An Improved Rodent Model of Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain by Unilateral Chronic Constriction Injury of Distal Infraorbital Nerve

Abstract

The number of studies on trigeminal nerve injury using animal models remains limited. A rodent model of trigeminal neuropathic pain was first developed in the 1994, in which chronic constriction injury is induced by ligation of the infraorbital nerve (IoN-CCI). This animal model has served as a major tool to study trigeminal neuropathic pain. Unfortunately, the surgical procedure in this model is complicated and far more difficult than ligation of peripheral nerves (e.g. sciatic nerve). The aim of this study was to improve on the current surgical procedure of IoN ligation to induce trigeminal neuropathic pain in rats. We demonstrate that the IoN can be readily accessed through a small facial incision. Chronic constriction injury can be induced by ligation of a segment at the distal infraorbital nerve (dIoN-CCI). This dIoN-CCI procedure is simple, minimally invasive and time-saving. Our data show that the dIoN-CCI procedure consistently induced both acute and chronic nociceptive behaviors in rats. Daily gabapentin treatment attenuated mechanical allodynia and reduced face-grooming episodes in dIoN-CCI rats. Perspective The orofacial pain caused by trigeminal nerve damage is severe and perhaps more debilitating than other types of neuropathic pain. However, studies on trigeminal neuropathic pain remain limited. This is largely due to the lack of proper animal models given the complexity of the existing surgical procedure required to induce trigeminal nerve injury. Our improved dIoN-CCI model is likely to make it more accessible to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neuropathic pain caused by trigeminal nerve damage.

Optogenetic stimulation of the motor cortex alleviates neuropathic pain in rats of infraorbital nerve injury with/without CGRP knock-down

“…The intensity of stimulation was gradually increased. The lowest force (in grams) required to elicit reactions such as immediate withdrawal, attacking the filament by biting or grabbling, escape behaviors, or asymmetric stroking of the face was recorded as the response threshold force [19].…”

Sex Difference in Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain Response to Exercise: Role of Oxidative Stress

“…Chronic constriction injury of IoN was made by the method described by Ding [35] with little modification (IoN was legated using catgut chromic 6.0 in place of 4.0). After anesthetizing the rats using ketamine (80 mg/kg) and xylazine (10 mg/kg), a 0.5 cm incision was made on the face at the place of distal portion of left IoN in a line connecting inner corner of the eye to third row of whiskers.…”

Minimally Invasive Oral Surgery Induction of the FRICT-ION Chronic Neuropathic Pain Model

“…Bio-protocol 10(08): e3591. DOI:10.21769/BioProtoc.3591 5. Place the mouse into the induction chamber for initial anesthesia induction; the typical rapid breathing will begin to slow down to deeper breaths, moving from the upper chest to the lower chest.…”

“…Previous successful chronic trigeminal pain models described have been induced by loose chromic gut suture tie of the infraorbital nerve (ION) in rats (CCI-ION) behind the eye (Vos et al, 1994;Kniffin et al, 2015) or on the snout in rats (dIoN-CCI) and mice (DIONI) (Ding et al, 2017;Hardt et al, 2019) ( Figure 1). Alternatively, the intraoral approach has also been used to induce the CCI-ION model in rats (Immamura et al, 1997).…”