Perfusion of the mechanically compressed lumbar ganglion with lidocaine reduces mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia in the rat

The rat L(5) dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was chronically compressed by inserting a hollow perforated rod into the intervertebral foramen. The DRG was constantly perfused through the hollow rod with either lidocaine or normal saline delivered by a subcutaneous osmotic pump. Behavioral evidence for neuropathic pain after DRG compression involved measuring the incidence of hindlimb withdrawals to both punctate indentations of the hind paw with mechanical probes exerting different bending forces (hyperalgesia) and to light stroking of the hind paw with a cotton wisp (tactile allodynia). Behavioral results showed that for saline-treated control rats: the withdrawal thresholds for the ipsilateral and contralateral paws to mechanical stimuli decreased significantly after surgery and the incidence of foot withdrawal to light stroking significantly increased on both ipsilateral and contralateral hind paws. Local perfusion of the compressed DRG with 2% lidocaine for 7 days at a low flow-rate (1 microl/h), or for 1 day at a high flow-rate (8 microl/h) partially reduced the decrease in the withdrawal thresholds on the ipsilateral foot but did not affect the contralateral foot. The incidence of foot withdrawal in response to light stroking with a cotton wisp decreased significantly on the ipsilateral foot and was completely abolished on the contralateral foot in the lidocaine treatment groups. This study demonstrated that compression of the L(5) DRG induced a central pain syndrome that included bilateral mechanical hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia. Results also suggest that a lidocaine block, or a reduction in abnormal activity from the compressed ganglia to the spinal cord, could partially reduce mechanical hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia.