Molecular, Anatomical, Physiological, and Behavioral Studies of Rats Treated with Buprenorphine after Spinal Cord Injury

JOURNAL OF NEUROTRAUMA, 2009 · DOI: 10.1089=neu.2007.0502 · Published: October 1, 2009

Spinal Cord Injury Neurology Pain Management

Simple Explanation

This study investigates the effects of buprenorphine, a common analgesic, on rats after spinal cord injury (SCI). The researchers aimed to determine if buprenorphine, used for pain relief, influences molecular, behavioral, electrophysiological, and anatomical outcomes after SCI. Rats were subjected to SCI and then treated with buprenorphine for three days. Various tests, including microarray analysis for gene expression, behavioral assessments, electrophysiological measurements, and histological examinations, were conducted to compare the treated group with a control group. The results indicated that buprenorphine, at the tested dosage, did not significantly affect gene expression, nerve conduction, functional recovery, or white matter sparing after SCI. This suggests that buprenorphine can be used to manage post-operative pain in SCI animal models without significantly altering experimental outcomes.

Study Duration

14 DPI

Participants

40 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Microarray analysis showed no significant difference in gene expression between rats treated with buprenorphine and the control group at 2 and 4 days post-injury (DPI).
2
Experiments at the electrophysiological, behavioral, and histological levels revealed no significant difference at 7 and 14 DPI in the return of nerve conduction, functional recovery, or white matter sparing between control and experimental groups.
3
Buprenorphine (0.05 mg=kg) can be used as part of the postoperative care to reduce pain after SCI without affecting behavioral, physiological, or anatomical parameters.

Research Summary

This study evaluated the effect of buprenorphine on molecular, behavioral, electrophysiological, and histological levels after SCI in rats. The rats were injured at the T10 thoracic level and half received buprenorphine (0.05 mg=kg) for 3 consecutive days immediately after SCI, while the other half were untreated. Microarray analysis showed no significant difference in gene expression between the buprenorphine-treated and control groups at 2 and 4 DPI. Similarly, electrophysiological, behavioral, and histological tests showed no significant difference at 7 and 14 DPI in nerve conduction, functional recovery, or white matter sparing. The findings suggest that buprenorphine (0.05 mg=kg) can be used postoperatively to reduce pain after SCI without affecting behavioral, physiological, or anatomical parameters. The study supports the use of buprenorphine as a standard postoperative analgesic in animal models of SCI.

Practical Implications

Pain Management in SCI Research

Buprenorphine can be used as a standard postoperative analgesic in animal models of SCI without significantly affecting experimental outcomes.

Improved Animal Welfare

The long-lasting effect of buprenorphine (12 hours) reduces the frequency of handling animals, thus minimizing stress.

Future Research Directions

Future studies should investigate the effect of buprenorphine on chronic neuropathic pain after SCI and its interactions with other drugs.

Study Limitations

1
The study only assessed the effects of buprenorphine at a specific dose (0.05 mg/kg) and frequency (every 12 hours for 3 days).
2
The study did not investigate the effects of buprenorphine on chronic neuropathic pain generated weeks after injury.
3
The study acknowledges the possibility of subtle changes not apparent in gene arrays or post-translational changes after drug treatment, which were not explored.

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