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Abstract
Snake venoms are a rich source of various compounds that have applications in medicine
and biochemistry. Recently, it has been demonstrated that najanalgesin isolated from
the venom of Naja naja atra exerts analgesic effects on acute pain in mice. The objective
of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of najanalgesin in a rat
model of neuropathic pain, induced by L5 spinal nerve ligation and transaction. We
observed that intraperitoneal (i.p.) administration of najanalgesin produced significant
increase in hind paw withdrawal latency (HWL) in response to both mechanical and thermal
stimulation. Moreover, a single dose of najanalgesin was able to induce antinociceptive
activity that lasted for 1 week. Intrathecal injection of najanalgesin increased the
HWL in response to mechanical stimuli. The antinociceptive effect of najanalgesin
administered intrathecally was partly inhibited by intrathecal injection of naloxone
or atropine. These results demonstrate that najanalgesin has antinociceptive effects
on the central and peripheral system in the rat neuropathic pain model. The opioid
receptor and muscatinic receptor are involved in najanalgesin-induced antinociception
in the spinal cord. This research supports the possibility of using najanalgesin as
a novel pharmacotherapeutic agent for neuropathic pain.