THE EFFECT OF COBALT CHLORIDE PRECONDITIONING ON PACLITAXEL-INDUCED PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY

Introduction: Recent studies indicate that Cobalt Chloride (CoCl2) modulates mitochondrial activity. There is emerging data suggesting that Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) is a consequence of the drug's mitochondrial toxicity. AIM: to assess the effect of CoCl2 preconditioning on PIPN in an animal model. Material and method: PIPN was induced by 7 daily consecutive i.p. Paclitaxel (PXT) administrations. Male BALB/c mice were divided into three groups as follows: group A - CoCl2 (12.5 mg/kg b.w.) for three weeks (preconditioning) followed by 1 week of PXT, group B - saline for three weeks, followed by 1 week of PXT and group C - saline for four weeks. Thermal and mechanical allodynia were assessed by means of paw withdrawal latency (PWL). Results: In group A, CoCl2 preconditioning lead to a decrease in both thermal and mechanical PWLs. 7 days after the last dose of PXT, however, values returned to normal in group A and allodynia for both thermal and mechanical stimuli was noted in group B (p<0.05). Conclusions: CoCl2 preconditioning seems to protect against PIPN. Although CoCl2 administration decreased thermal and mechanical PWLs, subsequent P administration did not lead to the persistent mechanical and thermal allodynia that was noted in the P-alone group. Further studies are required for determining the exact relationship between CoCl2 and PIPN.