Antiallodynia and antihyperalgesia effects of ceftriaxone in treatment of chronic neuropathic pain in rats.

Objective: Neuropathic pain is a chronic and disabling syndrome with complex pathogenesis. It has been suggested that the function of glutamate transporters (GLTs) has a major role in the development of neuropathic pain. This study was performed to evaluate various doses of ceftriaxone, a beta-lactam antibiotic, on the symptoms in the rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain. This drug has been recently introduced as a selective up-regulator and activator of GLT1.

Methods: Neuropathy was induced in adult male Wistar rats and animals were treated intraperitoneally with 100-400 mg/kg of ceftriaxone for seven consecutive days immediately after surgery. Gabapentin (100 mg/kg, i.p.) was used as a reference drug. von Frey filaments, acetone drop and radiant heat methods were used to assess mechanical allodynia, thermal allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively.

Results: Ceftriaxone in the repeated doses for 7 days showed significant antiallodynic and antihyperalgesic effects especially at a dose of 200 mg/kg twice a day.

Conclusions: The results suggest that ceftriaxone as a modulator of glutamate uptake could provide beneficial effects in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain, especially allodynia that is less sensitive to the most available drugs.