Peri-operative pregabalin does not alter behavioural or diffuse noxious inhibitory control responses in two rat models of chronic pain
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Di Domenico, Francesca
Kucharczyk, Mateusz W
Patel, Ryan
Bannister, Kirsty
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Introduction:
Multiple mechanisms contribute to the experience of pain where the use of model organisms to dissect mechanistically sensory regulatory circuitry is a vital component of discovering underlying causes of persistent pain in disease states. Such disease states can be modelled in animals using surgical procedures that, ethically, should involve administration of analgesia. However, since basic pain researchers often wish to measure pain-related events, animals may be denied perioperative analgesia to avoid adversely influencing experimental outcomes.
Methods:
We conducted a structured review of perioperative analgesia usage in rat spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) models. Using a combination of behavioural testing and in vivo electrophysiology in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, we assessed the impact of perioperative pregabalin on nociceptive behaviours in the acute recovery phase, and behavioural and electrophysiological experimental outcomes in the established phase, of rat SNL and CIBP models.
Results:
A literature search revealed that, for studies using rat models of SNL or CIBP, only 5.37% and 12.69%, respectively, reported the use of perioperative analgesia. We then demonstrated that the use of pregabalin as a perioperative analgesic reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in the acute period after SNL surgery, with no impact on behavioural, electrophysiological, or neuropharmacological outcomes in the established phase of either model.
Conclusions:
This study challenges the basic science researcher's reasoning that perioperative analgesia confounds neurobiological outcomes. The use of perioperative analgesia should be an important consideration to improve animal welfare in chronic models of pain.
Multiple mechanisms contribute to the experience of pain where the use of model organisms to dissect mechanistically sensory regulatory circuitry is a vital component of discovering underlying causes of persistent pain in disease states. Such disease states can be modelled in animals using surgical procedures that, ethically, should involve administration of analgesia. However, since basic pain researchers often wish to measure pain-related events, animals may be denied perioperative analgesia to avoid adversely influencing experimental outcomes.
Methods:
We conducted a structured review of perioperative analgesia usage in rat spinal nerve ligation (SNL) and cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP) models. Using a combination of behavioural testing and in vivo electrophysiology in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, we assessed the impact of perioperative pregabalin on nociceptive behaviours in the acute recovery phase, and behavioural and electrophysiological experimental outcomes in the established phase, of rat SNL and CIBP models.
Results:
A literature search revealed that, for studies using rat models of SNL or CIBP, only 5.37% and 12.69%, respectively, reported the use of perioperative analgesia. We then demonstrated that the use of pregabalin as a perioperative analgesic reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in the acute period after SNL surgery, with no impact on behavioural, electrophysiological, or neuropharmacological outcomes in the established phase of either model.
Conclusions:
This study challenges the basic science researcher's reasoning that perioperative analgesia confounds neurobiological outcomes. The use of perioperative analgesia should be an important consideration to improve animal welfare in chronic models of pain.
Date Issued
2026-08-01
Date Acceptance
2026-03-28
Citation
PAIN Reports, 2026, 11 (4)
ISSN
2471-2531
Publisher
Wolters Kluwer
Journal / Book Title
PAIN Reports
Volume
11
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The International Association for the Study of Pain. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CCBY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
10.1097/PR9.0000000000001450
Subjects
Perioperative analgesia
Refinement
Neuropathy
Cancer-induced bone pain
Behaviour
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
ARTN e1450