Abstract
BackgroundAcorus calamus (family: Araceae), is an indigenous plant, traditionally it is used as an ingredient of various cocktail preparations and for the management of severe inflammatory disorders in Indian system of medicine. Present study investigated the attenuating role of Acorus calamus plant extract in chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve induced peripheral neuropathy in rats.MethodsHot plate, plantar, Randall Selitto, Von Frey Hair, pin prick, acetone drop, photoactometer and rota-rod tests were performed to assess degree of thermal, radiant, mechanical, chemical sensation, spontaneous motor activity and motor co-ordination changes respectively, at different time intervals i.e., day 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21. Tissue myeloperoxidase, superoxide anion and total calcium levels were determined after 21st day to assess biochemical alterations. Histopathological evaluations were also performed. Hydroalcoholic extract of Acorus calamus (HAE-AC, 100 and 200 mg/kg, p.o.) and pregabalin (10 mg/kg, p.o.) were administered from the day of surgery for 14 days.ResultsCCI of sciatic nerve significantly induced thermal, radiant, mechanical hyperalgesia and thermal, chemical, tactile allodynia, along with increase in the levels of superoxide anion, total calcium and myeloperoxidase activity. Moreover significant histological changes were also observed. HAE-AC attenuated CCI induced development of painful behavioural, biochemical and histological changes in a dose dependent manner similar to that of pregabalin serving as positive control.ConclusionsAcorus calamus prevented CCI induced neuropathy which may be attributed to its multiple actions including anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective and calcium inhibitory actions.
Highlights
Acorus calamus, is an indigenous plant, traditionally it is used as an ingredient of various cocktail preparations and for the management of severe inflammatory disorders in Indian system of medicine
Acorus calamus, is an indigenous plant, traditionally, it is used as an ingredient of various cocktail preparations employed for the treatment and management of headache, migraine, body ache and severe inflammatory pain of the Unani, Ayurveda and local health care systems in Indian system of medicine
The extract was found to contain saponins, glycosides, flavonoids and tannins. This hydroalcoholic extract was used to explore its potential in chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve induced painful neuropathy in rat
Summary
Acorus calamus (family: Araceae), is an indigenous plant, traditionally it is used as an ingredient of various cocktail preparations and for the management of severe inflammatory disorders in Indian system of medicine. Present study investigated the attenuating role of Acorus calamus plant extract in chronic constriction injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve induced peripheral neuropathy in rats. Pain after injury to the nervous system (neuropathic pain) is a major chronic pain condition that remains difficult to treat. Both peripheral and central mechanisms of neuropathic pain have been proposed by various researchers [1,2,3,4]. Chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve induced painful neuropathy is a widely employed model for induction of neuropathic pain in experimental animals [10]. CCI induced neuropathy in experimental animals mimics Complex Regional Pain Syndrome - reflex sympathetic dystrophy (CRPS-RSD) in humans [11,12,13], which is common following fracture, total knee arthroplasty and stroke [14,15,16,17]
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