THE ANTIHYPERALGIC EFFECT OF MEMANTINE IN A RAT
MODEL OF PACLITAXEL INDUCED NEUROPATHIC PAIN
IONUȚ COSMIN CIOTU1, DUMITRU LUPULIASA2, CORNEL CHIRIȚĂ1, CRISTINA ELENA ZBÂRCEA1*, SIMONA NEGREȘ1
1Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Carol
Davila”, Traian Vuia no 6, Sect. 2, 020956, Bucharest, Romania
2Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Medicine and Pharmacy
“Carol Davila”, Traian Vuia no 6, Sect. 2, 020956, Bucharest, Romania
*corresponding author: cristinazbar@yahoo.com
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Abstract:
Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain continues to pose significant challenges to therapeutic attempts. Memantine, a Nmethyl
D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blocker, is currently used in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe
Alzheimer’s disease. NMDA receptors are suspected to be involved in chronic pain pathogenesis by lowering sensitivity
thresholds to mechanical and thermal stimuli. The aim of this study was to evaluate the analgesic effect of memantine in a
paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain model in rats. Sensitivity thresholds decreased for the paclitaxel treated group, and
returned to normal values for the memantine treated ones. Results indicate antiallodynic and antihyperalgic properties for
paclitaxel induced neuropathic pain.

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