Analgesic effects of the CTK 01512-2 toxin in different models of orofacial pain in rats

Background Orofacial pain is clinically challenging, having therapeutic failures and side effects. This study evaluated the antinociceptive activities of the CTK 01512-2 toxin, the TRPA1 channel antagonist, and the selective inhibitor of the N-type voltage-gated calcium channels (N-type VGCC), in different pain models. Materials and methods The trigeminal ganglia were stimulated in vitro with capsaicin. The in vivo models received subcutaneous (sc) injections of formalin into the upper lip of the rats, Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA) into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and infraorbital nerve constrictions (IONC). CTK 01512-2 at concentrations of 30, 100, and 300 pmol/site, intrathecally (ith), and MVIIA at 10, 30, and 100 pmol/site in the formalin test, guided the doses for the models. The glutamate levels in the CSF of the rats that were submitted to IONC were analyzed. Results CTK 01512-2 decreased the nociceptive behavior in the inflammatory phase of the formalin test (65.94 +/- 7.35%) and MVIIA in the neurogenic phase (81.23 +/- 3.36%). CTK 01512-2 reduced facial grooming with FCA in the TMJ (96.7 +/- 1.6%), and in the IONC neuropathy model, it decreased heat hyperalgesia (100%) and cold hyperalgesia (81.61 +/- 9.02%). The levels of glutamate in the trigeminal ganglia in vitro (81.40 +/- 8.59%) and in the CSF in vivo (70.0 +/- 9.2%) were reduced. Conclusions The roles of TRPA1 in pain transduction and the performance of CTK 01512-2 in the inhibition of the N-type VGCCs were reinforced. This dual activity may represent an advantage in clinical treatments. Graphic abstract