Effect of an Mn-porphyrin in Neuropathic Pain
With the support of our DIG, we developed two mouse models of spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced neuropathic pain in the lab.
The first model was related to spinal cord ischemia. Mice were subjected to aorta cross-clamping surgery and observed for two months. We observed that ischemic mice showed less tolerance to mechanical stimulus and were significantly different from non-injured mice. The preliminary data was used in a DOD grant proposal submitted in October, entitled, “Use of A Catalytic Oxidoreductant to Treat Neuropathic Pain after SCI.”
The second model was related to spinal cord trauma. The lumbar spinal cord in mice was damaged, and injured mice received either vehicle or Mn porphyrin daily treatment for four weeks. Behavioral tests were performed weekly. Our plan is to use the data from this study to write a new NIH grant and further study the effect of Mn porphyrin in attenuating neuropathic pain.