The antiallodynic action of pregabalin in neuropathic pain is independent from the opioid system

BackgroundClinical management of neuropathic pain, which is pain arising as a consequence of a lesion or a disease affecting the somatosensory system, partly relies on the use of anticonvulsant drugs such as gabapentinoids. Therapeutic action of gabapentinoids such as gabapentin and pregabalin, which act by the inhibition of calcium currents through interaction with the α2δ-1 subunit of voltage-dependent calcium channels, is well documented. However, some aspects of the downstream mechanisms are still to be uncovered. Using behavioral, genetic, and pharmacological approaches, we tested whether opioid receptors are necessary for the antiallodynic action of acute and/or long-term pregabalin treatment in the specific context of neuropathic pain.ResultsUsing the cuff model of neuropathic pain in mice, we show that acute pregabalin administration at high dose has a transitory antiallodynic action, while prolonged oral pregabalin treatment leads to sustained antiallodynic action, consistent with clinical observ...