A Pusher and a Clip Applied to Hind Paws Under Isoflurane Sedation to Evaluate Neuropathic Pain in a CCI Model

Rodent behavior assessments have been developed to evaluate pain. However, their fidgety activity and reactivity to human contact make it hard to activate animals in a consistent manner and get uniform and trustworthy responses. The present study was performed on prairie voles (aged 8 weeks). Sham (7 male prairie voles) and chronic constriction injury (CCI) (8 male prairie voles) rodents were investigated before surgery and four and seven days later. Each animal was assessed for nociceptive behavior. Pressure and mechanical threshold tests were conducted by the application of three different pushers to the center of hind paws and arterial clips to the toes while sedated with isoflurane. The CCI affected right lower extremity prominently increased nociceptive behavior scores four and seven days after the experiment, and the CCI affected right hind paw prominently decreased pressure and mechanical threshold tests four and seven days after the experiment . The pressure and mechanical thresholds were relevant to the scorings of nociceptive behavior in CCI model animals.