scholarly journals Sanguinarine Attenuates Neuropathic Pain in a Rat Model of Chronic Constriction Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Ping Li ◽  
Yan-Xiu Wang ◽  
Guang Yang ◽  
Zun-Cheng Zheng ◽  
Chao Yu

Objective. There is still no effective treatment of neuropathic pain. Sanguinarine is a natural plant medicine with anti-inflammatory effects, but its effect on neuropathic pain remains unclear. This study was aimed at investigating the potential of sanguinarine to attenuate neuropathic pain. Methods. Neuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Rats were randomly divided into several groups: sham, CCI, CCI+SG (1.00 mg/kg), CCI+SG (2.50 mg/kg), and CCI+SG (6.25 mg/kg). SG was injected intraperitoneally from the day of surgery every three days. The mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) were recorded before surgery and on days 1, 3, 7, and 14 after surgery. The microglia in the spinal dorsal horn were examined by immunofluorescence. p38 MAPK expression in the spinal dorsal horn was detected by PCR and Western blot analysis. Cytokine levels in the spinal dorsal horn were measured by ELISA. Results. MWT and TWL were significantly reduced in the CCI group, but sanguinarine recovered MWT and TWL in the CCI group. In addition, sanguinarine inhibited the activation of microglia and decreased the expression of p-p38 and TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the spinal dorsal horn of the CCI group in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions. Our results suggest that sanguinarine can attenuate neuropathic pain via inhibiting the activation of microglia and the activation of the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 4443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin ◽  
Hong ◽  
Phạm ◽  
Shin ◽  
Gwon ◽  
...  

Upon peripheral nerve injury, vesicular ATP is released from damaged primary afferent neurons. This extracellular ATP subsequently activates purinergic receptors of the spinal cord, which play a critical role in neuropathic pain. As an inhibitor of the vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT), Evans blue (EB) inhibits the vesicular storage and release of ATP in neurons. Thus, we tested whether EB could attenuate neuropathic pain behavior induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL) in rats by targeting VNUT. An intrathecal injection of EB efficiently attenuated mechanical allodynia for five days in a dose-dependent manner and enhanced locomotive activity in an SNL rat model. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that EB was found in VNUT immunoreactivity on neurons in the dorsal root ganglion and the spinal dorsal horn. The level of ATP in cerebrospinal fluid in rats with SNL-induced neuropathic pain decreased upon administration of EB. Interestingly, EB blocked ATP release from neurons, but not glial cells in vitro. Eventually, the loss of ATP decreased microglial activity in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of the spinal cord, followed by a reduction in reactive oxygen species and proinflammatory mediators, such as interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6. Finally, a similar analgesic effect of EB was demonstrated in rats with monoiodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis (OA) pain. Taken together, these data demonstrate that EB prevents ATP release in the spinal dorsal horn and reduces the ATP/purinergic receptor-induced activation of spinal microglia followed by a decline in algogenic substances, thereby relieving neuropathic pain in rats with SNL.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiyou Peng ◽  
Leiqiong Zha ◽  
Meijuan Yang ◽  
Yunze Li ◽  
Xuejiao Guo ◽  
...  

Abstract Ghrelin has been shown to alleviate neuropathic pain by inhibiting the release of proinflammatory cytokines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling in mediating the effect of ghrelin on neuropathic pain and to understand the associated mechanisms. Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve was used to establish a rat model of neuropathic pain. Hyperalgesia and allodynia were evaluated by observing the mechanical withdrawal threshold and the thermal withdrawal latency. Wnt3a and β-catenin protein expression and GSK-3β phosphorylation were detected by western blotting analysis. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1β were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, we used immunohistochemical analysis to determine the levels of GSK-3β phosphorylation in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Intrathecal delivery of ghrelin effectively ameliorated CCI-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia at 7 and 14 days and reduced the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α. Ghrelin inhibited CCI-induced GSK-3β activation and β-catenin overexpression in the spinal dorsal horn. Moreover, intrathecal injection of ghrelin suppressed the activation of GSK-3β in the spinal dorsal horn of CCI rats, as assessed by immunohistochemical analysis. Our data indicated that ghrelin could markedly alleviate neuropathic pain by inhibiting the expression of β-catenin, via the suppression of GSK-3β activation, in the spinal cord of CCI rats.


2014 ◽  
Vol 92 (8) ◽  
pp. 655-660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Liu ◽  
Wen-Ya Guo ◽  
Xiao-Nan Zhao ◽  
Hui-Ping Bai ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
...  

This study aimed to investigate the effect of baclofen, a γ-aminobutyric acid B (GABAB) receptor agonist, on the expression of p-CREB and NR2B in the spinal dorsal horn of rats with diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP). The DNP rats, which were successfully induced with streptozocin, were distributed among 3 groups that were treated with saline (D1 group), baclofen (D2 group), or CGP55845 + baclofen (D3 group) continuously for 4 days. The rats induced with saline and subsequently treated with saline were used as controls (C group). The times for the paw withdrawal threshold and thermal withdrawal latency of the D1 group were lower than those for the C group, and were significantly increased after baclofen treatment, but not when GABA receptor was pre-blocked with CGP55845 (D3 group). Increased protein expression levels of NR2B and p-CREB and mRNA levels of NR2B were found in the D1 group when compared with the controls. Baclofen treatment significantly suppressed their expression, bringing it close to the levels of controls. However, in the D3 group, the expression of p-CREB and NR2B were still significantly higher than that of the controls. Activation of GABAB receptor by baclofen attenuates diabetic neuropathic pain, which may partly be accomplished via down-regulating the expression of p-CREB and NR2B.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qi An ◽  
Chenyan Sun ◽  
Ruidi Li ◽  
Shuhui Chen ◽  
Xinpei Gu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) as a mediator of microglial activation at the transcriptional level may facilitate nociceptive signaling. Trimethylation of H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) by enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is an epigenetic mark that regulates inflammatory-related gene expression after peripheral nerve injury. In this study, we explored the relationship between CGRP and H3K27me3 in microglial activation after nerve injury, and elucidated the underlying mechanisms in the pathogenesis of chronic neuropathic pain. Methods Microglial cells (BV2) were treated with CGRP and differentially enrichments of H3K27me3 on gene promoters were examined using ChIP-seq. A chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model was used to evaluate the role of CGRP on microglial activation and EZH2/H3K27me3 signaling in CCI-induced neuropathic pain. Results Overexpressions of EZH2 and H3K27me3 were confirmed in spinal microglia of CCI rats by immunofluorescence. CGRP treatment induced the increased of H3K27me3 expression in the spinal dorsal horn and cultured microglial cells (BV2) through EZH2. ChIP-seq data indicated that CGRP significantly altered H3K27me3 enrichments on gene promoters in microglia following CGRP treatment, including 173 gaining H3K27me3 and 75 losing this mark, which mostly enriched in regulation of cell growth, phagosome, and inflammation. qRT-PCR verified expressions of representative candidate genes (TRAF3IP2, BCL2L11, ITGAM, DAB2, NLRP12, WNT3, ADAM10) and real-time cell analysis (RTCA) verified microglial proliferation. Additionally, CGRP treatment and CCI increased expressions of ITGAM, ADAM10, MCP-1, and CX3CR1, key mediators of microglial activation in spinal dorsal horn and cultured microglial cells. Such increased effects induced by CCI were suppressed by CGRP antagonist and EZH2 inhibitor, which were concurrently associated with the attenuated mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in CCI rats. Conclusion Our findings highly indicate that CGRP is implicated in the genesis of neuropathic pain through regulating microglial activation via EZH2-mediated H3K27me3 in the spinal dorsal horn.


2021 ◽  
pp. 135965
Author(s):  
Zhou Wu ◽  
Xie Zhiping ◽  
Li Chengcai ◽  
Zelong Xing ◽  
Xie Shenke ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (S1) ◽  
pp. S156-S157
Author(s):  
W.K. Lau ◽  
W.K. Chan ◽  
W.T. Chan ◽  
J.L. Zhang ◽  
H.Q. Zhang

2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 2726-2733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shao-Rui Chen ◽  
Hui-Lin Pan

Diabetic neuropathic pain is often considered to be caused by peripheral neuropathy. The involvement of the CNS in this pathological condition has not been well documented. Development of hypersensitivity of spinal dorsal horn neurons is involved in neuropathic pain induced by traumatic nerve injury. In the present study, we determined the functional changes of identified spinothalamic tract (STT) neurons and their correlation to diabetic neuropathic pain. Diabetes was induced in rats by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Hyperalgesia and allodynia were assessed by the withdrawal responses to pressure, radiant heat, and von Frey filaments applied to the hindpaw. Single-unit activity of STT neurons was recorded from the lumbar spinal cord in anesthetized rats. The responses of STT neurons to mechanical and thermal stimuli and the sensitivity to intravenous morphine were determined in diabetic and normal rats. In 12 diabetic rats, mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia, but not thermal hyperalgesia, developed within 2 wk after streptozotocin injection and lasted for ≥7 wk. Compared to the 32 STT neurons recorded in normal animals, the 37 STT neurons in diabetic rats displayed a higher spontaneous discharge activity and enlarged receptive fields. Also, the STT neurons in diabetic rats exhibited lower thresholds and augmented responses to mechanical stimulation. Intravenous injection of 2.5 mg/kg of morphine suppressed significantly the responses of STT neurons to noxious stimuli in 12 nondiabetic rats. However, such an inhibitory effect of morphine on the evoked response of STT neurons was diminished in 14 diabetic animals. This electrophysiological study provides new information that development of hypersensitivity of spinal dorsal horn projection neurons may be closely related to neuropathic pain symptoms caused by diabetes. Furthermore, the attenuated inhibitory effects of morphine on evoked responses of STT neurons in diabetes likely accounts for its reduced analgesic efficacy in this clinical form of neuropathic pain.


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