Euphorbia bicolor (Euphorbiaceae) Latex Extract Reduces Inflammatory Cytokines and Oxidative Stress in a Rat Model of Orofacial Pain

Figure 8

Proposed model of the mechanisms involved in E. bicolor latex extract-evoked peripheral, nonopioid analgesia. Local injection of E. bicolor latex phytochemicals at the site of injury reduces plasma advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels (1), which leads to decreased expression of Nox4 protein (2) and reduced levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (3). This reduction in ROS leads to a reduction in TRPV1 activity and the release of the proinflammatory peptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in conditions where oxidative stress triggers pain. Latex phytochemicals also reduce proinflammatory and increase anti-inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in a sexually dimorphic manner, which may underlie sex differences in the onset of E. bicolor-evoked analgesia (4). This model was created with BioRender http://BioRender.com.