探討液態發酵培養之牛樟芝的消炎鎮痛潛力

Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects of Niuchangchih on Rats with Neuropathic and Inflammatory Pain

止痛藥長期治療慢性疼痛常伴隨嚴重副作用或成癮疑慮。因而新型鎮痛療法研究已始發展具高安全性、長期可用等消炎性補充飲品。牛樟芝（Antrodia camphorata）為寄生於臺灣特有種牛樟樹（Cinnamomum kanehirae）之真菌，為珍貴傳統草藥。文獻指出其含抗氧化、抗發炎及抗神經發炎等活性成分。本研究利用坐骨神經慢性壓迫（chronic constriction injury）誘發神經病變性疼痛（neuropathic pain）與鹿角菜膠引起發炎性疼痛（inflammatory pain）等動物模式，探討口服液態發酵培養牛樟芝是否具消炎鎮痛作用。結果證實餵食牛樟芝（100 mg/kg）60 min後，大鼠受坐骨神經慢性壓迫後引起熱痛敏（thermal hyperalgesia）明顯受抑制。在其手術後，持續4週每日給予一次牛樟芝雖無降低熱痛敏，卻顯著減緩機械痛敏（mechanical allodynia）現象。鹿角菜膠引起發炎性疼痛模式中，提前或立即給予牛樟芝皆改善鹿角菜膠所導致熱痛敏、機械痛敏及受傷肢負重減少（weight-bearing deficits）等行為。雖提前或立即給予牛樟芝無抑制鹿角菜膠引起腳掌水腫，但組織學分析說明其處理皆顯著減少腳掌組織中白血球浸潤（leukocyte infiltration）等發炎現象。同時上述模式中，牛樟芝無引起外部行為副作用。本研究證實周邊給予牛樟芝對神經病變性與發炎性疼痛有顯著鎮痛效果，值得探討其抗發炎與抗神經發炎作用機轉，並說明液態發酵培養技術所取得牛樟芝原料具極高保健潛力，可發展為緩解慢性疼痛的輔助食品。

The long-term use of analgesics for treating chronic pain often results in the development of serious side effects or an addiction. Therefore, researchers currently aim to develop novel analgesic strategies for the safe and long-term use of anti-inflammatory dietary supplements. Niuchangchih (Antrodia camphorate), a fungal parasite growing on the Bull camphor tree (Cinnamomum kanehirae) that is endemic to Taiwan, is a valuable traditional Chinese herbal medicine and has anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-neuroinflammatory effects along with other biological activities. In the present study, we used 2 rat models-the chronic constriction injury ([CCI] of the sciatic nerve)-induced neuropathic pain model and the carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain model-to examine the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of orally administered Niuchangchih prepared through liquid fermentation. Through the results, we confirmed that CCI evoked thermal hyperalgesia was significantly inhibited by Niuchangchih (100 mg/kg) 60 minutes after oral administration. Oral Niuchangchih (100 mg/kg) that was orally administered once daily for 4 weeks immediately after CCI surgery did not show any anti-thermal hyperalgesic effect, but it did produce an ant-mechanical allodynic effect. However, in the carrageenan-induced rat paw edema model, both pretreatment and cotreatment with Niuchangchih (100 mg/kg) signifìcantly reduced carrageenan-induced thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia, and weight-bearing deficits. Moreover, this administration did not inhibit carrageenan-induced paw edema, although these 2 treatments significantly lowered the level of tissue inflammation, such as diminished leukocyte infiltration in paw tissue, as observed through a histopathological examination. Additionally, Niuchangchih administration did not show any obvious side effects on the external behavior of rats. Thus, systemically administered Niuchangclih was shown to possess significant analgesic effects in neuropathic and inflammatory pain. Therefore, we conclude that Niuchangchih, prepared through liquid fermentation, can be utilized for developing dietary supplements for relieving chronic pain, as it possesses a high health benefit potential.