CT-guided injection of a TRPV1 agonist around dorsal root ganglia decreases pain transmission in swine.

ABSTRACT: One approach to analgesia is to block pain at the site of origin or along the peripheral pathway by selectively ablating pain-transmitting neurons or nerve terminals directly. The heat/capsaicin receptor (TRPV1) expressed by nociceptive neurons is a compelling target for selective interventional analgesia because it leaves somatosensory and proprioceptive neurons intact. Resiniferatoxin (RTX), like capsaicin, is a TRPV1 agonist but has greater potency. We combine RTX-mediated inactivation with the precision of computed tomography (CT)-guided delivery to ablate peripheral pain fibers in swine. Under CT guidance, RTX was delivered unilaterally around the lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG), and vehicle only was administered to the contralateral side. During a 4-week observation period, animals

SUBMITTER: Brown JD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4854290 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature