Comparative Analysis of Sciatic Nerve Ligation and Oxaliplatin-Induced Neuropathic Pain Models: Thermal Nociception and Inflammatory Mechanisms

Abstract Neuropathic pain, resulting from damage or dysfunction of the nervous system, presents significant clinical challenges due to its chronic nature and resistance to treatment. This study compared the thermal nociception and inflammatory mechanisms of two neuropathic pain models: Sciatic nerve ligation (SNL) and oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. Male Wistar Albino rats were randomly assigned to control, SNL, and oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy. The SNL model was established through partial sciatic nerve ligation, while oxaliplatin (4 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally twice weekly for four weeks. Thermal nociception was evaluated using tail-flick and hot-plate tests, and inflammatory markers (TNF-α and IL-1β) were measured in dorsal root ganglia(DRG) tissue and serum using ELISA. Thermal analgesia tests revealed that neuropathic pain symptoms appeared from the second week in the oxaliplatin group and from the fourth week in both models (p