Intrathecal injection of anti-CX3CR1 neutralizing antibody delayed and attenuated pain facilitation in rat tibial bone cancer pain model.

This study was designed to investigate the effect of intrathecal injection of anti-CX3CR1 neutralizing antibody on pain behaviors in the rat tibial bone cancer pain model. Syngeneic Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells were injected into the tibia medullary cavity to establish the rat model of bone cancer pain. Ambulatory pain, mechanical hindpaw withdrawal threshold, and latency of paw withdrawal to a thermal stimulus were observed. Haematoxylin/eosin staining was used to observe the bone damage on day 21. Intrathecal injection of anti-CX3CR1 neutralizing antibody both delayed the development of ambulatory pain and hyperalgesia and attenuated established pain facilitation, but had no effects on destruction of bone. Our results suggest that intrathecal injection of anti-CX3CR1 neutralizing antibody delayed and attenuated pain facilitation in the rat tibial bone cancer pain model.