scholarly journals Electroacupuncture Modulates Spinal BDNF/TrκB Signaling Pathway and Ameliorates the Sensitization of Dorsal Horn WDR Neurons in Spared Nerve Injury Rats

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6524
Author(s):  
Meng Xue ◽  
Ya-Lan Sun ◽  
Yang-Yang Xia ◽  
Zhi-Hua Huang ◽  
Cheng Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury ◽  
Mechanical Hypersensitivity ◽  
C Fiber ◽  
Wdr Neurons

Neuropathic pain is more complex and severely affects the quality of patients’ life. However, the therapeutic strategy for neuropathic pain in the clinic is still limited. Previously we have reported that electroacupuncture (EA) has an attenuating effect on neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury (SNI), but its potential mechanisms remain to be further elucidated. In this study, we designed to determine whether BDNF/TrκB signaling cascade in the spinal cord is involved in the inhibitory effect of 2 Hz EA on neuropathic pain in SNI rats. The paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) of rats was used to detect SNI-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. The expression of BDNF/TrκB cascade in the spinal cord was evaluated by qRT-PCR and Western blot assay. The C-fiber-evoked discharges of wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons in spinal dorsal horn were applied to indicate the noxious response of WDR neurons. The results showed that 2 Hz EA significantly down-regulated the levels of BDNF and TrκB mRNA and protein expression in the spinal cord of SNI rats, along with ameliorating mechanical hypersensitivity. In addition, intrathecal injection of 100 ng BDNF, not only inhibited the analgesic effect of 2 Hz EA on pain hypersensitivity, but also reversed the decrease of BDNF and TrκB expression induced by 2 Hz EA. Moreover, 2 Hz EA obviously reduced the increase of C-fiber-evoked discharges of dorsal horn WDR neurons by SNI, but exogenous BDNF (100 ng) effectively reversed the inhibitory effect of 2 Hz EA on SNI rats, resulting in a remarkable improvement of excitability of dorsal horn WDR neurons in SNI rats. Taken together, these data suggested that 2 Hz EA alleviates mechanical hypersensitivity by blocking the spinal BDNF/TrκB signaling pathway-mediated central sensitization in SNI rats. Therefore, targeting BDNF/TrκB cascade in the spinal cord may be a potential mechanism of EA against neuropathic pain.

scholarly journals The Antiallodynic Action of Pregabalin May Depend on the Suppression of Spinal Neuronal Hyperexcitability in Rats with Spared Nerve Injury

2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 205-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Ding ◽  
Jie Cai ◽  
Xiang-Yang Guo ◽  
Xiu-Li Meng ◽  
Guo-Gang Xing
Keyword(s):  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Electrophysiological Recording ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury ◽  
Withdrawal Threshold ◽  
Wdr Neurons

BACKGROUND: Pregabalin (PGB) is a novel antiepileptic drug and is also used as a first-line medication for the treatment of neuropathic pain. However, the mechanisms of its analgesic effects remain largely unknown.OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the antiallodynic action of PGB in rats with neuropathic pain.METHODS: In a rat model of neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury, mechanical allodynia, as a behavioural sign of neuropathic pain, was assessed by measuring 50% paw withdrawal threshold with von Frey filaments. Activities of dorsal horn wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons were examined by extracellular electrophysiological recording in vivo.RESULTS: Spinal administration of PGB exerted a significant antiallodynic effect and a prominent inhibitory effect on the hypersensitivity of dorsal horn WDR neurons in rats with spared nerve injury.CONCLUSION: The antiallodynic action of PGB is likely dependent on the suppression of WDR neuron hyperexcitability in rats with neuropathic pain.

scholarly journals STING/NF-κB/IL-6-mediated inflammation in microglia contributes to spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia Sun ◽  
Ya-Qun Zhou ◽  
Bing-Yang Xu ◽  
Jia-Yan Li ◽  
Long-Qing Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Proinflammatory Cytokines ◽  
Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury ◽  
Downstream Effectors ◽  
Spinal Cord Dorsal ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Background Innate immune response acts as a first line of host defense against damage and are initiated following the recognition of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). For double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) sensing, interferon gene stimulator (STING) was discovered to be an integral sensor, and could mediate the immune and inflammatory response. However, it is unclear the underlying mechanisms of STING in the development of neuropathic pain. Methods Neuropathic pain model was established by spared nerve injury (SNI). STING agonist DMXAA was introduced into BV-2 cells to assess the inflammatory response in microglia cells. Selective STING antagonist C-176 were administered in the early and late stage following SNI and the mechanical sensitivity and thermal responsiveness were assessed using Von Frey filaments and hot plate tests separately. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, recombinant IL-6 was injected intrathecally and its downstream effectors were examined. The level of dsDNA in the peripheral blood following SNI was assessed using Elisa analysis. STING signaling pathway and its downstream effectors were assessed by qPCR, western blots, Elisa and immunofluorescence staining. Meanwhile, microglia activation and proinflammatory cytokines expression were also assessed in the spinal cord. Results We found dsDNA was significantly increased and STING signaling pathway was activated in dorsal horn microglia following SNI, and our study using BV-2 cells showed that DMXAA significantly activated STING/TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1)/nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, and increased the production of proinflammatory cytokines, as well as phosphorylated the Janus-activated kinase 2/signal transducer activator of transcription 3 (JAK2/STAT3) signal in microglia. Early but not late intrathecal injection of C-176 attenuated SNI-induced pain hypersensitivity, microglia activation, proinflammatory factors and phosphorylated JAK2/STAT3 in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Last, the analgesic effect of C-176 were greatly abolished by recombinant IL-6 following SNI. Conclusions We provided evidence clarifying dsDNA mediated activation of microglial STING signaling pathway, after which promoting expression of proinflammatory cytokines that are required for central sensitization in the spinal cord dorsal horn of SNI model. Further analysis showed that microglial STING/TBK1/NF-κB may contribute to hyperalgesia initiation via IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling. Pharmacological blockade of STING may be a promising target during the initiation of neuropathic pain.

scholarly journals Electroacupuncture Alleviates Spared Nerve Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain And Modulates HMGB1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway In The Spinal Cord

2019 ◽  
Vol Volume 12 ◽  
pp. 2851-2863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang-yang Xia ◽  
Meng Xue ◽  
Ying Wang ◽  
Zhi-hua Huang ◽  
Cheng Huang
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury

scholarly journals SUR1, newly expressed in astrocytes, mediates neuropathic pain in a mouse model of peripheral nerve injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174480692110066
Author(s):  
Orest Tsymbalyuk ◽  
Volodymyr Gerzanich ◽  
Aaida Mumtaz ◽  
Sanketh Andhavarapu ◽  
Svetlana Ivanova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Sciatic Nerve ◽  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Injury ◽  
Thermal Sensitivity ◽  
Gradual Improvement ◽  
Pain Behaviors

Background Neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury (PNI) is linked to neuroinflammation in the spinal cord marked by astrocyte activation and upregulation of interleukin 6 (IL -6 ), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) and chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), with inhibition of each individually being beneficial in pain models. Methods Wild type (WT) mice and mice with global or pGfap-cre- or pGFAP-cre/ERT2-driven Abcc8/SUR1 deletion or global Trpm4 deletion underwent unilateral sciatic nerve cuffing. WT mice received prophylactic (starting on post-operative day [pod]-0) or therapeutic (starting on pod-21) administration of the SUR1 antagonist, glibenclamide (10 µg IP) daily. We measured mechanical and thermal sensitivity using von Frey filaments and an automated Hargreaves method. Spinal cord tissues were evaluated for SUR1-TRPM4, IL-6, CCL2 and CXCL1. Results Sciatic nerve cuffing in WT mice resulted in pain behaviors (mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia) and newly upregulated SUR1-TRPM4 in dorsal horn astrocytes. Global and pGfap-cre-driven Abcc8 deletion and global Trpm4 deletion prevented development of pain behaviors. In mice with Abcc8 deletion regulated by pGFAP-cre/ERT2, after pain behaviors were established, delayed silencing of Abcc8 by tamoxifen resulted in gradual improvement over the next 14 days. After PNI, leakage of the blood-spinal barrier allowed entry of glibenclamide into the affected dorsal horn. Daily repeated administration of glibenclamide, both prophylactically and after allodynia was established, prevented or reduced allodynia. The salutary effects of glibenclamide on pain behaviors correlated with reduced expression of IL-6, CCL2 and CXCL1 by dorsal horn astrocytes. Conclusion SUR1-TRPM4 may represent a novel non-addicting target for neuropathic pain.

scholarly journals Role of the immune system in neuropathic pain

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzia Malcangio
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Immune System ◽  
Peripheral Nerve ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Immune Cells ◽  
Peripheral Nerve Injury

AbstractBackgroundAcute pain is a warning mechanism that exists to prevent tissue damage, however pain can outlast its protective purpose and persist beyond injury, becoming chronic. Chronic Pain is maladaptive and needs addressing as available medicines are only partially effective and cause severe side effects. There are profound differences between acute and chronic pain. Dramatic changes occur in both peripheral and central pathways resulting in the pain system being sensitised, thereby leading to exaggerated responses to noxious stimuli (hyperalgesia) and responses to non-noxious stimuli (allodynia).Critical role for immune system cells in chronic painPreclinical models of neuropathic pain provide evidence for a critical mechanistic role for immune cells in the chronicity of pain. Importantly, human imaging studies are consistent with preclinical findings, with glial activation evident in the brain of patients experiencing chronic pain. Indeed, immune cells are no longer considered to be passive bystanders in the nervous system; a consensus is emerging that, through their communication with neurons, they can both propagate and maintain disease states, including neuropathic pain. The focus of this review is on the plastic changes that occur under neuropathic pain conditions at the site of nerve injury, the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. At these sites both endothelial damage and increased neuronal activity result in recruitment of monocytes/macrophages (peripherally) and activation of microglia (centrally), which release mediators that lead to sensitisation of neurons thereby enabling positive feedback that sustains chronic pain.Immune system reactions to peripheral nerve injuriesAt the site of peripheral nerve injury following chemotherapy treatment for cancer for example, the occurrence of endothelial activation results in recruitment of CX3C chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1)-expressing monocytes/macrophages, which sensitise nociceptive neurons through the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that activate transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) channels to evoke a pain response. In the DRG, neuro-immune cross talk following peripheral nerve injury is accomplished through the release of extracellular vesicles by neurons, which are engulfed by nearby macrophages. These vesicles deliver several determinants including microRNAs (miRs), with the potential to afford long-term alterations in macrophages that impact pain mechanisms. On one hand the delivery of neuron-derived miR-21 to macrophages for example, polarises these cells towards a pro-inflammatory/pro-nociceptive phenotype; on the other hand, silencing miR-21 expression in sensory neurons prevents both development of neuropathic allodynia and recruitment of macrophages in the DRG.Immune system mechanisms in the central nervous systemIn the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, growing evidence over the last two decades has delineated signalling pathways that mediate neuron-microglia communication such as P2X4/BDNF/GABAA, P2X7/Cathepsin S/Fractalkine/CX3CR1, and CSF-1/CSF-1R/DAP12 pathway-dependent mechanisms.Conclusions and implicationsDefinition of the modalities by which neuron and immune cells communicate at different locations of the pain pathway under neuropathic pain states constitutes innovative biology that takes the pain field in a different direction and provides opportunities for novel approaches for the treatment of chronic pain.

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.

Glucocorticoid receptor inhibit the activity of NF-κB through p38 signaling pathway in spinal cord in the spared nerve injury rats

Life Sciences ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 208 ◽  
pp. 268-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jinping Shao ◽  
Ruiyan Xu ◽  
Ming Li ◽  
Qingzan Zhao ◽  
Xiuhua Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Glucocorticoid Receptor ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Spared Nerve Injury

scholarly journals Dynamic effects of TNF-α on synaptic transmission in mice over time following sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (7) ◽  
pp. 1663-1671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongmei Zhang ◽  
Haijun Zhang ◽  
Patrick M. Dougherty
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Sciatic Nerve ◽  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Nerve Injury ◽  
Chronic Constriction Injury ◽  
Synaptic Signaling ◽  
Tnf Α ◽  
Over Time

Nerve injury-induced central sensitization can manifest as an increase in excitatory synaptic transmission and/or as a decrease in inhibitory synaptic transmission in spinal dorsal horn neurons. Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) are induced in the spinal cord under various injury conditions and contribute to neuropathic pain. In this study we examined the effect of TNF-α in modulating excitatory and inhibitory synaptic input to spinal substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons over time in mice following chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Whole cell patch-clamp studies from SG neurons showed that TNF-α enhanced overall excitability of the spinal cord early in time following nerve injury 3 days after CCI compared with that in sham control mice. In contrast, the effects of TNF were blunted 14 days after CCI in nerve-injured mice compared with sham surgery mice. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the expression of TNF-α receptor 1 (TNFR1) was increased at 3 days but decreased at 14 days following CCI in the ipsilateral vs. the contralateral spinal cord dorsal horn. These results suggest that TNF-α acting at TNFR1 is important in the development of neuropathic pain by facilitating excitatory synaptic signaling in the acute phases after nerve injury but has a reduced effect on spinal neuron signaling in the later phases of nerve injury-induced pain. Failure of the facilatory effects of TNF-α on excitatory synaptic signaling in the dorsal horn to resolve following nerve injury may be an important component in the transition between acute and chronic pain conditions.

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