Exacerbation of Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain Behaviors in Breast Tumor-Bearing Mice

Authors

Hee Kee Kim
Juping Xing
Youn-Sang Jung
Jae-Il Park
Hee Young Kim
Jimin Kim
Salahadin Abdi

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Journal

Molecular Pain

DOI

10.1177/17448069251380034

PMID

40913249

PMCID

PMC12536134

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

9-5-2025

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Background: Chronic pain and cancer interact bidirectionally, with pain enhancing sensory peptides and potentially promoting tumor growth. Despite this, most chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CIPN) studies overlook the contribution of cancer itself to neuropathy, focusing instead on chemotherapy-induced mechanisms. Animal models of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain (CINP) have been developed by injecting chemotherapeutic drugs such as paclitaxel into normal animals without cancer. This study aimed to develop a new model in mouse mammary tumor virus-polyomavirus middle T antigen (MMTV-PyMT) mice, a widely used breast cancer model with normal immune function.

Results: The percentage of positive response (PPR) of paclitaxel-injected MMTV-PyMT mice increased (about 20%; baseline, 10%) on day 4, reached the highest levels (50%-60%) on days 6-9, and then plateaued by day 29. In comparison, the PPR of paclitaxel-injected C57BL/6 was less than 10% on days 0-6, was about 40% on day 9, and then plateaued by day 29. Breast tumor-bearing mice exhibited an earlier onset and greater severity of paclitaxel-induced pain behaviors than tumor-free C57BL/6 mice. Systemic LGK-974 ameliorated paclitaxel-induced pain behaviors in MMTV-PyMT mice. Active β-catenin was detected in neurons and satellite cells of the dorsal root ganglia.

Conclusions: Paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain model in breast tumor-bearing female MMTV-PyMT mice may be a useful animal model for investigating the analgesic effects and underlying mechanisms for CINP in breast cancer patients as well as the interplay between CINP development and cancer progression.

Keywords

Animals, Paclitaxel, Neuralgia, Female, Mice, Behavior, Animal, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Breast Neoplasms, Disease Models, Animal, Ganglia, Spinal, Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic, Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental, Paclitaxel, neuropathic pain, breast tumor

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Kim, Hee Kee; Xing, Juping; Jung, Youn-Sang; et al., "Exacerbation of Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain Behaviors in Breast Tumor-Bearing Mice" (2025). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 6382.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthgsbs_docs/6382