TY - JOUR
T1 - (l)-Phenylglycine, but not necessarily other α2δ subunit voltage-gated calcium channel ligands, attenuates neuropathic pain in rats
AU - Lynch, James J.
AU - Honore, Prisca
AU - Anderson, David J.
AU - Bunnelle, William H.
AU - Mortell, Kathleen H.
AU - Zhong, Chengmin
AU - Wade, Carrie L.
AU - Zhu, Chang Z.
AU - Xu, Hongyu
AU - Marsh, Kennan C.
AU - Lee, Chih Hung
AU - Jarvis, Michael F.
AU - Gopalakrishnan, Murali
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge Loan Miller for providing mGluR selectivity data. Funding was supported by Abbott Laboratories.
PY - 2006/11
Y1 - 2006/11
N2 - Gabapentin and pregabalin have been demonstrated, both in animal pain models and clinically, to be effective analgesics particularly for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The precise mechanism of action for these two drugs is unknown, but they are generally believed to function via initially binding to the α2δ subunit of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. In this study, we used a pharmacological approach to test the hypothesis whether high affinity interactions with the α2δ subunit alone could lead to attenuation of neuropathic pain in rats. The anti-allodynic effects of gabapentin and pregabalin, along with three other compounds - (l)-phenylglycine, m-chlorophenylglycine and 3-exo-aminobicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-exo-carboxylic acid (ABHCA) - discovered to be potent α2δ ligands, were tested in the rat spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain. Gabapentin (Ki = 120 nM), pregabalin (180 nM) and (l)-phenylglycine (180 nM) were shown to be anti-allodynic, with respective ED50 values of 230, 90 and 80 μmol/kg (p.o.). (l)-Phenylglycine was as potent as pregabalin and equi-efficacious in reversing mechanical allodynia. In contrast, two ligands with comparable or superior α2δ binding affinities, m-chlorophenylglycine (Ki = 54 nM) and ABHCA (150 nM), exhibited no anti-allodynic effects at doses of 30-300 μmol/kg (p.o.), although these compounds achieved substantial brain levels. The data demonstrate that, at least in the rat spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain, (l)-phenylglycine has an anti-allodynic effect, but two equally potent α2δ subunit ligands do not. These results suggest that additional mechanisms, besides α2δ interactions, may contribute to the effects of compounds like gabapentin, pregabalin and (l)-phenylglycine in neuropathic pain.
AB - Gabapentin and pregabalin have been demonstrated, both in animal pain models and clinically, to be effective analgesics particularly for the treatment of neuropathic pain. The precise mechanism of action for these two drugs is unknown, but they are generally believed to function via initially binding to the α2δ subunit of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. In this study, we used a pharmacological approach to test the hypothesis whether high affinity interactions with the α2δ subunit alone could lead to attenuation of neuropathic pain in rats. The anti-allodynic effects of gabapentin and pregabalin, along with three other compounds - (l)-phenylglycine, m-chlorophenylglycine and 3-exo-aminobicyclo[2.2.1]heptane-2-exo-carboxylic acid (ABHCA) - discovered to be potent α2δ ligands, were tested in the rat spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain. Gabapentin (Ki = 120 nM), pregabalin (180 nM) and (l)-phenylglycine (180 nM) were shown to be anti-allodynic, with respective ED50 values of 230, 90 and 80 μmol/kg (p.o.). (l)-Phenylglycine was as potent as pregabalin and equi-efficacious in reversing mechanical allodynia. In contrast, two ligands with comparable or superior α2δ binding affinities, m-chlorophenylglycine (Ki = 54 nM) and ABHCA (150 nM), exhibited no anti-allodynic effects at doses of 30-300 μmol/kg (p.o.), although these compounds achieved substantial brain levels. The data demonstrate that, at least in the rat spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain, (l)-phenylglycine has an anti-allodynic effect, but two equally potent α2δ subunit ligands do not. These results suggest that additional mechanisms, besides α2δ interactions, may contribute to the effects of compounds like gabapentin, pregabalin and (l)-phenylglycine in neuropathic pain.
KW - Allodynia
KW - Analgesia
KW - Brain
KW - Gabapentin
KW - Phenylglycine
KW - Pregabalin
KW - Spinal nerve ligation
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U2 - 10.1016/j.pain.2006.05.012
DO - 10.1016/j.pain.2006.05.012
M3 - Article
C2 - 16781071
AN - SCOPUS:33749331762
SN - 0304-3959
VL - 125
SP - 136
EP - 142
JO - Pain
JF - Pain
IS - 1-2
ER -