scholarly journals Modulation of neuroglial interactions using differential target multiplexed spinal cord stimulation in an animal model of neuropathic pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 174480692091805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Vallejo ◽  
Courtney A Kelley ◽  
Ashim Gupta ◽  
William J Smith ◽  
Alejandro Vallejo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Animal Model ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Cellular Interactions ◽  
Neuroglial Interactions ◽  
Low Rate

The development and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain involves distorted neuroglial interactions, which result in prolonged perturbations of immune and inflammatory response, as well as disrupted synapses and cellular interactions. Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has proven effective and safe for more than 40 years, but comprehensive understanding of its mode of action remains elusive. Previous work in our laboratory provided evidence that conventional SCS parameters modulate biological processes associated with neuropathic pain in animals. This inspired the development of differential target multiplexed programming (DTMP) in which multiple electrical signals are used for modulating glial cells and neurons in order to rebalance their interactions. This work compares DTMP with both low rate and high rate programming using an animal model of neuropathic pain. The spared nerve injury model was implemented in 48 rats equally randomized into four experimental groups: No-SCS, DTMP, low rate, and high rate. Naive animals (N = 7) served as a reference control. SCS was applied continuously for 48 h and pain-related behavior assessed before and after SCS. RNA from the spinal cord exposed to SCS was sequenced to determine changes in gene expression as a result of injury (No-SCS vs. naïve) and as a result of SCS (SCS vs. No-SCS). Bioinformatics tools (Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis and Gene Ontology Enrichment Analysis) were used to evaluate the significance of the results. All three therapies significantly reduced mechanical hypersensitivity, although DTMP provided statistically better results overall. DTMP also reduced thermal hypersensitivity significantly. RNA-sequencing corroborated the complex effects of nerve injury on the transcriptome. In addition, DTMP provided significantly more effective modulation of genes associated with pain-related processes in returning their expression toward levels observed in naïve, noninjured animals. DTMP provides a more effective way of modulating the expression of genes involved in pain-relevant biological processes associated with neuroglial interactions.

scholarly journals Spinal cord stimulation using differential target multiplexed programming modulates neural cell-specific transcriptomes in an animal model of neuropathic pain

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
pp. 174480692096436
Author(s):  
David L Cedeño ◽  
William J Smith ◽  
Courtney A Kelley ◽  
Ricardo Vallejo
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Neural Cell ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Injury Model ◽  
Low Rate

Spinal cord stimulation is a proven effective therapy for treating chronic neuropathic pain. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that spinal cord stimulation based on a differential target multiplexed programming approach provided significant relief of pain-like behavior in rodents subjected to the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain. The relief was significantly better than obtained using high rate and low rate programming. Furthermore, transcriptomics-based results implied that differential target multiplexed programming modulates neuronal–glial interactions that have been perturbed by the pain process. Although differential target multiplexed programming was developed to differentially target neurons and glial cells, our previous work did not address this. This work presents transcriptomes, specific to each of the main neural cell populations (neurons, microglia, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes), obtained from spinal cord subjected to continuous spinal cord stimulation treatment with differential target multiplexed programming, high rate programming, or low rate programming compared with no spinal cord stimulation treatment, using the spared nerve injury model. To assess the effect of each spinal cord stimulation treatment on these cell-specific transcriptomes, gene expression levels were compared with that of healthy animals, naïve to injury and interventional procedures. Pearson correlations and cell population analysis indicate that differential target multiplexed programming yielded strong and significant correlations to expression levels found in the healthy animals across every evaluated cell-specific transcriptome. In contrast, high rate programming only yielded a strong correlation for the microglia-specific transcriptome, while low rate programming did not yield strong correlations with any cell types. This work provides evidence that differential target multiplexed programming distinctively targeted and modulated the expression of cell-specific genes in the direction of the healthy state thus supporting its previously established action on regulating neuronal–glial interaction processes in a pain model.

scholarly journals Modulation of microglial activation states by spinal cord stimulation in an animal model of neuropathic pain: Comparing high rate, low rate, and differential target multiplexed programming

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174480692199901
Author(s):  
William J Smith ◽  
David L Cedeño ◽  
Samuel M Thomas ◽  
Courtney A Kelley ◽  
Francesco Vetri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Microglial Activation ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Transcriptomic Changes ◽  
Low Rate

While numerous studies and patient experiences have demonstrated the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation as a treatment for chronic neuropathic pain, the exact mechanism underlying this therapy is still uncertain. Recent studies highlighting the importance of microglial cells in chronic pain and characterizing microglial activation transcriptomes have created a focus on microglia in pain research. Our group has investigated the modulation of gene expression in neurons and glial cells after spinal cord stimulation (SCS), specifically focusing on transcriptomic changes induced by varying SCS stimulation parameters. Previous work showed that, in rodents subjected to the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain, a differential target multiplexed programming (DTMP) approach provided significantly better relief of pain-like behavior compared to high rate (HRP) and low rate programming (LRP). While these studies demonstrated the importance of transcriptomic changes in SCS mechanism of action, they did not specifically address the role of SCS in microglial activation. The data presented herein utilizes microglia-specific activation transcriptomes to further understand how an SNI model of chronic pain and subsequent continuous SCS treatment with either DTMP, HRP, or LRP affects microglial activation. Genes for each activation transcriptome were identified within our dataset and gene expression levels were compared with that of healthy animals, naïve to injury and interventional procedures. Pearson correlations indicated that DTMP yields the highest significant correlations to expression levels found in the healthy animals across all microglial activation transcriptomes. In contrast, HRP or LRP yielded weak or very weak correlations for these transcriptomes. This work demonstrates that chronic pain and subsequent SCS treatments can modulate microglial activation transcriptomes, supporting previous research on microglia in chronic pain. Furthermore, this study provides evidence that DTMP is more effective than HRP and LRP at modulating microglial transcriptomes, offering potential insight into the therapeutic efficacy of DTMP.

scholarly journals Suppression of Superficial Microglial Activation by Spinal Cord Stimulation Attenuates Neuropathic Pain Following Sciatic Nerve Injury in Rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 2390
Author(s):  
Masamichi Shinoda ◽  
Satoshi Fujita ◽  
Shiori Sugawara ◽  
Sayaka Asano ◽  
Ryo Koyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Electrical Stimulation ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Microglial Activation ◽  
In Vivo Optical Imaging ◽  
Stimulation Of

We evaluated the mechanisms underlying the spinal cord stimulation (SCS)-induced analgesic effect on neuropathic pain following spared nerve injury (SNI). On day 3 after SNI, SCS was performed for 6 h by using electrodes paraspinally placed on the L4-S1 spinal cord. The effects of SCS and intraperitoneal minocycline administration on plantar mechanical sensitivity, microglial activation, and neuronal excitability in the L4 dorsal horn were assessed on day 3 after SNI. The somatosensory cortical responses to electrical stimulation of the hind paw on day 3 following SNI were examined by using in vivo optical imaging with a voltage-sensitive dye. On day 3 after SNI, plantar mechanical hypersensitivity and enhanced microglial activation were suppressed by minocycline or SCS, and L4 dorsal horn nociceptive neuronal hyperexcitability was suppressed by SCS. In vivo optical imaging also revealed that electrical stimulation of the hind paw-activated areas in the somatosensory cortex was decreased by SCS. The present findings suggest that SCS could suppress plantar SNI-induced neuropathic pain via inhibition of microglial activation in the L4 dorsal horn, which is involved in spinal neuronal hyperexcitability. SCS is likely to be a potential alternative and complementary medicine therapy to alleviate neuropathic pain following nerve injury.

247 EFFECT OF SPINAL CORD STIMULATION IN AN ANIMAL MODEL OF NEUROPATHIC PAIN RELATES TO DEGREE OF TACTILE ALLODYNIA

2006 ◽  
Vol 10 (S1) ◽  
pp. S67-S67
Author(s):  
E.A. Joosten ◽  
C. Ultenius ◽  
R. Deumens ◽  
G.C. Koopmans ◽  
W.M. Honig ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Animal Model ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Tactile Allodynia

Increased efficacy of early spinal cord stimulation in an animal model of neuropathic pain

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel Truinl ◽  
Maarten Kleefl ◽  
Bengt Linderothl ◽  
Helwin Smitsl ◽  
Sofie P.M. Janssenl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Animal Model ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation

Spinal Cord Stimulation Modulates Gene Expression in the Spinal Cord of an Animal Model of Peripheral Nerve Injury

2016 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 750-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana M. Tilley ◽  
David L. Cedeño ◽  
Courtney A. Kelley ◽  
Ramsin Benyamin ◽  
Ricardo Vallejo
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Animal Model ◽  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Injury

scholarly journals Spinal Cord Stimulation Attenuates Mechanical Allodynia and Increases Central Resolvin D1 Levels in Rats With Spared Nerve Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueshu Tao ◽  
Xin Luo ◽  
Tianhe Zhang ◽  
Brad Hershey ◽  
Rosana Esteller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spinal Cord Stimulation ◽  
Mechanical Allodynia ◽  
Male Rat ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury ◽  
Resolvin D1 ◽  
Cold Allodynia

Mounting evidence from animal models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain suggests that inflammation regulates the resolution of pain by producing specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), such as resolvin D1 (RvD1). However, it remains unclear how SPMs are induced in the central nervous system and whether these mechanisms can be reconciled with outcomes of neuromodulation therapies for pain, such as spinal cord stimulation. Here, we show that in a male rat model of neuropathic pain produced by spared nerve injury (SNI), 1 kHz spinal cord stimulation (1 kHz SCS) alone was sufficient to reduce mechanical allodynia and increase RvD1 in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). SNI resulted in robust and persistent mechanical allodynia and cold allodynia. Spinal cord electrode implantation was conducted at the T11-T13 vertebral level 1 week after SNI. The spinal locations of the implanted electrodes were validated by X-Ray radiography. 1 kHz SCS was applied for 6 h at 0.1 ms pulse-width, and this stimulation alone was sufficient to effectively reduce nerve injury-induced mechanical allodynia during stimulation without affecting SNI-induced cold allodynia. SCS alone significantly reduced interleukin-1β levels in both serum and CSF samples. Strikingly, SCS significantly increased RvD1 levels in the CSF but not serum. Finally, intrathecal injection of RvD1 (100 and 500 ng, i.t.) 4 weeks after nerve injury reduced SNI-induced mechanical allodynia in a dose-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that 1 kHz SCS may alleviate neuropathic pain via reduction of IL-1β and via production and/or release of RvD1 to control SNI-induced neuroinflammation.

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