The Establishment Of The Mice Model Of Acute Herpetic Pain By HSV-1

Objective To establish the mice model of acute herpetic pain by subcutaneous inoculation of HSV-1 to the hind paw of the mice.Method Some Balb/c mice were randomly allocated into two groups: experiment group and control group. In the experiment group, mice were divided into eleven subsets and subcutaneously inoculated with HSV-1 to the hind paw, while in the control group mice were inoculated with inactived HSV-1 in the same way. The inoculated hind paws withdraw latency of thermal and paws withdraw threshold of mechanical stimuli were tested from the day before inoculation to the 12th day after inoculation. At the same points, the skin of mice and HSV-1 DNA in the dorsal root ganglions were observed.NOS activity in spinal cord was measured by spectrophotometry.Result In the HSV-1 group, eruption appeared on the back on day 5, and it developed until day 12.The mechanical hyperalgesia and alloydia became apparent on day 5 and persisted until day 12; thermal hyperalgesia were not observed; HSV-1DNA was detected in the dorsal root ganglion from day 2 to 12. NOS activity was significantly increased in spinal cord in the HSV-1 group on day 7.Conclusion After inoculation of HSV-1 to the hind paw the mice developed the mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia, as a result of functional abnormality of the sensory neurons in mice.NOS may be taken and played an important role in this model.This may be a useful model for studying mechanisms of herpetic pain.