[Capsaicin in treatment of neuropathic pain]

Treatment of neuropathic pain (NP) is a serious medical problem. Antiepileptic drugs and antidepressants, used to relief pain, act on the central pain mechanisms and cause several side-effects, thus substantially restricting possibilities of their clinical application.At the same time, NP often has a peripheral component. Ligand-associated channels, including vanilloid receptors TRPV1, play a key role in the development of regional NP syndromes. Capsaicin, a component of chili pepper and several other plants, is a highly selective ligand of TRPV1 receptors and has long been used in treatment of pain syndromes. However, its using is limited by short-term action and relatively low efficacy. Recently it has been shown that the local use of single high doses of capsaicin during 30-60 min causes a marked stable(> 12 weeks) effect. The decrease in NP (>50%) is seen in about half of patients. Current studies will allow to single out groups of patients with the maximal treatment effect of capsaicin.