Analgesic effect of AG490, a Janus kinase inhibitor, on oxaliplatin-induced acute neuropathic pain

Oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy drug, often causes neuropathic pain. This pain is a major clinical problem, and current treatments aren't always effective. This study investigates AG490, a drug known to reduce inflammatory pain, to see if it can alleviate oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain in rats. The study involved injecting rats with oxaliplatin to induce neuropathic pain, then treating them with AG490 at different doses. The researchers measured the rats' sensitivity to mechanical and cold stimuli to assess the pain levels, and they also examined the spinal cord for markers of inflammation. The results showed that AG490 reduced the pain symptoms in the rats and decreased inflammation in their spinal cords. This suggests that AG490 could be a potential treatment for oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain by targeting the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.

• 1
  AG490 treatment significantly increased paw withdrawal threshold and tail withdrawal latency in rats with oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain, indicating reduced sensitivity to mechanical and cold stimuli.
• 2
  AG490 decreased the expression of phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) in the spinal cord of rats with oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain, suggesting that AG490 inhibits the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.
• 3
  AG490 reduced the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the spinal cord, indicating a decrease in neuroinflammation in rats with oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain.