Implications and mechanism of action of gabapentin in neuropathic pain.

Article Details

Citation

Kukkar A, Bali A, Singh N, Jaggi AS

Implications and mechanism of action of gabapentin in neuropathic pain.

Arch Pharm Res. 2013 Mar;36(3):237-51. doi: 10.1007/s12272-013-0057-y. Epub 2013 Feb 24.

PubMed ID
23435945 [ View in PubMed
]
Abstract

Gabapentin is an anti-epileptic agent but now it is also recommended as first line agent in neuropathic pain, particularly in diabetic neuropathy and post herpetic neuralgia. alpha2delta-1, an auxillary subunit of voltage gated calcium channels, has been documented as its main target and its specific binding to this subunit is described to produce different actions responsible for pain attenuation. The binding to alpha2delta-1 subunits inhibits nerve injury-induced trafficking of alpha1 pore forming units of calcium channels (particularly N-type) from cytoplasm to plasma membrane (membrane trafficking) of pre-synaptic terminals of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and dorsal horn neurons. Furthermore, the axoplasmic transport of alpha2delta-1 subunits from DRG to dorsal horns neurons in the form of anterograde trafficking is also inhibited in response to gabapentin administration. Gabapentin has also been shown to induce modulate other targets including transient receptor potential channels, NMDA receptors, protein kinase C and inflammatory cytokines. It may also act on supra-spinal region to stimulate noradrenaline mediated descending inhibition, which contributes to its anti-hypersensitivity action in neuropathic pain.

DrugBank Data that Cites this Article

Drugs
Drug Targets
DrugTargetKindOrganismPharmacological ActionActions
GabapentinVoltage-dependent calcium channel subunit alpha-2/delta-1ProteinHumans
Yes
Inhibitor
Details
GabapentinVoltage-dependent calcium channel subunit alpha-2/delta-2ProteinHumans
Unknown
Inhibitor
Details