Effect of creatine on nociception in a mouse model of inflammatory pain

The objective of this study was to evaluate creatine as an anti-nociceptive compound in an animal model of thermal and inflammatory pain. Creatine has the structural potential to interact with acid-sensing ion channel 3 (ASIC3), which have been involved in pain sensation modulation. Our hypothesis was that creatine will interact with ASIC3 leading to decreased nociception. Male and female C57BL/6J mice were supplemented with creatine (6.25g/kg diet) and tested for thermal hyperalgesia and inflammatory pain response. The latency to withdraw the tail during the thermal hyperalgesia test was unaffected by sex or diet. For the formalin test, males and females responded differently to the stimulus, and the female mice supplemented with creatine seemed to recover faster than the controls. These preliminary data suggest a potential effect of creatine and sex on inflammation-based nociception and can be used as a stepping stone for the development of ASIC-based therapeutics