Depression-related behavior and mechanical allodynia are blocked by 3-(4-fluorophenylselenyl)-2,5-diphenylselenophene in a mouse model of neuropathic pain induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation

• Published in: Neuropharmacology Vol. 79; pp. 580 - 589
• Main Authors: Gai, Bibiana Mozzaquatro, Bortolatto, Cristiani Folharini, Brüning, César Augusto, Zborowski, Vanessa Angonesi, Stein, André Luiz, Zeni, Gilson, Nogueira, Cristina Wayne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2014
• Subjects: Allodynia; Animals; Antidepressant; Antidepressive Agents - pharmacology; Depressive Disorder - drug therapy; Depressive Disorder - etiology; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Hyperalgesia - drug therapy; Hyperalgesia - etiology; Male; Mice; Molecular Structure; Neuralgia - drug therapy; Neuralgia - etiology; Neuropathic pain; Neuropsychological Tests; Organoselenium Compounds - pharmacology; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold - drug effects; Paroxetine - pharmacology; Sciatic Neuropathy - drug therapy; Selenium; Selenophene; Time Factors; Touch; Antidepressant; Allodynia; PSNL; FST; SRI; Neuropathic pain; F-DPS; TST; LAM; VFH; Mice; Selenium; LDT; Selenophene
• ISSN: 0028-3908; 1873-7064
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.01.020

Clinically, it is suggested that chronic pain might induce mood disorders like depression and anxiety. Based on this antidepressant drugs have emerged as a new therapy for pain. In this study, the effect of acute and subchronic treatments with 3-(4-fluorophenylselenyl)-2,5-diphenylselenophene (F-DPS) on behavioral changes induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) was evaluated. At the 4th week after surgery, PSNL caused a significant depression-like behavior in mice evaluated in the forced swimming test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST), which was accompanied by increased pain sensitivity. The anxiety-like behavior assessed in the light–dark test (LDT) was not modified by PSNL. Acute treatment with F-DPS, at a dose of 1 mg/kg, intragastrically (i.g.) administered 30 min before the FST, produced a significant anti-immobility effect in PSNL mice. The antidepressant drug paroxetine showed acute antidepressant-like action at a dose 10 times higher than F-DPS. Subchronic treatment with F-DPS (0.1 mg/kg, i.g.) reversed depression-like behavior of sciatic nerve-ligated mice in the TST and FST and produced a significant anxiolytic-like action in both sham-operated and PSNL animals. Although the acute F-DPS treatment did not produce anti-allodynic effect, F-DPS subchronic treatment significantly reduced pain sensitivity in PSNL mice. These findings demonstrated that F-DPS blocked behavioral changes induced by neuropathic pain, suggesting that it might be attractive in the pharmacological approach of pain-emotion diseases. •The effect of F-DPS in a mouse model of neuropathic pain was investigated.•Acute F-DPS treatment produced antidepressant-like but not antiallodynic action.•Chronic F-DPS treatment induced antidepressant, anxiolytic and antiallodynic actions.