Partial Sciatic Nerve Ligation: A Mouse Model of Chronic Neuropathic Pain to Study the Antinociceptive Effect of Novel Therapies

Summary

Partial sciatic nerve ligation induces long-lasting chronic neuropathic pain, characterized by exaggerated responses to thermal and mechanical stimuli. This mouse model of neuropathic pain is commonly used to study innovative therapies for pain management. This article describes in detail the surgical procedure to improve standardization and reproducibility.

Abstract

Management of chronic pain remains challenging to this day, and current treatments are associated with adverse effects, including tolerance and addiction. Chronic neuropathic pain results from lesions or diseases in the somatosensory system. To investigate potential therapies with reduced side effects, animal pain models are the gold standard in preclinical studies. Therefore, well-characterized and well-described models are crucial for the development and validation of innovative therapies.

Partial ligation of the sciatic nerve (pSNL) is a procedure that induces chronic neuropathic pain in mice, characterized by mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, ongoing pain, and changes in limb temperature, making this model a great fit to study neuropathic pain preclinically. pSNL is an advantageous model to study neuropathic pain as it reproduces many symptoms observed in humans with neuropathic pain. Furthermore, the surgical procedure is relatively fast and straightforward to perform. Unilateral pSNL of one limb allows for comparison between the ipsilateral and contralateral paws, as well as evaluation of central sensitization.

To induce chronic neuropathic hypersensitivity, a 9-0 non-absorbable nylon thread is used to ligate the dorsal third of the sciatic nerve. This article describes the surgical procedure and characterizes the development of chronic neuropathic pain through multiple commonly used behavioral tests. As a plethora of innovative therapies are now being investigated to treat chronic pain, this article provides crucial concepts for standardization and an accurate description of surgeries required to induce neuropathic pain.

Introduction

Chronic pain is a significant healthcare issue across the world and is one of the costliest health problems in the United States. Chronic pain is better managed when both pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities are utilized in a multidisciplinary fashion¹. Management of chronic pain is challenging and, in some cases, does not adequately treat the pain². Therefore, new and complementary methods are needed to improve chronic pain management, and animal models are crucial to investigate innovative therapies.

Chronic neuropathic pain results from lesions or diseases in the somatosensory....

Protocol

All procedures were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of Arizona and conform to the guidelines for the use of laboratory animals of the National Institutes of Health (NIH publication no. 80-23, 1966). Pathogen-free, adult C57Bl6/J mice (weight at testing: 22-28 g) were housed in standard vivarium mouse cages (five mice per cage) in climate-controlled rooms on a 12 h light/dark cycle and were allowed access to food and water ad libitum. All behavioral experiments were conducted by experimenters blinded to the treatment conditions.

1. Baseline: the measure of mechanical sensitivity

Results

Chronic neuropathic pain was induced through partial ligation of the sciatic nerve of C57Bl6/J male mice (Figure 1A). Mechanical sensitivity was evaluated using von Frey filaments and the "up-and-down" method. Thermal sensitivity to heat was evaluated using the Hargreaves and hot plate tests. All data were analyzed with a repeated measures two-way ANOVA with Geisser-Greenhouse correction, to compare the effect of pSNL surgery to sham animals over time or the effects of different doses of mor.......

Discussion

Chronic pain treatment often requires long-term medication, rendering pain management challenging. Thus, preclinical models are an essential tool to evaluate the potential benefits of innovative therapies relying on pharmacological or non-pharmacological approaches. The numerous models of chronic neuropathic pain bring challenges due to increased variability in the surgical techniques among different researchers, leading to reduced reproducibility. Thus, it is essential to characterize the potential antinociceptive effec.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
5/0, FS-2, 30" Undyed PGA Braided Polyglycolic Acid Synthetic Absorbable Suture	CP Medical	421A	https://cpmedical.com/suturesearch/product/421a-visorb-50-fs-2-30/
6/0, P-1, 18" Blue Polypropylene Monofilament Non-Absorbable Suture	CP Medical	8697P	https://cpmedical.com/suturesearch/product/8697p-polypro-60-p-1-18/
9/0 (0.3 metric) Nylon Black Monofilament Suture	Crestpoint Ophthalmics	MANI 1407	https://crestpointophthalmics.com/mani-1407-suture-trape-spatula-nylon-black-mono-box-of-12.html
Allodynia Software	National Instruments, LabView 2015		Quantification of mean withdrawal thresholds (Von Frey data)
C57Bl6/J mice	The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME	000664	https://www.jax.org/strain/000664
Castroviejo needle holder	Fine Science Tools	12565-14	https://www.finescience.com/en-US/Products/Wound-Closure/Needle-Holders/Castroviejo-Needle-Holder/12565-14
Cold Hot Plate Test	Bioseb	BIO-CHP	https://www.bioseb.com/en/pain-thermal-allodynia-hyperalgesia/563-cold-hot-plate-test.html
Elevated metal mesh stand for Von Frey	Bioseb	BIO-STD2-EVF	https://www.bioseb.com/en/pain-mechanical-allodynia-hyperalgesia/1689-elevated-metal-mesh-stand-30-cm-height-to-fit-up-to-2-pvf-cages.html
Extra fine Graefe forceps	Fine Science Tools	11152-10	https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/fisherbrand-curved-medium-point-general-purpose-forceps/16100110
Fine Castroviejo needle holder	Simovision/Geuder	17565	https://simovision.com/assets/Uploads/Brochure-Geuder-Ophthalmic-Surgical-Instruments-EN2.pdf
Fine scissors (11.5 cm)	Fine Science Tools	14558-11	https://www.finescience.com/en-US/Products/Scissors/Standard-Scissors/Fine-Scissors-Tungsten-Carbide-ToughCut%C2%AE/14558-11
Fine scissors (9 cm)	Fine Science Tools	14558-09	https://www.finescience.com/en-US/Products/Scissors/Standard-Scissors/Fine-Scissors-Tungsten-Carbide-ToughCut%C2%AE/14558-09
Iris forceps	Fine Science Tools	11064-07	https://www.finescience.com/en-US/Products/Forceps-Hemostats/Fine-Forceps/Iris-Forceps/11064-07
Micro Adson forceps	Fine Science Tools	392487	https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/micro-adson-tissue-forceps-1x2-teeth-german-steel/13820072#?keyword=adson%20forceps
Modular holder cages for rats and mice	Bioseb	BIO-PVF	https://www.bioseb.com/en/pain-mechanical-allodynia-hyperalgesia/1206-modular-holder-cages-for-rats-and-mice.html
Moretti/Effetre #240 Light Cobalt Blue glass rods 4 mm	Ebay	N/A	https://www.ebay.com/itm/402389491328?hash=item5db0485e80:g:agYAAOS w9CtfnIVJ&amdata=enc %3AAQAHAAAAwCoqvgWRo NTe5Vq8PWOgfE4ygWeW4tL k81J1AFu%2Fkcbsk6pxYtJi6 digE5TL9SzlgMzYUMNDr%2B dku2%2B%2FEvB1qXqFmebE 020SGs9LPDXLL5w21un7jrM0 9xfWYvIzBYQYh6FRWyUJngC uuA9Bkjb9lxtZoYlg5y6PyFR2P 34xFk5xaNC5ib65M1%2Fr%2F 4w2Iw45QqsSyXH2cuUKRom0 AGBoBaIr%2BbJw1VnlMjGuc9dtx 4fbPbqoBNSWjj3RbZPOPTYS8Q %3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4q6- 6LfYA
Plantar Test for Thermal Stimulation - Hargreaves Apparatus	Ugo Basile	37570	https://ugobasile.com/products/categories/pain-and-inflammation/plantar-test-for-thermal-stimulation
Touch-Test Sensory Evaluators, Set of 20 Monofilaments	North Coast Medical	NC12775-99	https://www.ncmedical.com/products/touch-test-sensory-evaluators_1278.html
Tying forceps	Duckworth & Kent	2-504ER8	https://duckworth-and-kent.com/product/tying-forceps-9/