Korean J Anesthesiol.  2007 Sep;53(3):374-381. 10.4097/kjae.2007.53.3.374.

The Change of Neuropathic Pain and Pain Related Gene Expression following Exposure to Chronic Smoking

• Lee HJ
• Shin SW
• Yang WS
• Baek SH
• Kim CH
• Kim HK
• Baik SW

• KMID: 2039631
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2007.53.3.374

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported reduced pain and anxiety in smokers, and considerable evidence shows that smoking induces analgesia, which is thought to be nicotine-mediated. We investigated if smoking could reduce the development of neuropathic pain and nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord.
METHODS
Sprague Dawley rats weighing 130-150 g were used for this experiment. The Animals were divided into two groups: the smoking group (S group) was exposed to cigarette smoking for 5 hours per day for 6 weeks at self-made smoking chamber: the control group (C group) was exposed to room air. After a 4-week exposure period, neuropathic pain was induced by left L5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL). Mechanical threshold and withdrawal response to 100% acetone were measured throughout the experiment. The changes in the expression of the c-fos and BDNF genes in the spinal cord were compared using real time PCR.
RESULTS
Mechanical allodynia was induced after SNL in both groups, but no significant difference was observed between two groups. Cold allodynia after SNL was significantly less in S group than C group. In S group, the expression of c-fos was decreased at 5th day, but that of BDNF expression was significantly elevated at 5th day after SNL compared to C group.
CONCLUSIONS
Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke reduced the cold allodynia in neuropathic rats. The decreased expression of c-fos and elevated expression of BDNF in the spinal cord after SNL may contribute to antinociception.

Keyword

brain derived neurotropic factor; c-fos; neuropathic pain; smoking

MeSH Terms

Acetone
Analgesia
Animals
Anxiety
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Gene Expression*
Hyperalgesia
Ligation
Neuralgia*
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Smoke*
Smoking*
Spinal Cord
Spinal Nerves
Tobacco Products
Acetone
Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Smoke