• Cayo Almeida, Aline DeMaman, Ricardo Kusuda, Flaviane Cadetti, Maria Ida Ravanelli, André L Queiroz, Thais A Sousa, Sonia Zanon, Leonardo R Silveira, and Guilherme Lucas.
• 1Laboratory of Pain Neurobiology, Department of Physiology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo 2Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo 3Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Goiás 4School of Physical Education and Sport of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo.
• Pain. 2014 Dec 30.

AbstractTreatment of neuropathic pain is a clinical challenge likely due to the time-dependent changes in many neurotransmitter systems, growth factors, ionic channels, membrane receptors, transcription factors as well as recruitment of different cell types. Conversely, an increasing number of reports have shown the ability of extended and regular physical exercise in alleviating neuropathic pain throughout a wide range of mechanisms. In the present study we investigate the effect of swim exercise on molecules associated to the initiation and maintenance of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain. Balb/C mice were submitted to partial ligation of the sciatic nerve followed by 5-week aerobic exercise program. Physical training reversed mechanical hypersensitivity which lasted for additional 4 weeks after exercise interruption. Swim exercise normalized nerve injury-induced NGF and BDNF enhanced expression in the dorsal root ganglion, but had no effect on GDNF. However, only BDNF remained at low levels after exercise interruption. In addition, exercise training significantly reduced the phosphorylation status of PLCγ-1, but not CREB, in the spinal cord dorsal horn in response to nerve injury. Finally, prolonged swim exercise reversed astrocyte and microglia hyperactivity in the dorsal horn after nerve lesion which persisted normalized after training cessation. Together, these results demonstrate that exercise therapy induces long-lasting analgesia through various mechanisms associated to the onset and advanced stages of neuropathy. Moreover, the data support further studies to clarify whether appropriate exercise intensity, volume, and duration can also cause long-lasting pain relieve in patients with neuropathic pain.

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