Analgesic Effect of Methane Rich Saline in a Rat Model of Chronic Inflammatory Pain

How oxidative stress contributes to neuro-inflammation and chronic pain is documented, and methane is reported to protect against ischemia–reperfusion injury in the nervous system via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. We studied whether methane in the form of methane rich saline (MS) has analgesic effects in a monoarthritis (MA) rat model of chronic inflammatory pain. Single and repeated injections of MS (i.p.) reduced MA-induced mechanical allodynia and multiple methane treatments blocked activation of glial cells, decreased IL-1β and TNF-α production and MMP-2 activity, and upregulated IL-10 expression in the spinal cord on day 10 post-MA. Furthermore, MS reduced infiltrating T cells and expression of IFN-γ and suppressed MA-induced oxidative stress (MDA and 8-OHDG), and increased superoxide dismutase and catalase activity. Thus, MS may offer anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects to reduce chronic inflammatory pain.