The analgesic effect of refeeding on acute and chronic inflammatory pain

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 14;9(1):16873. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-53149-7.

Abstract

Pain is susceptible to various cognitive factors. Suppression of pain by hunger is well known, but the effect of food intake after fasting (i.e. refeeding) on pain remains unknown. In the present study, we examined whether inflammatory pain behavior is affected by 24 h fasting and 2 h refeeding. In formalin-induced acute inflammatory pain model, fasting suppressed pain behavior only in the second phase and the analgesic effect was also observed after refeeding. Furthermore, in Complete Freund's adjuvant-induced chronic inflammatory pain model, both fasting and refeeding reduced spontaneous pain response. Refeeding with non-calorie agar produced an analgesic effect. Besides, intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of glucose after fasting, which mimics calorie recovery following refeeding, induced analgesic effect. Administration of opioid receptor antagonist (naloxone, i.p.) and cannabinoid receptor antagonist (SR 141716, i.p.) reversed fasting-induced analgesia, but did not affect refeeding-induced analgesia in acute inflammatory pain model. Taken together, our results show that refeeding produce analgesia in inflammatory pain condition, which is associated with eating behavior and calorie recovery effect.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Pain / diet therapy*
  • Acute Pain / etiology
  • Acute Pain / physiopathology
  • Acute Pain / psychology
  • Analgesics, Opioid / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Chronic Pain / diet therapy*
  • Chronic Pain / etiology
  • Chronic Pain / physiopathology
  • Chronic Pain / psychology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eating / physiology
  • Eating / psychology*
  • Food Deprivation / physiology
  • Formaldehyde / administration & dosage
  • Freund's Adjuvant / administration & dosage
  • Glucose / administration & dosage*
  • Hot Temperature / adverse effects
  • Hyperalgesia / diet therapy*
  • Hyperalgesia / etiology
  • Hyperalgesia / physiopathology
  • Hyperalgesia / psychology
  • Inflammation
  • Injections, Intraperitoneal
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Naloxone / pharmacology
  • Narcotic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Pain Management / methods*
  • Pain Measurement
  • Rimonabant / pharmacology

Substances

  • Analgesics, Opioid
  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Formaldehyde
  • Naloxone
  • Freund's Adjuvant
  • Glucose
  • Rimonabant