The prophylactic effects of a traditional Japanese medicine, goshajinkigan, on paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy and its mechanism of action.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

This study aimed to evaluate the prophylactic effect of goshajinkigan (GJG) on paclitaxel (PTX)-induced neuropathy and to elucidate the mechanism of action.

RESULTS:

There was a time-dependent irreversible decrease in pain threshold in PTX group. In PTX/GJG group, pain threshold showed changes in the same level as control. Electron microscope showed that although the ganglion cells of control and PTX/GJG groups were normal, degeneration of the nucleus and swelling of the mitochondria were observed in PTX group. Expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) gene in PTX group significantly increased compared with that in control and PTX/GJG groups. In TRPV4 knock-out mice, no PTX-induced hyperalgesia was observed, and there was no significant difference in pain threshold between the 3 groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results showed that PTX induced hyperalgesia by enhancing TRPV4 expression, and suggested that GJG might alleviate hyperalgesia by preventing degeneration of the ganglion cells and suppressing TRPV4 expression.

• Authors: Yukiko Matsumura, Yoshihito Yokoyama, Hachidai Hirakawa, Tatsuhiko Shigeto, Masayuki Futagami, Hideki Mizunuma
• Journal: Molecular pain (Mol Pain) Vol. 10 Pg. 61 (Sep 21 2014) ISSN: 1744-8069 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25240613 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• TRPV Cation Channels
• TRPV1 protein, mouse
• gosha-jinki-gan
• Paclitaxel

Topics

• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic (toxicity)
• Cells, Cultured
• Disease Models, Animal
• Drug Administration Schedule
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Ganglia, Spinal (cytology)
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects, genetics)
• Hyperalgesia (etiology, genetics, prevention & control)
• Mice
• Mice, Transgenic
• Mitochondria (drug effects, pathology, ultrastructure)
• Paclitaxel (toxicity)
• Pain Threshold (drug effects, physiology)
• Peripheral Nervous System Diseases (chemically induced, complications, pathology, prevention & control)
• Rats
• Rats, Inbred F344
• Sensory Receptor Cells (drug effects, ultrastructure)
• TRPV Cation Channels (deficiency, genetics)
• Time Factors