Étude Pharmacologique de la Douleur Neuropathique Centrale à la suite d'une Hémorragie Intrathalamique induite chez le Rat
Central post stroke pain is a debilitating condition for which treatment is often difficult and unsuccessful. The goal of this project was to reproduce an animal model of this condition by performing a stereotaxic injection of collagenase solution inducing a localized hemorrhage within the ventroposterolateral thalamic nuclei of rats. Behavioral tests to evaluate motor coordination, sentivity to mechanical, hot and cold stimuli were performed regurlarly to establish if neuropathic pain was present. Then, the effects of ketamine, amitriptyline, gabapentin and carbamazepine on such pain were evaluated. Induction of an intrathalamic hemorrhage produced bilateral persistent mechanical allodynia as well as transient cold allodynia in some animals without notable changes in motor coordination. High doses of ketamine did reverse mechanical allodynia but with significant impairment in motor coordination. Similarly gabapentin also reversed mechanical allodynia without undesirable effect on coordination. The others two drugs failed to show any significant effect. Histopathological evaluation of the brain revealed a well localized lesion in the area of interest. These results show that an intrathalamic collagenase injection produced a reliable model of central neuropathic pain. Ketamine was able to reverse mechanical allodynia but with significant side effects. Gabapentin appeared to be a promising drug for the treatment of this condition. The role of NMDA receptors and voltage dependant calcium channels, that target ketamine and gabapentin respectively in the maintenance of this pain, needs to be further defined.
Gabapentin Amitriptyline Rat Central neuropathic pain Stroke Ketamine Carbamazepine