Assessment of Paclitaxel Induced Sensory Polyneuropathy with “Catwalk” Automated Gait Analysis in Mice
Open Access
- 15 October 2013
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 8 (10), e76772
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0076772
Abstract
Neuropathic pain as a symptom of sensory nerve damage is a frequent side effect of chemotherapy. The most common behavioral observation in animal models of chemotherapy induced polyneuropathy is the development of mechanical allodynia, which is quantified with von Frey filaments. The data from one study, however, cannot be easily compared with other studies owing to influences of environmental factors, inter-rater variability and differences in test paradigms. To overcome these limitations, automated quantitative gait analysis was proposed as an alternative, but its usefulness for assessing animals suffering from polyneuropathy has remained unclear. In the present study, we used a novel mouse model of paclitaxel induced polyneuropathy to compare results from electrophysiology and the von Frey method to gait alterations measured with the Catwalk test. To mimic recently improved clinical treatment strategies of gynecological malignancies, we established a mouse model of dose-dense paclitaxel therapy on the common C57Bl/6 background. In this model paclitaxel treated animals developed mechanical allodynia as well as reduced caudal sensory nerve action potential amplitudes indicative of a sensory polyneuropathy. Gait analysis with the Catwalk method detected distinct alterations of gait parameters in animals suffering from sensory neuropathy, revealing a minimized contact of the hind paws with the floor. Treatment of mechanical allodynia with gabapentin improved altered dynamic gait parameters. This study establishes a novel mouse model for investigating the side effects of dose-dense paclitaxel therapy and underlines the usefulness of automated gait analysis as an additional easy-to-use objective test for evaluating painful sensory polyneuropathy.This publication has 39 references indexed in Scilit:
- Salinomycin as a Drug for Targeting Human Cancer Stem CellsJournal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, 2012
- Dose-dense therapy is of benefit in primary treatment of ovarian cancer? In favorAnnals of Oncology, 2011
- Ataxic gait analysis in a mouse model of the olivocerebellar degenerationBehavioural Brain Research, 2010
- Injury discharges regulate calcium channel alpha-2-delta-1 subunit upregulation in the dorsal horn that contributes to initiation of neuropathic painPain, 2008
- Chemotherapy‐induced neuropathyJournal of the Peripheral Nervous System, 2008
- The CatWalk method: A detailed analysis of behavioral changes after acute inflammatory pain in the ratJournal of Neuroscience Methods, 2007
- What should we be measuring in behavioral studies of chronic pain in animals?Pain, 2004
- Dorsal root ganglion neurons show increased expression of the calcium channel α2δ-1 subunit following partial sciatic nerve injuryMolecular Brain Research, 2001
- Effects of neutralizing antibodies to TNF-alpha on pain-related behavior and nerve regeneration in mice with chronic constriction injuryBrain Research, 2000
- Pain mechanisms in neuropathyCurrent Opinion in Neurology, 1994