Crotoxin down-modulates pro-inflammatory cells and alleviates pain on the MOG35-55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, an animal model of multiple sclerosis

Publication date: Available online 13 December 2019Source: Brain, Behavior, and ImmunityAuthor(s): N.B. Teixeira, M.B. Sant'Anna, A.C. Giardini, L.P. Araujo, L.A. Fonseca, A.S. Basso, Y. Cury, G. PicoloAbstractMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a Central Nervous System inflammatory demyelinating disease that has as primary symptoms losses of sensory and motor functions, including chronic pain. To date, however, few studies have investigated the mechanisms of chronic pain in animal models of MS since locomotor impairments render difficult its evaluation. It was previously demonstrated that in the MOG35-55-induced EAE, an animal model of MS, the hypernociception appears before the onset of motor disability, allowing for the study of these two phenomena separately. Here, we evaluated the effect of crotoxin (CTX), a neurotoxin isolated from the Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom that displays, at non-toxic dose, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, in the pain and in symptoms progression of EAE. The pain threshold of female C57BL/6 mice decreased at the 4th day after immunization, while the first sign of disease appeared around the 11st-12nd days, coinciding with the onset of motor abnormalities. CTX (40 µg/kg, s.c.) administered in a single dose on the 5th day after immunization, induced a long-lasting analgesic effect (5 days), without interfering with the clinical signs of the disease. On the other hand, when crotoxin was administered for 5 consecuti...
Source: Brain, Behavior, and Immunity - Category: Neurology Source Type: research