Objective: Chemotherapeutic agents such as docetaxel (DTX) can trigger chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), which is characterized by unbearable pain. This study was designed to investigate the analgesic effect and related neuronal mechanism of low-frequency median nerve stimulation (LFMNS) on DTX-induced tactile hypersensitivity in mice.
Methods: To produce CIPN, DTX was administered intraperitoneally 4 times, once every 2 d, to male ICR mice. LFMNS was performed on the wrist area, and the pain response was measured using von Frey filaments on both hind paws. Western blot and immunofluorescence staining were performed using dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord samples to measure the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
Results: Repeated LFMNS significantly attenuated the DTX-induced abnormal sensory response and suppressed the enhanced expression of BDNF in the DRG neurons and spinal dorsal area.
Conclusions: LFMNS might be an effective non-pharmaceutical option for treating patients suffering from CIPN regulating the expression of peripheral and central BDNF.
Keywords: analgesia; brain-derived neurotrophic factor; chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy; docetaxel; nerve stimulation.