Sub-anaesthetic dose of propofol attenuates mechanical allodynia in chronic post-ischaemic pain via regulation of PTEN/PI3K/IL-6 signalling

This study investigates the effects of propofol, an anesthetic drug, on chronic pain using a mouse model of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The chronic post-ischaemic pain (CPIP) model was used. The researchers found that a low dose of propofol could reduce pain in mice with CPIP, both when given before and after the condition was induced. This suggests propofol could be useful for preventing and treating CRPS pain. The study also explored how propofol works, finding it affects specific molecular pathways (PTEN/PI3K/AKT/IL-6) in the spinal cord, reducing inflammation and pain signals.

• 1
  Propofol attenuates mechanical allodynia induced by CPIP in mice, both when administered pre-emptively and post-operatively.
• 2
  Propofol modulates the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by increasing active PTEN and reducing phosphorylated PI3K, phosphorylated AKT, and IL-6 expression in the spinal dorsal horn.
• 3
  Inhibition of PTEN with bpV abolishes the analgesic effects produced by propofol in CPIP mice, confirming the PTEN-dependent mechanism.