Effect of ginsenosides in a mouse model of bone cancer pain

Yoon, Myung Ha; Lee, Hyung Gong; Kim, Woong Mo; Ju, Jin; Kim, Yeo Ok; Cui, Jin Hua

Experimental Research

Neuroanesthesia

Anesthesia and Pain Medicine 2010;5(4):321-324.
Published online October 31, 2010.

Effect of ginsenosides in a mouse model of bone cancer pain

Myung Ha Yoon, Hyung Gong Lee, Woong Mo Kim, Jin Ju, Yeo Ok Kim, Jin Hua Cui

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Medical School, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea. mhyoon@chonnam.ac.kr
²Brain Korea 21 Project, Center for Biomedical Human Resources at Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Ginsenosides have been used for a long time as an oriental folk medicine. Although ginsenosides modulate the nociceptive transmission, the effect of ginsenosides on a bone cancer pain has not been elucidated. The authors examined the effect of ginsenosides in a mouse model of bone cancer pain.
METHODS
Bone cancer was induced by intramedullary injection of osteolytic sarcoma cells in to the femur in male C3H/HeJ mice. Mice showing mechanical allodynia after 14 days after cancer cells inoculation were included in this study. Mechanical allodynia was evaluated by measuring the withdrawal threshold to von Frey filament applying on the femoral cancer site. Effect of ginsenosides (30, 100, 300 mg/kg) was examined at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120 min after intraperitoneal administration of ginsenosides.
RESULTS
After cancer cells injection into the femur, bone cancer was developed in simple X-ray. A paw withdrawal threshold in a cancer site was significantly decreased. Intraperitoneal ginsenosides did not effectively alter the withdrawal threshold in the cancer site.
CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, ginsenosides may not be effective to attenuate the bone cancer pain.

Key Words: Bone cancer pain, Ginsenosides, Mice