Flecainide reverses neuropathic pain and suppresses ectopic nerve discharge in rats

We investigated effects of flecainide, a Class IC sodium channel blocker, in the rat chronic constrictive injury (CCI) and ectopic nerve discharge models. In the behavioral evaluation, 2, 6, and 12 mg/kg flecainide were intravenously given to the CCI model, and a dose-dependent analgesic effect was shown on both thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia. In the electrophysiological evaluation using the ectopic nerve discharge model produced by saphenous neurectomy, i.v. administration of 2, 6, and 12 mg/kg flecainide suppressed spontaneous discharge at the peripheral nerve level in a dose-dependent fashion as with the behavioral evaluation, but flecainide did not affect nerve conduction at the dose of 12 mg/kg.