scholarly journals Blocking Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Alleviates Neuropathic Pain Induced by Chemotherapeutic Bortezomib

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zongsheng Duan ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Xiaochuan Pang ◽  
Hushan Wang ◽  
Zhenbo Su

Background/Aims: Bortezomib (BTZ) is largely used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer. However, one of the significant limiting complications of BTZ is painful peripheral neuropathy during BTZ therapy. Drugs preventing and/or treating the painful symptoms induced by BTZ are lacking since the underlying mechanisms leading to neuropathic pain remain largely unclear. The purposes of this study were to examine 1) the effects of blocking mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) on mechanical pain and cold hypersensitivity evoked by BTZ and 2) the underlying mechanisms responsible for the role of mTOR in regulating BTZ-induced neuropathic pain. Methods: Behavioral test was performed to determine mechanical pain and cold sensitivity in a rat model. Western blot analysis and ELISA were used to examine expression of mTOR and phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (p-PI3K) signals, and the levels of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Results: Systemic injection of BTZ significantly increased mechanical pain and cold sensitivity as compared with control animals (P< 0.05 vs. control rats). The expression of p-mTOR, mTOR-mediated phosphorylation of p70 ribosomal S6 protein kinase 1 (p-S6K1), 4E–binding protein 4 (p-4E-BP1) as well as p-PI3K was amplified in the dorsal horn of spinal cord of BTZ rats as compared with control rats. Blocking mTOR by intrathecal infusion of rapamycin attenuated mechanical pain and cold hypersensitivity. Blocking PI3K signal also attenuated activities of mTOR, which was accompanied with decreasing neuropathic pain. Inhibition of either mTOR or PI3K blunted enhancement of the spinal substance P and CGRP in BTZ rats. Conclusions: The data for the first time revealed specific signaling pathways leading to BTZ-induced peripheral neuropathic pain, including the activation of mTOR and PI3K. Inhibition of these signal pathways alleviates pain. Targeting one or more of these signaling molecules may present new opportunities for treatment and management of peripheral painful neuropathy observed during chemotherapeutic application of BTZ.

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liujun Tian ◽  
Tianren Fan ◽  
Nan Zhou ◽  
Hui Guo ◽  
Weijie Zhang

AbstractOxaliplatin (OXL) is a third-generation chemotherapeutic agent commonly used to treat metastatic digestive tumors; however, one of the main limiting complications of OXL is neuropathic pain. In this study, the underlying mechanisms responsible for OXL evoked-neuropathic pain were examined. Using a rat model, the results demonstrated that intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of OXL significantly increased mechanical pain and cold sensitivity as compared with control animals (P < 0.05 vs. control rats). Blocking proteinase-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) significantly attenuated mechanical pain and cold sensitivity observed in control rats and OXL rats (P < 0.05 vs. vehicle control). The attenuating effect of PAR2 on mechanical pain and cold sensitivity were significantly smaller in OXL-rats than in control rats. The role played by PAR2 downstream signaling pathways [namely, transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1)] in regulating OXL evoked-neuropathic pain was also examined. The data shows that TRPA1 expression was upregulated in the lumbar dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of OXL rats and blocking TRPA1 inhibited mechanical pain and heightened cold sensitivity (P <0.05 vs. control rats). Blocking PAR2 also significantly decreased TRPA1expression in the DRG. Findings in this study show that OXL intervention amplifies mechanical hyperalgesia and cold hypersensitivity and PAR2 plays an important role in regulating OXLinduced neuropathic pain via TRPA1 pathways.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 429-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiao-Fang Teng ◽  
Han-Chieh Wu ◽  
Woei-Cherng Shyu ◽  
Long-Bin Jeng ◽  
Ih-Jen Su

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Pre-S2 mutant represents an HBV oncoprotein that is accumulated in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and manifests as type II ground glass hepatocytes (GGHs). Pre-S2 mutant can induce ER stress and initiate multiple ER stress-dependent or -independent cellular signal pathways, leading to growth advantage of type II GGH. Importantly, the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signal pathways are consistently activated throughout the liver tumorigenesis in pre-S2 mutant transgenic mice and in human HCC tissues, leading to hepatocyte proliferation, metabolic disorders, and HCC tumorigenesis. In this review, we summarize the pre-S2 mutant-induced mTOR signal pathways and its implications in HBV-related HCC tumorigenesis. Clinically, the presence of pre-S2 mutant exhibits a high resistance to antiviral treatment and carries a high risk of HCC development in patients with chronic HBV infection. Targeting at pre-S2 mutant-induced mTOR signal pathways may thus provide potential strategies for the prevention or therapy of HBV-associated HCC.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (9) ◽  
pp. F1023-F1032 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhua Mao ◽  
Zhifeng Zeng ◽  
Zhuo Xu ◽  
Jiangzhong Li ◽  
Lei Jiang ◽  
...  

Podocytes play a key role in the formation of cellular crescents in experimental and human diseases. However, the underlying mechanisms for podocytes in promoting crescent formation need further investigation. Here, we demonstrated that mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling was remarkably activated and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1α expression was largely induced in cellular crescents from patients with crescentic glomerular diseases. Specific deletion of Tsc1 in podocytes led to mTORC1 activation in podocytes and kidney dysfunction in mice. Interestingly, 33 of 36 knockouts developed cellular or mixed cellular and fibrous crescents at 7 wk of age (14.19 ± 3.86% of total glomeruli in knockouts vs. 0% in control littermates, n = 12–36, P = 0.04). All of the seven knockouts developed crescents at 12 wk of age (30.92 ± 11.961% of total glomeruli in knockouts vs. 0% in control littermates, n = 4–7, P = 0.002). Most notably, bridging cells between the glomerular tuft and the parietal basement membrane as well as the cellular crescents were immunostaining positive for WT1, p-S6, HIF1α, and Cxcr4. Furthermore, continuously administrating rapamycin starting at 7 wk of age for 5 wk abolished crescents as well as the induction of p-S6, HIF1α, and Cxcr4 in the glomeruli from the knockouts. Together, it is concluded that mTORC1 activation in podocytes promotes cellular crescent formation, and targeting this signaling may shed new light on the treatment of patients with crescentic glomerular diseases.


Pain ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 152 (11) ◽  
pp. 2582-2595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Obara ◽  
Keri K. Tochiki ◽  
Sandrine M. Géranton ◽  
Fiona B. Carr ◽  
Bridget M. Lumb ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
pp. 845-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. LIU ◽  
M. SUN ◽  
D. XU ◽  
X. MA ◽  
D. GAO ◽  
...  

Bortezomib (BTZ) is used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of multiple myeloma. Nevertheless, one of the significant limiting complications of BTZ is painful peripheral neuropathy during BTZ therapy. Thus, in this study we examined signaling pathways of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) in the sensory nerves responsible for neuropathic pain induced by BTZ and further determined if influencing the pathways can improve neuropathic pain. ELISA and western blot analysis were used to examine the levels of IL-6, and IL-6 receptor (IL-6R), TRPA1 and p38-MAPK and JNK signal in the lumbar dorsal root ganglion. Behavioral test was performed to determine mechanical and cold sensitivity in a rat model. Our results showed that systemic injection of BTZ increased mechanical pain and cold sensitivity as compared with control animals. Data also showed that protein expression of TRPA1 and IL-6R was upregulated in the dorsal root ganglion of BTZ rats and blocking TRPA1 attenuated mechanical and cold sensitivity in control rats and BTZ rats. Notably, the inhibitory effect of blocking TRPA1 was smaller in BTZ rats than that in control rats. In addition, a blockade of IL-6 signal attenuated intracellular p38-MAPK and JNK in the sensory neuron. This also decreased TRPA1 expression and alleviated mechanical hyperalgesia and cold hypersensitivity in BTZ rats. In conclusion, we revealed specific signaling pathways leading to neuropathic pain induced by chemotherapeutic BTZ, including IL-6-TRPA1, suggesting that blocking these signals is beneficial to alleviate neuropathic pain during BTZ intervention


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Wang ◽  
Da-Yun Feng ◽  
Zhi-Hua Li ◽  
Ban Feng ◽  
Han Zhang ◽  
...  

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), a serine-threonine protein kinase, integrates extracellular signals, thereby modulating several physiological and pathological processes, including pain. Previous studies have suggested that rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor) can attenuate nociceptive behaviors in many pain models, most likely at the spinal cord level. However, the mechanisms of mTOR at the supraspinal level, particularly at the level of the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), remain unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to elucidate the role of mTOR in the RVM, a key relay region for the descending pain control pathway, under neuropathic pain conditions. Phosphorylated mTOR was mainly expressed in serotonergic spinally projecting neurons and was significantly increased in the RVM after spared nerve injury- (SNI-) induced neuropathic pain. Moreover, in SNI rat brain slices, rapamycin infusion both decreased the amplitude instead of the frequency of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents and reduced the numbers of action potentials in serotonergic neurons. Finally, intra-RVM microinjection of rapamycin effectively alleviated established mechanical allodynia but failed to affect the development of neuropathic pain. In conclusion, our data provide strong evidence for the role of mTOR in the RVM in nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain, indicating a novel mechanism of mTOR inhibitor-induced analgesia.


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