Effect of Bee Venom Acupuncture on Oxaliplatin-Induced Cold Allodynia in Rats

Abstract EN

Oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy drug, often leads to neuropathic cold allodynia after a single administration.

Bee venom acupuncture (BVA) has been used in Korea to relieve various pain symptoms and is shown to have a potent antiallodynic effect in nerve-injured rats.

We examined whether BVA relieves oxaliplatin-induced cold allodynia and which endogenous analgesic system is implicated.

The cold allodynia induced by an oxaliplatin injection (6 mg/kg, i.p.) was evaluated by immersing the rat’s tail into cold water (4°C) and measuring the withdrawal latency.

BVA (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) at Yaoyangguan (GV3), Quchi (LI11), or Zusanli (ST36) acupoints significantly reduced cold allodynia with the longest effect being shown in the GV3 group.

Conversely, a high dose of BVA (2.5 mg/kg) at GV3 did not show a significant antiallodynic effect.

Phentolamine (α-adrenergic antagonist, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) partially blocked the relieving effect of BVA on allodynia, whereas naloxone (opioid antagonist, 2 mg/kg, i.p.) did not.

We further confirmed that an intrathecal administration of idazoxan (α2-adrenergic antagonist, 50 μg) blocked the BVA-induced anti-allodynic effect.

These results indicate that BVA alleviates oxaliplatin-induced cold allodynia in rats, at least partly, through activation of the noradrenergic system.

Thus, BVA might be a potential therapeutic option in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy.