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R-flurbiprofen reduces glutamate in neuropathic pain

R-flurbiprofen, an enantiomer of flurbiprofen racemate, is inactive with respect to cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition, but in vivo it shows analgesic properties. Its mechanism of analgesic action is unknown, but R-flurbiprofen reduced glutamate release in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord evoked in a sciatic nerve injury models of neuropathic pain.

R-Flurbiprofen seems to improve endogenous cannabinoid mediated effects, indicated by the reduction of glutamate release, increased activity of the anti-inflammatory transcription factor PPARgamma and attenuation of microglia activation.

The authors concluded that:

R-flurbiprofen improves the endogenous mechanisms to regain stability after axonal injury and to fend off chronic neuropathic pain by modulating the endocannabinoid system and thus constitutes an attractive, novel therapeutic agent in the treatment of chronic, intractable pain.^[1]

Jan M. Keppel Hesselink, MD, PhD, october 2010

Referenties

[1]: Bishay P, Schmidt H, Marian C, Häussler A, Wijnvoord N, Ziebell S, Metzner J, Koch M, Myrczek T, Bechmann I, Kuner R, Costigan M, Dehghani F, Geisslinger G, Tegeder I. | R-flurbiprofen reduces neuropathic pain in rodents by restoring endogenous cannabinoids. | PLoS One. | 2010 May 13;5(5):e10628.