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. 2019 Jan 20;9(2):e3140.
doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.3140.

A Mouse Model of Postoperative Pain

Ashley M Cowie  1 , Cheryl L Stucky  1
Affiliations

A Mouse Model of Postoperative Pain

Ashley M Cowie et al. Bio Protoc. .

Abstract

Postoperative pain is highly debilitating and hinders recovery. Opioids are the main pain medication used for acute postoperative pain. Given the devastating opioid addiction and overdose epidemic across the US, non-opioid pain therapeutics are desperately needed. In order to develop novel, non-opioid therapies for the treatment of postoperative pain and identify the mechanisms underlying this pain, rodent models of incisional pain have been established. The protocol herein describes in detail how to create a mouse model of postoperative pain that was adapted from established protocols. This model of postoperative pain is frequently-used, highly reproducible, and results in peripheral and central nervous system alterations.

Keywords: Hypersensitivity; Inflammatory pain; Mouse; Plantar incision; Postoperative pain; Skin and muscle incision.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests The authors declare no competing financial or non-financial interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Brief inhalational anesthesia.
The mouse was briefly anesthetized by inhalation in chamber with 1 ml isoflurane.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Continuous inhalational anesthesia.
The mouse was continuously anesthetized through a nose cone with 1.5%-2% isoflurane.
Video 1.
Video 1.. Plantar incision surgery.
This video shows how the model of postoperative pain is made by making an incision through the plantar skin and flexor digitorum brevis muscle (This video was made at the Medical College of Wisconsin and was performed according to guidelines on Animal Care and approved by the Animal Research Ethics Board of the Medical College of Wisconsin under protocol #0383).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Securing the hindpaw to surgical surface.
The hindpaw was secured to the surface using surgical tape.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Measurement of incision.
Two dots were placed in the middle of the hindpaw, one 2 mm from the heel and the second 5 mm from the first dot.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.. Cutaneous incision.
A 5 mm longitudinal incision was made with a No. 11 scalpel.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.. Elevation of flexor digitorum brevis muscle.
Curved forceps were inserted under the flexor digitorum brevis muscle to elevate the muscle.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.. Muscle incision.
A longitudinal incision was made through the muscle belly of the elevated flexor digitorum brevis muscle from proximal to distal ends of the cutaneous incision.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.. Cutaneous suturing.
The skin was closed with two 5-0 nylon sutures.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.. Application of von Frey monofilament.
An orange von Frey monofilament was applied to most sensitive location following incision.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.. Mechanical and heat thresholds following incision.
A. von Frey monofilaments was applied to most sensitive location following incision and the Dixon up-down method (Dixon, 1980) was used to determine mechanical threshold. B. The Hargreaves assay ( Hargreaves et al., 1988 ) was used to measure the withdrawal threshold in response to a radiant heat source that was applied to the most sensitive location following incision. These data were modified from Cowie et al. (2018) . Data shown as mean ± SEM, repeated-measures two-way ANOVA and Sidak post-hoc analysis, **P < 0.01 and ****P < 0.0001 sham versus incision. For (A) and (B), n = 8 male mice per group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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