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Assessment of Nerve Injury-Induced Mechanical Hypersensitivity in Rats Using an Orofacial Operant Pain Assay
Published on: July 26, 2022
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Spared nerve injury model to study orofacial pain
Daniel Humberto Pozza1, José Manuel Castro-Lopes2, Fani Lourenca Neto2
1Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Nutrition and Food Science of Porto University and I3s, Porto, Portugal.
The Indian Journal of Medical Research
|June 1, 2016
Summary
Researchers developed a new spared nerve injury (SNI) face model in rats to study trigeminal pain. This SNI-face model effectively replicates orofacial pain behaviors, offering a valuable tool for future research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Animal Models
Background:
- Developing reliable orofacial pain models in animals presents significant challenges.
- Existing models are limited in their ability to accurately mimic human trigeminal pain conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel rat model of trigeminal pain using a spared nerve injury (SNI) surgical approach on the face (SNI-face).
Main Methods:
- A surgical procedure was performed on the infraorbital region of Wistar rats, involving ligation and resection of key infraorbital nerve branches.
- Control groups underwent sham operations.
- Chemical hyperalgesia was assessed 15 days post-surgery using the formalin test, measuring face grooming and head withdrawal responses.
Main Results:
- Rats subjected to the SNI-face procedure exhibited a significant increase in formalin-induced pain behaviors.
- This heightened response was observed during both the acute and tonic phases of the formalin test, indicating a biphasic pain pattern.
Conclusions:
- The SNI-face model in rats is a viable and effective method for studying experimental trigeminal pain.
- Further research will explore the utility of this model for evaluating therapeutic interventions for orofacial pain.
