Korean J Physiol Pharmacol.  2012 Dec;16(6):387-392. 10.4196/kjpp.2012.16.6.387.

Antinociceptive Effect of Cyperi rhizoma and Corydalis tuber Extracts on Neuropathic Pain in Rats

• Choi JG
• Kang SY
• Kim JM
• Roh DH
• Yoon SY
• Park JB
• Lee JH
• Kim HW

• KMID: 2285446
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2012.16.6.387

Abstract

In this study, we examined the antinociceptive effect of Cyperi rhizoma (CR) and Corydalis tuber (CT) extracts using a chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain rat model. After the ligation of sciatic nerve, neuropathic pain behavior such as mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were rapidly induced and maintained for 1 month. Repeated treatment of CR or CT (per oral, 10 or 30 mg/kg, twice a day) was performed either in induction (day 0~5) or maintenance (day 14~19) period of neuropathic pain state. Treatment of CR or CT at doses of 30 mg/kg in the induction and maintenance periods significantly decreased the nerve injury-induced mechanical allodynia. In addition, CR and CT at doses of 10 or 30 mg/kg alleviated thermal heat hyperalgesia when they were treated in the maintenance period. Finally, CR or CT (30 mg/kg) treated during the induction period remarkably reduced the nerve injury-induced phosphorylation of NMDA receptor NR1 subunit (pNR1) in the spinal dorsal horn. Results of this study suggest that extracts from CR and CT may be useful to alleviate neuropathic pain.

Keyword

Chronic constriction injury; Corydalis tuber; Cyperi rhizoma; Neuropathic pain; NMDA receptor

MeSH Terms

Animals
Constriction
Corydalis
Horns
Hot Temperature
Hyperalgesia
Ligation
N-Methylaspartate
Neuralgia
Phosphorylation
Rats
Sciatic Nerve
N-Methylaspartate

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Effect of Cyperi rhizoma (CR) on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced mechanical allodynia (MA) and thermal hyperalgesia (TH). CR at a dose of 30 mg/kg significantly reduced mechanical allodynia (A, B) when it was treated in the induction and maintenance phases. In a thermal hyperalgesia test, CR at doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg increased the paw withdrawal latency in the maintenance phase (D), but not induction phase (C). Pregabalin (30 mg/kg) was used as a positive control drug. Lines in each panel indicate the treatment period of CR or pregabalin. *p<0.05 and **p<0.01 control vs CR. #p<0.05 and ##p<0.01 control vs pregabalin.

• 

  Fig. 2 Effect of Corydalis tuber (CT) on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced mechanical allodynia (MA) and thermal hyperalgesia (TH). CT at a dose of 30 mg/kg significantly reduced mechanical allodynia when it was treated in the induction and maintenance phases (A, B). In a thermal hyperalgesia test, CT at doses of 10 and 30 mg/kg increased the paw withdrawal latency in the maintenance phase (D), but not induction phase (C). Pregabalin (30 mg/kg) was used as a positive control drug. Lines in each panel indicate the treatment period of CT or pregabalin. *p<0.05 and **p<0.01 control vs CR. #p<0.05 and ##p<0.01 control vs pregabalin.

• 

  Fig. 3 Effect of Cyperi rhizoma (CR) and Corydalis tuber (CT) on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced phosphorylation of NMDA receptor NR1 subunit (pNR1) in induction phase. The number of pNR-1 positive neurons was significantly increased by CCI surgery (B) as compared with Sham group (A). Treatment of CR or CT (30 mg/kg) in the induction phase significantly reduced the number of pNR1-immunoreactive neurons both in superficial dorsal horn (SDH) and nucleus proprius (NP) as compared with that of control group (B). However, there is no statistically significant change in neck of dorsal horn (NECK) area. The pNR1 immunoreactivity was observed in Sham (A), control (B), CR (C) and CT (D)-treated groups. Panel (E) shows a diagram depicting the location of the different spinal cord regions analyzed in this study. Results of each group are represented in panel (F). Inserted panels show a magnified image of rectangles in panel A, B, C, and D, respectively. The black arrow heads indicate representative pNR1 neurons. The number of animals is 3 in each group. Scale bar=200 µm. *p<0.05 and **p<0.01 compared to control.

• 

  Fig. 4 Effect of Cyperi rhizoma (CR) and Corydalis tuber (CT) on chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced phosphorylation of NMDA receptor NR1 subunit (pNR1) in maintenance phase. The number of pNR-1 positive neurons was significantly increased by CCI surgery (B) as compared with Sham group (A). Treatment of CR or CT (30 mg/kg) in the maintenance phase did not affect the chronic constriction injury-induced pNR1 in the superficial dorsal horn (SDH), nucleus proprius (NP) and neck of dorsal horn (NECK). The pNR1 immunoreactivity was observed in Sham (A), control (B), CR (C) and CT (D)-treated groups. Panel (E) shows a diagram depicting the location of the different spinal cord regions analyzed in this study. Results of each group are represented in panel (F). Inserted panels show a magnified image of rectangles in panel A, B, C, and D, respectively. The black arrow heads indicate representative pNR1 neurons. The number of animals is 3 in each group. Scale bar=200 µm.

• 

  Fig. 5 Effect of Cyperi rhizoma (CR) and Corydalis tuber (CT) on motor function. Rota-rod test revealed that orally treated CR or CT did not affect normal motor function of rats. Positive control drug (Zoletil; 5 mg/kg and xylazine; 0.75 mg/kg, i.p.) significantly suppressed normal motor function. ***p<0.001 compared to control. The number of animals is 3 in each group.

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