Background:
Modern research on peripheral neuropathy circumstance utter that treatments
with Vincristine (VCR) disturb the microtubular cells in sensory and motor neurons due to calcium
over- load in sciatic nerve, unfortunately, VCR triggering the release of Tumor necrosis factor-α
(TNFα) in central neurons causes excitotoxicity as well. Although ethnomedical information specifies
that Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb (PM) is widely used for various nervous disorders, not yet justified
on VCR induced peripheral neuropathy and in relation to central mechanism.
Objective:
This study is aimed to explore the possible central and peripheral mechanism of flavonoid
enriched PM in VCR induced neuropathy model.
Methods:
Neuropathic pain was induced in female Wistar rats by VCR (75μg/ kg/day, i.p) for 10 days.
Nociceptive thresholds were assessed by subjecting them to behavioral and biochemical estimation, proinflammatory
cytokines along with morphological evaluation.
Results:
PM significantly increased the nociceptive threshold evident from various behavioral models in
comparison to VCR group. More importantly, PM significantly reversed the VCR induced calcium elevation,
glutamate and aspartate release in the brain.
Discussion:
It was also observed that the raised TNF-α, Interleukin-1β were controlled and interleukin-
10 was elevated in sciatic nerve after PM treatment. Evident from histology, PM markedly reversed the
VCR induced axonal degeneration, Schwann cell hyperplasia, and myelin fibrosis.
Conclusion:
Flavonoid enriched PM both 100 & 200mg/kg post and co-administration exerted a preventive
and curative effect in VCR induced neuropathic pain by controlling calcium-mediated excitotoxicity
through peripheral and central mechanism.