowing references and in-text citations exactly as published.
Cite this article
SELECT FORMAT
Wang, Y., Xu, H., Tao, M., Xu, L., & Fu, X. (2017). Ligustilide Relieves Complete Freund’s Adjuvant-induced Mechanical Hyperalgesia through Inhibiting the Activation of Spinal c-Jun N-terminal Kinase/c-Jun Pathway in Rats. Pharmacognosy Magazine, 13(52), 634–638. https://doi.org/10.4103/pm.pm_546_16