Demonstration of Antiallodynic Effects of the Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitor Meloxicam on Established Diabetic Neuropathic Pain in Mice

Abstract

Only a few experimental studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of some cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors for neuropathic pain in diabetic animals. In this study we investigated the usefulness of one such COX-2 inhibitor, meloxicam, for treatment of established diabetic neuropathic pain in mice. Intraperitoneal and perineural injection, but not intrathecal injection, of meloxicam elevated the lowered threshold in the von Frey test. These results suggest that meloxicam exerts antiallodynic effects on established neuropathic pain in diabetic mice, and that the site of its action is peripheral. Meloxicam may therefore be a potentially useful drug for treatment of diabetic neuropathic pain.