Use of a glial attenuator to prevent amplified pain responses caused by glial priming
The use of a glial attenuator, such as ibudilast (3-isobutyryl-2-isopropylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridine), to prevent the negative consequences of glial priming is described. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method of treating a subject with ibudilast to prevent amplified pain responses to inflammation or injury as a result of glial priming following an initial glial activating event.
1 . A method for inhibiting glial priming in a subject that has experienced a glial-activating event, comprising administering to the subject an effective amount of ibudilast.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the subject is human.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered systemically.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered centrally.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the ibudilast is administered intrathecally.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein multiple therapeutically effective doses of the ibudilast are administered to the subject.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the glial-activating event is tissue injury, infection or inflammation.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered at about the same time as the glial-activating event.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered before the glial-activating event.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered after the glial-activating event.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered before and after the glial-activating event.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered at about the same time as the glial-activating event and after the glial-activating event.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ibudilast is administered about 1-5 days before and about 1-5 days after the glial-activating event.
14 . A method for preventing or diminishing amplified pain resulting from glial priming after a first glial-activating event, the method comprising administering to a subject in need thereof a therapeutically effective amount of ibudilast, wherein amplified pain after a second glial-activating event is diminished or eliminated.
15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the subject is human.
16 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered systemically.
17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered centrally.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the ibudilast is administered intrathecally.
19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein multiple therapeutically effective doses of the ibudilast are administered to the subject.
20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the first glial-activating event is tissue injury, infection or inflammation.
21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the subject has post-operative pain, injury-related pain, or disease-related pain.
22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the subject has chronic pain.
23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the subject has neuropathic pain.
24 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered at about the same time as the first glial-activating event.
25 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered before the first glial-activating event.
26 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered after the first glial-activating event.
27 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered before and after the first glial-activating event.
28 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered at about the same time as the first glial-activating event and after the first glial-activating event.
29 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ibudilast is administered about 1-5 days before and about 1-5 days after the first glial-activating event.
30 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising administering ibudilast at about the same time as or after the second glial activating event.
31 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising administering one or more other glial attenuators.
32 . The method of claim 31 , wherein the glial attenuator is minocycline.
33 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising administering one or more other agents selected from the group consisting of analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antiemetics, antidiarrheals, alpha-2-antagonists, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, and insomnia therapeutics.