Biochanin-A attenuates neuropathic pain in diabetic rats

Soya supplements are used in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Previous reports reveal that consumption of soy diet before nerve injury prevents the development of neuropathic pain in rats. Biochanin-A, a soy isoflavone, has a naturally occurring inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) that metabolized endocannabinoids.

The objective was to evaluate efficacy of biochanin-A in streptozotocin (STZ) induced neuropathic pain in rat model.

Diabetes mellitus was induced by an injection of STZ at a dose of 45 mg/kg, i.v. into tail vein of male albino Wistar rats. Biochanin-A was dosed at 0.1, 1 and 5 mg/kg by intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration in diabetic neuropathic rats. Mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia was measured using Randall-Selitto analgesymeter and manual von Frey filaments of increasing weights respectively. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and percent PWT was determined with respect to both hyperalgesia and allodynia.

Treatment of biochanin-A at three different levels of 0.1, 1 and 5 mg/kg had not significantly altered serum glucose levels throughout the treatment period. In hyperalgesia study, acute treatment with higher dose exhibited 51.1% reversal of paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) while with chronic treatment, efficacy declined to 22.5% reversal of PWT. In allodynia study, acute treatment reversed PWT by 79.4% while with chronic treatment, efficacy was raised to 88.2% reversal of PWT.

Biochanin-A demonstrated better efficacy in reversing mechanical allodynia than mechanical hyperalgesia. Biochanin-A could be a good drug candidate for further studies to establish the mechanism of attenuation of neuropathic pain.