Fondazione ISAL

Chronic pain is recognized today as a major healthcare issue. Notwithstanding the extent of the data available, public information concerning the treatment options for this condition remains unsatisfactory in Italy as in the rest of the world. During the seventh edition held in 2015 of the international Day “Hundred Cities against Pain” organized by Fondazione ISAL, a questionnaire has been distributed in order to investigate the perceptions and perspectives of people towards chronic pain prevention and treatment. In this work, the results of the survey are reported with the aim of shedding light on some issues related to the needs and perceptions of the citizens in relation to the disease of chronic pain and the access to treatment sanctioned by Italian law 38/2010.

Citrus Bergamia Risso, commonly known as Bergamot, is a fruit whose Essential Oil and Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction have numerous medicinal properties. It is also an excellent antioxidant and in this study, for the first time, its potential effect on morphine induced tolerance in mice has been investigated. Our studies revealed that development of antinociceptive tolerance to repeated doses of morphine in mice is consistently associated with increased formation of superoxide, malondialdehyde and tyrosine-nitrated proteins in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord such as the enzyme glutamine synthase. Nitration of this protein is intimately linked to inactivation of its biological function and resulting increase of glutamate levels in the spinal cord. Administration of Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction (5–50 mg/kg) attenuated tolerance development. This effect was accompanied by reduction of superoxide and malondialdehyde production, prevention of GS nitration, re-establishment of its activity and of glutamate levels. Our studies confirmed the main role of free radicals during the cascade of events induced by prolonged morphine treatment and the co-administration of natural derivatives antioxidant such as Bergamot Polyphenolic Fraction can be an important therapeutic approach to restore opioids analgesic efficacy.