PEA-OXA Mitigates Oxaliplatin-Induced Painful Neuropathy through NF-κB/Nrf-2 Axis

Michela Campolo, Marika Lanza, Irene Paterniti, Alessia Filippone, Alessio Ardizzone, Giovanna Casili, Sarah A Scuderi, Caterina Puglisi, Marzia Mare, Lorenzo Memeo, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Emanuela Esposito. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Apr 10;22(8):3927.

Laboratory studyOther animalsWith PEA-OXA (2-pentadecyl-2-oxazoline, a PEA analogue, tested alongside ultramicronised PEA)

This study tested palmitoylethanolamide together with PEA-OXA (2-pentadecyl-2-oxazoline, a PEA analogue, tested alongside ultramicronised PEA). Its results cannot be assigned to palmitoylethanolamide alone. More combination studies.

Design

Laboratory study

Subjects

Rats given oxaliplatin intraperitoneally on five consecutive days (cumulative 10 mg/kg) to induce neuropathy

Dose used in the study

PEA-OXA or ultramicronised PEA, 10 mg/kg by mouth 15 to 20 minutes before each oxaliplatin dose

Duration

25 days

What was measured

Pain hypersensitivity; glial activation and cytokines in the spinal dorsal horn; neurotrophic factors in dorsal root ganglia; NF-kappa-B and Nrf-2 signalling.

What the authors reported

Both compounds reduced the hypersensitivity that oxaliplatin produced, and PEA-OXA did so more than ultramicronised PEA. This went with less glial activation, fewer pro-inflammatory cytokines and more neurotrophic factors, with reduced NF-kappa-B activation and modulation of Nrf-2.

Limits of this study

A rat model of chemotherapy neuropathy; it cannot show effect in people. The authors declare no conflicts, though the group has worked with Epitech, which makes ultramicronised PEA.

Source

PubMed 33920318 · doi:10.3390/ijms22083927

Entry checked against the abstract on PubMed on 2026-09-22. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.