Neuropathic pain modifies antioxidant activity in rat spinal cord.

GUEDES RP,; BOSCO LD,; TEIXEIRA CM,; ARAUJO AS,; LLESUY S,; BELLO-KLEIN A,; RIBEIRO MF,; PARTATA WA

NEUROCHEMICAL RESEARCH

elservier

Año: 2006 vol. 31 p. 603 - 609

0364-3190

Oxidative stress is an important pathophysiological mechanism of many neurological diseases. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species have been cited as molecules involved in the nociceptive process. In this study, rats were submitted to sciatic nerve transection (SNT) for induction of neuropathic pain, and enzyme activities of SOD and catalase as well as lipid peroxidation (LPO) were measured in the lumbosacral spinal cord. The results show that LPO was not changed after SNT. SOD activity was reduced 7 days after SNT, while the change in catalase activity occurred on the third and seventh days in both sham and SNT animals. Hyperalgesia in SNT group was detected at the same points in time. These results suggest that SNT was not a strong enough stimulus to deplete all antioxidant content in the spinal cord, since increase in LPO was not detected. However, the role of oxidative stress in nociception can not be excluded.