Resveratrol attenuates bone cancer pain through the inhibition of spinal glial activation and CX3CR1 upregulation.

The present study examined the effects of intrathecal use of resveratrol on pain hypersensitivities, spinal glia activation, and CX3CR1 expression in the model of bone cancer pain (BCP). The BCP model was established through intrathecally injecting Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells to Sprague-Dawley rats. We found that spinal CX3CR1 expression and glial activation aggravated after inoculation. Resveratrol (i.t.) attenuated bone cancer-induced pain hypersensitivities, decreased CX3CR1 expression and glial activation in the spine in a BCP model. Resveratrol (i.t.) also attenuated mechanical allodynia resulting from intrathecally injecting fractalkine in rats. Inhibition of spinal glial activation and CX3CR1 upregulation may involve in resveratrol's analgesic effects. These findings demonstrated that resveratrol attenuated pain facilitation through inhibiting spinal glial activation and CX3CR1 upregulation in a BCP model.