Transcranial direct current stimulation is more effective than pregabalin in controlling nociceptive and anxiety-like behaviors in a rat fibromyalgia-like model.
Scand J Pain
; 24(1)2024 Jan 01.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38557595
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
Despite the fact that fibromyalgia, a widespread disease of the musculoskeletal system, has no specific treatment, patients have shown improvement after pharmacological intervention. Pregabalin has demonstrated efficacy; however, its adverse effects may reduce treatment adherence. In this context, neuromodulatory techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) may be employed as a complementary pain-relieving method. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of pregabalin and tDCS treatments on the behavioral and biomarker parameters of rats submitted to a fibromyalgia-like model.METHODS:
Forty adult male Wistar rats were divided into two groups control and reserpine. Five days after the end of the administration of reserpine (1 mg/kg/3 days) to induce a fibromyalgia-like model, rats were randomly assigned to receive either vehicle or pregabalin (30 mg/kg) along with sham or active- tDCS treatments. The evaluated behavioral parameters included mechanical allodynia by von Frey test and anxiety-like behaviors by elevated plus-maze test (time spent in opened and closed arms, number of entries in opened and closed arms, protected head-dipping, unprotected head-dipping [NPHD], grooming, rearing, fecal boluses). The biomarker analysis (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] and tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]) was performed in brainstem and cerebral cortex and in serum.RESULTS:
tDCS reversed the reduction in the mechanical nociceptive threshold and the decrease in the serum BDNF levels induced by the model of fibromyalgia; however, there was no effect of pregabalin in the mechanical threshold. There were no effects of pregabalin or tDCS found in TNF-α levels. The pain model induced an increase in grooming time and a decrease in NPHD and rearing; while tDCS reversed the increase in grooming, pregabalin reversed the decrease in NPHD.CONCLUSIONS:
tDCS was more effective than pregabalin in controlling nociception and anxiety-like behavior in a rat model-like fibromyalgia. Considering the translational aspect, our findings suggest that tDCS could be a potential non-pharmacological treatment for fibromyalgia.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Fibromialgia
/
Estimulação Transcraniana por Corrente Contínua
Limite:
Adult
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Animals
/
Humans
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Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Scand J Pain
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Alemanha