Comparison of the effects of single doses of elcatonin and pregabalin on oxaliplatin-induced cold and mechanical allodynia in rats

Oxaliplatin frequently causes peripheral neuropathy. Clinical studies have indicated that pregabalin ameliorates oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. However, pregabalin frequently causes dizziness and somnolence. We previously reported that elcatonin, a synthetic analog of eel Calcitonin, attenuated oxaliplatin-induced cold and mechanical allodynia in rats. The aim of the present study was to compare the anti-allodynic effects of elcatonin and pregabalin in the rats developing the oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with a single dose of oxaliplatin (6 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (i.p.)) to induce cold and mechanical allodynia. We assessed the effects of subcutaneous elcatonin (20 U/kg) and oral pregabalin (30 mg/kg) on cold and mechanical allodynia by cold stimulation (8°C) to the hind paw of the rats and the von Frey test, respectively. Elcatonin reversed the effects of oxaliplatin-induced cold and mechanical allodynia in rats for a longer time period than pregabalin does. These results suggested that elcatonin might be useful for the clinical treatment of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy.