Effects of Gabapentin on Carrageenan-Induced Inflammation, Acute Phase Reactants and Gastric Mucus Secretion in Rats

Objective: Gabapentin (GBP), which was first developed as an anticonvulsant agent, has recently gained great attention considering its pain relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of GBP on carrageenan (CAR)-induced paw edema and its gastric side effects by determining gastric mucus secretion in rats. Methods: Paw edema was induced with 1% CAR immediately before intraperitoneal saline, GBP (10 or 30 mg/kg), and diclofenac (DIC) (5 mg/kg) injections. Paw thickness was measured hourly during 6 h. Serum cytokine levels were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. For evaluation of gastric mucus secretion, saline, GBP, and DIC were administered orally for 10 days. On day 10, stomachs were removed, and gastric mucus of the glandular part was evaluated spectrophotometrically. Results: Both doses of GBP reduced paw thickness at 6 h (p<0.05). GBP decreased interleukin (IL)-1 beta and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha levels similarly to DIC, whereas it increased IL-10 levels less than DIC (p<0.05). Both doses of GBP and DIC decreased gastric mucus secretion compared with control (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that GBP produces anti-inflammatory effect comparable with DIC. However, the effects of GBP on gastric mucus secretion were not better than those of DIC.