Oral administration of B vitamins increases the antiallodynic effect of gabapentin in the rat

The purpose of this study was to assess the possible synergistic interaction between gabapentin and B-vitamins (100:100:1 of vitamin B ₁, B₆ and B₁₂, respectively) in a neuropathic pain model in the rat. Neuropathic pain was induced by ligation of the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves of female Wistar rats. Tactile allodynia was determined by measuring paw withdrawal in response to probing with a series of calibrated von Frey filaments. Gabapentin (30-300 mg/kg), B-vitamins (75-600 mg/kg), or a combination of gabapentin and B-vitamins were administered orally and the antiallodynic effect was determined, Isobolographic analyses were used to define the nature of the functional interactions between gabapentin and B-vitamins in a fixed-dose ratio (0.5:0.5). Gabapentin (ED₃₀ 23.0 ± 5.3 mg/kg), B-vitamins (ED₃₀ 524.0 ± 97.0 mg/kg), or a fixed-dose ratio combination of gabapentin-B vitamins combinations dose-dependently reduced tactile allodynia. The theoretical ED₃₀ value for the combination estimated from the isobologram was 273.5 ± 48.6 mg/kg. This value was significantly higher than the experimental ED₃₀ value which was 18.7 ± 1.7 mg/kg. Results indicate that systemic administration of gabapentin and B vitamins can interact synergistically to reduce neuropathic pain in the rat and suggest the use of this combination to relieve neuropathy in humans.