1
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Safronov BV, Szucs P. Novel aspects of signal processing in lamina I. Neuropharmacology 2024; 247:109858. [PMID: 38286189 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The most superficial layer of the spinal dorsal horn, lamina I, is a key element of the nociceptive processing system. It contains different types of projection neurons (PNs) and local-circuit neurons (LCNs) whose functional roles in the signal processing are poorly understood. This article reviews recent progress in elucidating novel anatomical features and physiological properties of lamina I PNs and LCNs revealed by whole-cell recordings in ex vivo spinal cord. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Ukrainian Neuroscience".
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris V Safronov
- Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Peter Szucs
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; HUN-REN-DE Neuroscience Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
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2
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Fuller AM, Luiz A, Tian N, Arcangeletti M, Iseppon F, Sexton JE, Millet Q, Caxaria S, Ketabi N, Celik P, Wood JN, Sikandar S. Gate control of sensory neurotransmission in peripheral ganglia by proprioceptive sensory neurons. Brain 2023; 146:4033-4039. [PMID: 37249190 PMCID: PMC10549771 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Melzak and Wall's gate control theory proposed that innocuous input into the dorsal horn of the spinal cord represses pain-inducing nociceptive input. Here we show that input from proprioceptive parvalbumin-expressing sensory neurons tonically represses nociceptor activation within dorsal root ganglia. Deletion of parvalbumin-positive sensory neurons leads to enhanced nociceptor activity measured with GCaMP3, increased input into wide dynamic range neurons of the spinal cord and increased acute and spontaneous pain behaviour, as well as potentiated innocuous sensation. Parvalbumin-positive sensory neurons express the enzymes and transporters necessary to produce vesicular GABA that is known to be released from depolarized somata. These observations support the view that gate control mechanisms occur peripherally within dorsal root ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Fuller
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ana Luiz
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Naxi Tian
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Manuel Arcangeletti
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Federico Iseppon
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jane E Sexton
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Queensta Millet
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Sara Caxaria
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Niloofar Ketabi
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Petek Celik
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - John N Wood
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Shafaq Sikandar
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University of London, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
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3
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Espinosa-Juárez JV, Chiquete E, Estañol B, Aceves JDJ. Optogenetic and Chemogenic Control of Pain Signaling: Molecular Markers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10220. [PMID: 37373365 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a complex experience that involves physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects. This review focuses specifically on the physiological processes underlying pain perception, with a particular emphasis on the various types of sensory neurons involved in transmitting pain signals to the central nervous system. Recent advances in techniques like optogenetics and chemogenetics have allowed researchers to selectively activate or inactivate specific neuronal circuits, offering a promising avenue for developing more effective pain management strategies. The article delves into the molecular targets of different types of sensory fibers such as channels, for example, TRPV1 in C-peptidergic fiber, TRPA1 in C-non-peptidergic receptors expressed differentially as MOR and DOR, and transcription factors, and their colocalization with the vesicular transporter of glutamate, which enable researchers to identify specific subtypes of neurons within the pain pathway and allows for selective transfection and expression of opsins to modulate their activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josue Vidal Espinosa-Juárez
- Escuela de Ciencias Químicas Sede Ocozocoautla, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Ocozocoautla de Espinosa 29140, Mexico
| | - Erwin Chiquete
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Bruno Estañol
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - José de Jesús Aceves
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
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4
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Krotov V, Agashkov K, Romanenko S, Halaidych O, Andrianov Y, Safronov BV, Belan P, Voitenko N. Elucidating afferent-driven presynaptic inhibition of primary afferent input to spinal laminae I and X. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 16:1029799. [PMID: 36713779 PMCID: PMC9874151 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1029799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although spinal processing of sensory information greatly relies on afferent-driven (AD) presynaptic inhibition (PI), our knowledge about how it shapes peripheral input to different types of nociceptive neurons remains insufficient. Here we examined the AD-PI of primary afferent input to spinal neurons in the marginal layer, lamina I, and the layer surrounding the central canal, lamina X; two nociceptive-processing regions with similar patterns of direct supply by Aδ- and C-afferents. Unmyelinated C-fibers were selectively activated by electrical stimuli of negative polarity that induced an anodal block of myelinated Aβ/δ-fibers. Combining this approach with the patch-clamp recording in an ex vivo spinal cord preparation, we found that attenuation of the AD-PI by the anodal block of Aβ/δ-fibers resulted in the appearance of new mono- and polysynaptic C-fiber-mediated excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) components. Such homosegmental Aβ/δ-AD-PI affected neurons in the segment of the dorsal root entrance as well as in the adjacent rostral segment. In their turn, C-fibers from the L5 dorsal root induced heterosegmental AD-PI of the inputs from the L4 Aδ- and C-afferents to the neurons in the L4 segment. The heterosegmental C-AD-PI was reciprocal since the L4 C-afferents inhibited the L5 Aδ- and C-fiber inputs, as well as some direct L5 Aβ-fiber inputs. Moreover, the C-AD-PI was found to control the spike discharge in spinal neurons. Given that the homosegmental Aβ/δ-AD-PI and heterosegmental C-AD-PI affected a substantial percentage of lamina I and X neurons, we suggest that these basic mechanisms are important for shaping primary afferent input to the neurons in the spinal nociceptive-processing network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volodymyr Krotov
- Department of Sensory Signaling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine,Department of Molecular Biophysics, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine,*Correspondence: Volodymyr Krotov,
| | - Kirill Agashkov
- Department of Sensory Signaling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Sergii Romanenko
- Department of Sensory Signaling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Oleh Halaidych
- Department of Sensory Signaling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Yaroslav Andrianov
- Department of Sensory Signaling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Boris V. Safronov
- i3S-Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal,Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Pavel Belan
- Department of Molecular Biophysics, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine,Department of Biomedicine and Neuroscience, Kyiv Academic University, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Nana Voitenko
- Department of Sensory Signaling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine,Department of Biomedicine and Neuroscience, Kyiv Academic University, Kyiv, Ukraine,Dobrobut Academy Medical School, Kyiv, Ukraine
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5
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Hari K, Lucas-Osma AM, Metz K, Lin S, Pardell N, Roszko DA, Black S, Minarik A, Singla R, Stephens MJ, Pearce RA, Fouad K, Jones KE, Gorassini MA, Fenrich KK, Li Y, Bennett DJ. GABA facilitates spike propagation through branch points of sensory axons in the spinal cord. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:1288-1299. [PMID: 36163283 PMCID: PMC10042549 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01162-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Movement and posture depend on sensory feedback that is regulated by specialized GABAergic neurons (GAD2+) that form axo-axonic contacts onto myelinated proprioceptive sensory axons and are thought to be inhibitory. However, we report here that activating GAD2+ neurons directly with optogenetics or indirectly by cutaneous stimulation actually facilitates sensory feedback to motor neurons in rodents and humans. GABAA receptors located at or near nodes of Ranvier of sensory axons cause this facilitation by preventing spike propagation failure at the many axon branch points, which is otherwise common without GABA. In contrast, GABAA receptors are generally lacking from axon terminals and so cannot inhibit transmitter release onto motor neurons, unlike GABAB receptors that cause presynaptic inhibition. GABAergic innervation near nodes and branch points allows individual branches to function autonomously, with GAD2+ neurons regulating which branches conduct, adding a computational layer to the neuronal networks generating movement and likely generalizing to other central nervous system axons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnapriya Hari
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Ana M Lucas-Osma
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Krista Metz
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shihao Lin
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Noah Pardell
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - David A Roszko
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Sophie Black
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Anna Minarik
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rahul Singla
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Marilee J Stephens
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Robert A Pearce
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Karim Fouad
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Kelvin E Jones
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Monica A Gorassini
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Keith K Fenrich
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yaqing Li
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Cell Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David J Bennett
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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6
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Shimizu-Okabe C, Kobayashi S, Kim J, Kosaka Y, Sunagawa M, Okabe A, Takayama C. Developmental Formation of the GABAergic and Glycinergic Networks in the Mouse Spinal Cord. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020834. [PMID: 35055019 PMCID: PMC8776010 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine act as inhibitory neurotransmitters. Three types of inhibitory neurons and terminals, GABAergic, GABA/glycine coreleasing, and glycinergic, are orchestrated in the spinal cord neural circuits and play critical roles in regulating pain, locomotive movement, and respiratory rhythms. In this study, we first describe GABAergic and glycinergic transmission and inhibitory networks, consisting of three types of terminals in the mature mouse spinal cord. Second, we describe the developmental formation of GABAergic and glycinergic networks, with a specific focus on the differentiation of neurons, formation of synapses, maturation of removal systems, and changes in their action. GABAergic and glycinergic neurons are derived from the same domains of the ventricular zone. Initially, GABAergic neurons are differentiated, and their axons form synapses. Some of these neurons remain GABAergic in lamina I and II. Many GABAergic neurons convert to a coreleasing state. The coreleasing neurons and terminals remain in the dorsal horn, whereas many ultimately become glycinergic in the ventral horn. During the development of terminals and the transformation from radial glia to astrocytes, GABA and glycine receptor subunit compositions markedly change, removal systems mature, and GABAergic and glycinergic action shifts from excitatory to inhibitory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chigusa Shimizu-Okabe
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan; (C.S.-O.); (S.K.); (Y.K.); (M.S.)
| | - Shiori Kobayashi
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan; (C.S.-O.); (S.K.); (Y.K.); (M.S.)
| | - Jeongtae Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Kosin University College of Medicine, Busan 49267, Korea;
| | - Yoshinori Kosaka
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan; (C.S.-O.); (S.K.); (Y.K.); (M.S.)
| | - Masanobu Sunagawa
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan; (C.S.-O.); (S.K.); (Y.K.); (M.S.)
| | - Akihito Okabe
- Department of Nutritional Science, Faculty of Health and Welfare, Seinan Jo Gakuin University, Fukuoka 803-0835, Japan;
| | - Chitoshi Takayama
- Department of Molecular Anatomy, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara 903-0215, Japan; (C.S.-O.); (S.K.); (Y.K.); (M.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-98-895-1103 or +81-895-1405
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7
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The Cholecystokinin Type 2 Receptor, a Pharmacological Target for Pain Management. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14111185. [PMID: 34832967 PMCID: PMC8618735 DOI: 10.3390/ph14111185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, accumulating evidence has demonstrated a pivotal role of cholecystokinin type 2 receptor (CCK2R) in pain modulation. The established role of CCK2R activation in directly facilitating nociception has led to the development of several CCK2R antagonists, which have been shown to successfully alleviate pain in several rodent models of pain. However, the outcomes of clinical trials are more modest since they have not demonstrated the expected biological effect obtained in animals. Such discordances of results between preclinical and clinical studies suggest reconsidering our knowledge about the molecular basis of the pharmacology and functioning of CCK2R. This review focuses on the cellular localization of CCK2R specifically in the sensory nervous system and discusses in further detail the molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways involved in controlling pain perception. We then provide a comprehensive overview of the most successful compounds targeting CCK2R and report recent advances in pharmacological strategies used to achieve CCK2R modulation. We purposely distinguish between CCK2R benefits obtained in preclinical models and outcomes in clinical trials with different pain etiologies. Lastly, we emphasize the biological and clinical relevance of CCK2R as a promising target for the development of new treatments for pain management.
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8
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Jankowska E, Hammar I. The plasticity of nerve fibers: the prolonged effects of polarization of afferent fibers. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1568-1591. [PMID: 34525323 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00718.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The review surveys various aspects of the plasticity of nerve fibers, in particular the prolonged increase in their excitability evoked by polarization, focusing on a long-lasting increase in the excitability of myelinated afferent fibers traversing the dorsal columns of the spinal cord. We review the evidence that increased axonal excitability 1) follows epidurally applied direct current (DC) as well as relatively short (5 or 10 ms) current pulses and synaptically evoked intrinsic field potentials; 2) critically depends on the polarization of branching regions of afferent fibers at the sites where they bifurcate and give off axon collaterals entering the spinal gray matter in conjunction with actions of extrasynaptic GABAA membrane receptors; and 3) shares the feature of being activity-independent with the short-lasting effects of polarization of peripheral nerve fibers. A comparison between the polarization evoked sustained increase in the excitability of dorsal column fibers and spinal motoneurons (plateau potentials) indicates the possibility that they are mediated by partly similar membrane channels (including noninactivating type L Cav++ 1.3 but not Na+ channels) and partly different mechanisms. We finally consider under which conditions transspinally applied DC (tsDCS) might reproduce the effects of epidural polarization on dorsal column fibers and the possible advantages of increased excitability of afferent fibers for the rehabilitation of motor and sensory functions after spinal cord injuries.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This review supplements previous reviews of properties of nerve fibers by surveying recent experimental evidence for their long-term plasticity. It also extends recent descriptions of spinal effects of DC by reviewing effects of polarization of afferent nerve fibers within the dorsal columns, the mechanisms most likely underlying the long-lasting increase in their excitability and possible clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elzbieta Jankowska
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Ingela Hammar
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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9
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Delgado‐Lezama R, Bravo‐Hernández M, Franco‐Enzástiga Ú, De la Luz‐Cuellar YE, Alvarado‐Cervantes NS, Raya‐Tafolla G, Martínez‐Zaldivar LA, Vargas‐Parada A, Rodríguez‐Palma EJ, Vidal‐Cantú GC, Guzmán‐Priego CG, Torres‐López JE, Murbartián J, Felix R, Granados‐Soto V. The role of spinal cord extrasynaptic α 5 GABA A receptors in chronic pain. Physiol Rep 2021; 9:e14984. [PMID: 34409771 PMCID: PMC8374381 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is an incapacitating condition that affects a large population worldwide. Until now, there is no drug treatment to relieve it. The impairment of GABAergic inhibition mediated by GABAA receptors (GABAA R) is considered a relevant factor in mediating chronic pain. Even though both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA inhibition are present in neurons that process nociceptive information, the latter is not considered relevant as a target for the development of pain treatments. In particular, the extrasynaptic α5 GABAA Rs are expressed in laminae I-II of the spinal cord neurons, sensory neurons, and motoneurons. In this review, we discuss evidence showing that blockade of the extrasynaptic α5 GABAA Rs reduces mechanical allodynia in various models of chronic pain and restores the associated loss of rate-dependent depression of the Hoffmann reflex. Furthermore, in healthy animals, extrasynaptic α5 GABAA R blockade induces both allodynia and hyperalgesia. These results indicate that this receptor may have an antinociceptive and pronociceptive role in healthy and chronic pain-affected animals, respectively. We propose a hypothesis to explain the relevant role of the extrasynaptic α5 GABAA Rs in the processing of nociceptive information. The data discussed here strongly suggest that this receptor could be a valid pharmacological target to treat chronic pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariana Bravo‐Hernández
- Neuroregeneration LaboratoryDepartment of AnesthesiologyUniversity of CaliforniaSan Diego, La JollaCAUSA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Crystell G. Guzmán‐Priego
- Mechanisms of Pain LaboratoryDivisión Académica de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, VillahermosaTabascoMexico
| | - Jorge E. Torres‐López
- Mechanisms of Pain LaboratoryDivisión Académica de Ciencias de la SaludUniversidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, VillahermosaTabascoMexico
- Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad “Dr. Juan Graham Casasús”, VillahermosaTabascoMexico
| | | | - Ricardo Felix
- Departamento de Biología CelularCinvestavMexico CityMexico
| | - Vinicio Granados‐Soto
- Neurobiology of Pain LaboratoryDepartamento de FarmacobiologíaCinvestavMexico CityMexico
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10
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Opretzka LCF, de Freitas HF, Espírito-Santo RF, Abreu LS, Alves IM, Tavares JF, Velozo EDS, Castilho MS, Villarreal CF. 5- O-methylcneorumchromone K Exerts Antinociceptive Effects in Mice via Interaction with GABAA Receptors. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22073413. [PMID: 33810317 PMCID: PMC8037321 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22073413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The proper pharmacological control of pain is a continuous challenge for patients and health care providers. Even the most widely used medications for pain treatment are still ineffective or unsafe for some patients, especially for those who suffer from chronic pain. Substances containing the chromone scaffold have shown a variety of biological activities, including analgesic effects. This work presents for the first time the centrally mediated antinociceptive activity of 5-O-methylcneorumchromone K (5-CK). Cold plate and tail flick tests in mice showed that the 5-CK-induced antinociception was dose-dependent, longer-lasting, and more efficacious than that induced by morphine. The 5-CK-induced antinociception was not reversed by the opioid antagonist naloxone. Topological descriptors (fingerprints) were employed to narrow the antagonist selection to further investigate 5-CK's mechanism of action. Next, based on the results of fingerprints analysis, functional antagonist assays were conducted on nociceptive tests. The effect of 5-CK was completely reversed in both cold plate and tail-flick tests by GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline, but not by atropine or glibenclamide. Molecular docking studies suggest that 5-CK binds to the orthosteric binding site, with a similar binding profile to that observed for bicuculline and GABA. These results evidence that 5-CK has a centrally mediated antinociceptive effect, probably involving the activation of GABAergic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Carolina França Opretzka
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Humberto Fonseca de Freitas
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Renan Fernandes Espírito-Santo
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
- Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador CEP 40 296-710, Brazil
| | - Lucas Silva Abreu
- Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa CEP 58 050-585, Brazil; (L.S.A.); (J.F.T.)
| | - Iura Muniz Alves
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Josean Fechine Tavares
- Instituto de Pesquisa em Fármacos e Medicamentos, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa CEP 58 050-585, Brazil; (L.S.A.); (J.F.T.)
| | - Eudes da Silva Velozo
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Marcelo Santos Castilho
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
| | - Cristiane Flora Villarreal
- Laboratório de Farmacologia e Terapêutica Experimental, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador CEP 40 170-115, Brazil; (L.C.F.O.); (H.F.d.F.); (R.F.E.-S.); (I.M.A.); (E.d.S.V.); (M.S.C.)
- Laboratório de Engenharia Tecidual e Imunofarmacologia, Instituto Gonçalo Moniz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Salvador CEP 40 296-710, Brazil
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +55-71-3283-6933
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11
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Presynaptic Inhibition of Pain and Touch in the Spinal Cord: From Receptors to Circuits. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22010414. [PMID: 33401784 PMCID: PMC7795800 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory primary afferent fibers, conveying touch, pain, itch, and proprioception, synapse onto spinal cord dorsal horn neurons. Primary afferent central terminals express a wide variety of receptors that modulate glutamate and peptide release. Regulation of the amount and timing of neurotransmitter release critically affects the integration of postsynaptic responses and the coding of sensory information. The role of GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) receptors expressed on afferent central terminals is particularly important in sensory processing, both in physiological conditions and in sensitized states induced by chronic pain. During the last decade, techniques of opto- and chemogenetic stimulation and neuronal selective labeling have provided interesting insights on this topic. This review focused on the recent advances about the modulatory effects of presynaptic GABAergic receptors in spinal cord dorsal horn and the neural circuits involved in these mechanisms.
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12
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Jiang C, Wang Z, Donnelly CR, Wang K, Andriessen AS, Tao X, Matsuda M, Zhao J, Ji RR. PD-1 Regulates GABAergic Neurotransmission and GABA-Mediated Analgesia and Anesthesia. iScience 2020; 23:101570. [PMID: 33083737 PMCID: PMC7530307 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune checkpoint inhibitor programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) plays a critical role in immune regulation. Recent studies have demonstrated functional PD-1 expression in peripheral sensory neurons, which contributes to neuronal excitability, pain, and opioid analgesia. Here we report neuronal expression and function of PD-1 in the central nervous system (CNS), including the spinal cord, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Notably, GABA-induced currents in spinal dorsal horn neurons, thalamic neurons, and cortical neurons are suppressed by the PD-1-neutralizing immunotherapeutic Nivolumab in spinal cord slices, brain slices, and dissociated cortical neurons. Reductions in GABA-mediated currents in CNS neurons were also observed in Pd1−/− mice without changes in GABA receptor expression. Mechanistically, Nivolumab binds spinal cord neurons and elicits ERK phosphorylation to suppress GABA currents. Finally, both GABA-mediated analgesia and anesthesia are impaired by Pd1 deficiency. Our findings reveal PD-1 as a CNS-neuronal inhibitor that regulates GABAergic signaling and GABA-mediated behaviors. Pd1 mRNA and PD-1 protein are widely expressed in spinal cord and brain neurons GABA-induced currents in CNS neurons are suppressed by PD-1 blockade with Nivolumab Nivolumab binds neuronal PD-1 to induce ERK activation and GABAergic inhibition GABA-mediated pain inhibition and anesthesia is impaired after Pd1 deficiency
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyu Jiang
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Zilong Wang
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Christopher R Donnelly
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kaiyuan Wang
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Amanda S Andriessen
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Xueshu Tao
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Megumi Matsuda
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Junli Zhao
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ru-Rong Ji
- Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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13
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Franco-Enzástiga Ú, García G, Murbartián J, González-Barrios R, Salinas-Abarca AB, Sánchez-Hernández B, Tavares-Ferreira D, Herrera LA, Barragán-Iglesias P, Delgado-Lezama R, Price TJ, Granados-Soto V. Sex-dependent pronociceptive role of spinal α 5 -GABA A receptor and its epigenetic regulation in neuropathic rodents. J Neurochem 2020; 156:897-916. [PMID: 32750173 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Extrasynaptic α5 -subunit containing GABAA (α5 -GABAA ) receptors participate in chronic pain. Previously, we reported a sex difference in the action of α5 -GABAA receptors in dysfunctional pain. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study was to examine this sexual dimorphism in neuropathic rodents and the mechanisms involved. Female and male Wistar rats or ICR mice were subjected to nerve injury followed by α5 -GABAA receptor inverse agonist intrathecal administration, L-655,708. The drug produced an antiallodynic effect in nerve-injured female rats and mice, and a lower effect in males. We hypothesized that changes in α5 -GABAA receptor, probably influenced by hormonal and epigenetic status, might underlie this sex difference. Thus, we performed qPCR and western blot. Nerve injury increased α5 -GABAA mRNA and protein in female dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and decreased them in DRG and spinal cord of males. To investigate the hormonal influence over α5 -GABAA receptor actions, we performed nerve injury to ovariectomized rats and reconstituted them with 17β-estradiol (E2). Ovariectomy abrogated L-655,708 antiallodynic effect and E2 restored it. Ovariectomy decreased α5 -GABAA receptor and estrogen receptor α protein in DRG of neuropathic female rats, while E2 enhanced them. Since DNA methylation might contribute to α5 -GABAA receptor down-regulation in males, we examined CpG island DNA methylation of α5 -GABAA receptor coding gene through pyrosequencing. Nerve injury increased methylation in male, but not female rats. Pharmacological inhibition of DNA methyltransferases increased α5 -GABAA receptor and enabled L-655,708 antinociceptive effect in male rats. These results suggest that α5 -GABAA receptor is a suitable target to treat chronic pain in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Úrzula Franco-Enzástiga
- Neurobiology of Pain Laboratory, Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe García
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Janet Murbartián
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Ana B Salinas-Abarca
- Neurobiology of Pain Laboratory, Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Beatriz Sánchez-Hernández
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Diana Tavares-Ferreira
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Luis A Herrera
- Cancer Biomedical Research Unit, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Paulino Barragán-Iglesias
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Basic Sciences, Autonomous University of Aguascalientes, Aguascalientes, Mexico
| | - Rodolfo Delgado-Lezama
- Departamento de Fisiología, Biofísica y Neurociencias, Cinvestav, Zacatenco, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Theodore J Price
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Vinicio Granados-Soto
- Neurobiology of Pain Laboratory, Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
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14
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Biggerstaff A, Kivell B, Smith JL, Mian MY, Golani LK, Rashid F, Sharmin D, Knutson DE, Cerne R, Cook JM, Witkin JM. The α2,3-selective potentiators of GABA A receptors, KRM-II-81 and MP-III-80, produce anxiolytic-like effects and block chemotherapy-induced hyperalgesia in mice without tolerance development. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 196:172996. [PMID: 32668266 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Opiate analgesics are one of the treatment options for severe chronic pain, including late-stage cancer, chronic back pain and other disorders. The recent resurgence in opioid overdose has highlighted the serious need for alternative medicines for pain management. While a role for potentiators of α2/3-containing GABAA receptors in the modulation of pain has been known for several years, advancements in this area required data from selective compounds. KRM-II-81(5-(8-ethynyl-6-(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-benzo[f]imidazo[1,5-a][1,4]diazepin-3- yl)oxazole) and analogs selectively potentiate GABAA receptors containing α2/3 subunits and have recently been shown to attenuate pain behaviors in several acute and chronic pain models in rodents. The present study was designed to ascertain whether KRM-II-81 and the structural analog MP-III-80 (3-ethyl-5-(8-ethynyl-6-(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-benzo[f]imidazo[1,5-a][1,4]diazepin-3-yl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole) would block chemotherapeutic agent paclitaxel-induced pain in male, C57BL/6 mice. Both compounds significantly inhibited pain behaviors evoked by cold and tactile stimulation in paclitaxel-treated mice as did the neuropathic pain drug gabapentin. Subchronic dosing for 22 days with KRM-II-81 and MP-III-80 demonstrated enduring analgesic efficacy without tolerance development, while the effects of gabapentin showed evidence of tolerance development. KRM-II-81 and MP-III-80 also decreased marble-burying behavior in this mouse strain as did the anxiolytic drug chlordiazepoxide. In contrast to KRM-II-81 and MP-III-80, chlordiazepoxide had motor-impairing effects at anxiolytic-like doses. The data add to the literature documenting that these selective potentiators of α2/3-containing GABAA receptors are effective in a host of animal models used to detect novel analgesic drugs. The anxiolytic-like efficacy of these compounds fits well with the comorbidity of anxiety in patients with chronic pain and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Biggerstaff
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - B Kivell
- School of Biological Sciences, Centre for Biodiscovery, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - J L Smith
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Peyton Manning Hospital for Children, Ascension St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Md Y Mian
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - L K Golani
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - F Rashid
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - D Sharmin
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - D E Knutson
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - R Cerne
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Peyton Manning Hospital for Children, Ascension St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Zaloška cesta 4, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - J M Cook
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - J M Witkin
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Peyton Manning Hospital for Children, Ascension St. Vincent, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Departments of Neuroscience and Trauma Research, Ascension St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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15
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Hughes DI, Todd AJ. Central Nervous System Targets: Inhibitory Interneurons in the Spinal Cord. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:874-885. [PMID: 33029722 PMCID: PMC7641291 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00936-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is a percept of critical importance to our daily survival. In most cases, it serves both an adaptive function by helping us respond appropriately in a potentially hostile environment and also a protective role by alerting us to tissue damage. Normally, it is evoked by the activation of peripheral nociceptive nerve endings and the subsequent relay of information to distinct cortical and sub-cortical regions, but under pathological conditions that result in chronic pain, it can become spontaneous. Given that one in three chronic pain patients do not respond to the treatments currently available, the need for more effective analgesics is evident. Two principal obstacles to the development of novel analgesic therapies are our limited understanding of how neuronal circuits that comprise these pain pathways transmit and modulate sensory information under normal circumstances and how these circuits change under pathological conditions leading to chronic pain states. In this review, we focus on the role of inhibitory interneurons in setting pain thresholds and, in particular, how disinhibition in the spinal dorsal horn can lead to aberrant sensory processing associated with chronic pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- David I Hughes
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.
| | - Andrew J Todd
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
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16
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Li Y, Hari K, Lucas-Osma AM, Fenrich KK, Bennett DJ, Hammar I, Jankowska E. Branching points of primary afferent fibers are vital for the modulation of fiber excitability by epidural DC polarization and by GABA in the rat spinal cord. J Neurophysiol 2020; 124:49-62. [PMID: 32459560 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00161.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine whether the sustained increases in the excitability of afferent fibers traversing the dorsal columns evoked by their polarization depend on the branching points of these fibers. To this end, the effects of epidural polarization were compared in four spinal regions in deeply anesthetized rats; two with the densest collateralization of muscle afferent fibers (above motor nuclei and Clarke's column) and two where the collateralization is more sparse (rostral and caudal to motor nuclei, respectively. The degree of collateralization in different segments was reconstructed in retrogradely labeled afferent fibers in the rat. Nerve volleys evoked in peripheral nerves by electrical stimulation of the dorsal columns within these regions were used as a measure of the excitability of the stimulated fibers. Potent increases in the excitability were evoked by polarization above motor nuclei and Clarke's column, both during constant direct current (DC) polarization (1 µA for 1 min) and for at least 30 min following DC polarization. Smaller excitability increases occurred during the polarization within other regions and were thereafter either absent or rapidly declined after its termination. The postpolarization increases in excitability were counteracted by the GABAA receptor antagonist bicuculline and the α5GABAA extrasynaptic receptor antagonist L655708 and enhanced by the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol and by ionophoretically applied GABA. As extrasynaptic α5GABAA receptors have been found close to Na channels within branching points, these results are consistent with the involvement of branching points in the induction of the sustained postpolarization increases in fiber excitability.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Polarization of sensory fibers traversing dorsal columns of the spinal cord may considerably increase the excitability of these fibers. We show that this involves the effects of current at branching points of afferent fibers and depends on extrasynaptic effects of GABA. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanism underlying plasticity of activation of nerve fibers and may be used to increase the effectiveness of epidural stimulation in humans and recovery of spinal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqing Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.,Department of Physiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Krishnapriya Hari
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden.,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ana M Lucas-Osma
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Keith K Fenrich
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David J Bennett
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Ingela Hammar
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
| | - Elzbieta Jankowska
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden
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17
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Tudeau L, Acuña MA, Albisetti GW, Neumann E, Ralvenius WT, Scheurer L, Poe M, Cook JM, Johannssen HC, Zeilhofer HU. Mice lacking spinal α2GABA A receptors: Altered GABAergic neurotransmission, diminished GABAergic antihyperalgesia, and potential compensatory mechanisms preventing a hyperalgesic phenotype. Brain Res 2020; 1741:146889. [PMID: 32439345 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diminished synaptic inhibition in the superficial spinal dorsal horn contributes to exaggerated pain responses that accompany peripheral inflammation and neuropathy. α2GABAA receptors (α2GABAAR) constitute the most abundant GABAAR subtype at this site and are the targets of recently identified antihyperalgesic compounds. Surprisingly, hoxb8-α2-/- mice that lack α2GABAAR from the spinal cord and peripheral sensory neurons exhibit unaltered sensitivity to acute painful stimuli and develop normal inflammatory and neuropathic hyperalgesia. Here, we provide a comprehensive analysis of GABAergic neurotransmission, of behavioral phenotypes and of possible compensatory mechanisms in hoxb8-α2-/- mice. Our results confirm that hoxb8-α2-/- mice show significantly diminished GABAergic inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) in the superficial dorsal horn but no hyperalgesic phenotype. We also confirm that the potentiation of dorsal horn GABAergic IPSCs by the α2-preferring GABAAR modulator HZ-166 is reduced in hoxb8-α2-/- mice and that hoxb8-α2-/- mice are resistant to the analgesic effects of HZ-166. Tonic GABAergic currents, glycinergic IPSCs, and sensory afferent-evoked EPSCs did not show significant changes in hoxb8-α2-/- mice rendering a compensatory up-regulation of other GABAAR subtypes or of glycine receptors unlikely. Although expression of serotonin and of the serotonin producing enzyme tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2) was significantly increased in the dorsal horn of hoxb8-α2-/- mice, ablation of serotonergic terminals from the lumbar spinal cord failed to unmask a nociceptive phenotype. Our results are consistent with an important contribution of α2GABAAR to spinal nociceptive control but their ablation early in development appears to activate yet-to-be identified compensatory mechanisms that protect hoxb8-α2-/- mice from hyperalgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Tudeau
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario A Acuña
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gioele W Albisetti
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Neumann
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - William T Ralvenius
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Louis Scheurer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Poe
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA
| | - James M Cook
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA
| | - Helge C Johannssen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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18
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Fernandes EC, Pechincha C, Luz LL, Kokai E, Szucs P, Safronov BV. Primary afferent-driven presynaptic inhibition of C-fiber inputs to spinal lamina I neurons. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 188:101786. [PMID: 32173398 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Presynaptic inhibition of primary afferent terminals is a powerful mechanism for controlling sensory information flow into the spinal cord. Lamina I is the major spinal nociceptive projecting area and monosynaptic input from C-fibers to this region represents a direct pathway for transmitting pain signals to supraspinal centers. Here we used an isolated spinal cord preparation to show that this pathway is under control of the afferent-driven GABAergic presynaptic inhibition. Presynaptic inhibition of C-fiber input to lamina I projection and local-circuit neurons is mediated by recruitment of Aβ-, Aδ- and C-afferents. C-fiber-driven inhibition of C-fibers functions as a feedforward mechanism, by which the homotypic afferents control sensory information flow into the spinal cord and regulate degree of the primary nociceptive afferent activation needed to excite the second order neurons. The presynaptic inhibition of C-fiber input to lamina I neurons may be mediated by both synaptic and non-synaptic mechanisms, and its occurrence and extent are quite heterogeneous. This heterogeneity is likely to be reflective of involvement of lamina I neurons in diverse circuitries processing specific modalities of sensory information in the superficial dorsal horn. Thus, our results implicate both low- and high-threshold afferents in the modulation of C-fiber input into the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- E C Fernandes
- Instituto De Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto De Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade Do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - C Pechincha
- Instituto De Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto De Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade Do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - L L Luz
- Instituto De Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto De Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade Do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - E Kokai
- Instituto De Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto De Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade Do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - P Szucs
- MTA-DE Neuroscience Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - B V Safronov
- Instituto De Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde, Universidade Do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto De Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade Do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.
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19
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Effects of the α2/α3-subtype-selective GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator KRM-II-81 on pain-depressed behavior in rats: comparison with ketorolac and diazepam. Behav Pharmacol 2020; 30:452-461. [PMID: 30640180 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
This study examined effects of the α2/α3-subtype-selective GABAA receptor positive allosteric modulator KRM-II-81 in an assay of pain-related behavioral depression. Adult, male Sprague-Dawley rats responded for electrical brain stimulation in a frequency-rate intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) procedure. Intraperitoneal injection of 1.8% lactic acid served as an acute noxious stimulus to depress ICSS. Effects of KRM-II-81 were evaluated in the absence and presence of the acid noxious stimulus. The NSAID ketorolac and the benzodiazepine diazepam were tested as comparators. Neither ketorolac nor KRM-II-81 altered ICSS in the absence of the acid noxious stimulus; however, diazepam produced facilitation consistent with its abuse liability. Ketorolac blocked acid-induced depression of ICSS, and effects of 1.0 mg/kg ketorolac lasted for at least 5 h. KRM-II-81 (1.0 mg/kg) produced significant antinociception after 30 min that dissipated by 60 min. Diazepam also attenuated acid-depressed ICSS, but only at doses that facilitated ICSS when administered alone. The lack of ketorolac or KRM-II-81 effects on ICSS in the absence of the acid noxious stimulus suggests low abuse liability for both compounds. The effectiveness of ketorolac to block acid-induced ICSS depression agrees with clinical analgesic efficacy of ketorolac. KRM-II-81 produced significant but less consistent and shorter-acting antinociception than ketorolac.
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20
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Lorenzo LE, Godin AG, Ferrini F, Bachand K, Plasencia-Fernandez I, Labrecque S, Girard AA, Boudreau D, Kianicka I, Gagnon M, Doyon N, Ribeiro-da-Silva A, De Koninck Y. Enhancing neuronal chloride extrusion rescues α2/α3 GABA A-mediated analgesia in neuropathic pain. Nat Commun 2020; 11:869. [PMID: 32054836 PMCID: PMC7018745 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14154-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal disinhibition has been hypothesized to underlie pain hypersensitivity in neuropathic pain. Apparently contradictory mechanisms have been reported, raising questions on the best target to produce analgesia. Here, we show that nerve injury is associated with a reduction in the number of inhibitory synapses in the spinal dorsal horn. Paradoxically, this is accompanied by a BDNF-TrkB-mediated upregulation of synaptic GABAARs and by an α1-to-α2GABAAR subunit switch, providing a mechanistic rationale for the analgesic action of the α2,3GABAAR benzodiazepine-site ligand L838,417 after nerve injury. Yet, we demonstrate that impaired Cl- extrusion underlies the failure of L838,417 to induce analgesia at high doses due to a resulting collapse in Cl- gradient, dramatically limiting the benzodiazepine therapeutic window. In turn, enhancing KCC2 activity not only potentiated L838,417-induced analgesia, it rescued its analgesic potential at high doses, revealing a novel strategy for analgesia in pathological pain, by combined targeting of the appropriate GABAAR-subtypes and restoring Cl- homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Etienne Lorenzo
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Antoine G Godin
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Francesco Ferrini
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Karine Bachand
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Isabel Plasencia-Fernandez
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Labrecque
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandre A Girard
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | - Dominic Boudreau
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Irenej Kianicka
- Chlorion Pharma, Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Laurent Pharmaceuticals Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Gagnon
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre for Innovation, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Nicolas Doyon
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Finite Element Interdisciplinary Research Group (GIREF), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves De Koninck
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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21
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Nasirinezhad F, Hosseini M, Karami Z, Janzadeh A, Yousefifard M. Comparative Efficacy of GABAA and GABAB Receptor Agonists in Pain Alleviation in a Spinal Cord Injury Model of Neuropathic Pain. NEUROPHYSIOLOGY+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11062-020-09826-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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22
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Witkin JM, Cerne R, Davis PG, Freeman KB, do Carmo JM, Rowlett JK, Methuku KR, Okun A, Gleason SD, Li X, Krambis MJ, Poe M, Li G, Schkeryantz JM, Jahan R, Yang L, Guo W, Golani LK, Anderson WH, Catlow JT, Jones TM, Porreca F, Smith JL, Knopp KL, Cook JM. The α2,3-selective potentiator of GABA A receptors, KRM-II-81, reduces nociceptive-associated behaviors induced by formalin and spinal nerve ligation in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2019; 180:22-31. [PMID: 30825491 PMCID: PMC6529285 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2019.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 02/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Clinical evidence indicates that positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of GABAA receptors have analgesic benefit in addition to efficacy in anxiety disorders. However, the utility of GABAA receptor PAMs as analgesics is compromised by the central nervous system side effects of non-selective potentiators. A selective potentiator of GABAA receptors associated with α2/3 subunits, KRM-II-81(5-(8-ethynyl-6-(pyridin-2-yl)-4H-benzo[f]imidazo[1,5-a][1,4]diazepin-3-yl)oxazole), has demonstrated anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and antinociceptive effects in rodents with reduced motoric side effects. The present study evaluated the potential of KRM-II-81 as a novel analgesic. Oral administration of KRM-II-81 attenuated formalin-induced flinching; in contrast, diazepam was not active. KRM-II-81 attenuated nociceptive-associated behaviors engendered by chronic spinal nerve ligation (L5/L6). Diazepam decreased locomotion of rats at the dose tested in the formalin assay (10 mg/kg) whereas KRM-II-81 produced small decreases that were not dose-dependent (10-100 mg/kg). Plasma and brain levels of KRM-II-81 were used to demonstrate selectivity for α2/3- over α1-associated GABAA receptors and to define the degree of engagement of these receptors. Plasma and brain concentrations of KRM-II-81 were positively-associated with analgesic efficacy. GABA currents from isolated rat dorsal-root ganglion cultures were potentiated by KRM-II-81 with an ED50 of 32 nM. Measures of respiratory depression were reduced by alprazolam whereas KRM-II-81 was either inactive or produced effects with lower potency and efficacy. These findings add to the growing body of data supporting the idea that α2/3-selective GABAA receptor PAMs will have efficacy and tolerability as pain medications including those for neuropathic pain. Given their predicted anxiolytic effects, α2/3-selective GABAA receptor PAMs offer an additional inroad into the management of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Witkin
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - R Cerne
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | | | - K B Freeman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - J M do Carmo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - J K Rowlett
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - K R Methuku
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - A Okun
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - S D Gleason
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - X Li
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - M J Krambis
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - M Poe
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - G Li
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - J M Schkeryantz
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - R Jahan
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - L Yang
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - W Guo
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - L K Golani
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - W H Anderson
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - J T Catlow
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - T M Jones
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - F Porreca
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - J L Smith
- Laboratory of Antiepileptic Drug Discovery, Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - K L Knopp
- The Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - J M Cook
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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23
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Zimmerman AL, Kovatsis EM, Pozsgai RY, Tasnim A, Zhang Q, Ginty DD. Distinct Modes of Presynaptic Inhibition of Cutaneous Afferents and Their Functions in Behavior. Neuron 2019; 102:420-434.e8. [PMID: 30826183 PMCID: PMC6472967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Presynaptic inhibition (PSI) of primary sensory neurons is implicated in controlling gain and acuity in sensory systems. Here, we define circuit mechanisms and functions of PSI of cutaneous somatosensory neuron inputs to the spinal cord. We observed that PSI can be evoked by different sensory neuron populations and mediated through at least two distinct dorsal horn circuit mechanisms. Low-threshold cutaneous afferents evoke a GABAA-receptor-dependent form of PSI that inhibits similar afferent subtypes, whereas small-diameter afferents predominantly evoke an NMDA-receptor-dependent form of PSI that inhibits large-diameter fibers. Behaviorally, loss of either GABAA receptors (GABAARs) or NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in primary afferents leads to tactile hypersensitivity across skin types, and loss of GABAARs, but not NMDARs, leads to impaired texture discrimination. Post-weaning age loss of either GABAARs or NMDARs in somatosensory neurons causes systemic behavioral abnormalities, revealing critical roles of two distinct modes of PSI of somatosensory afferents in adolescence and throughout adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Zimmerman
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eleni M Kovatsis
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Riana Y Pozsgai
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aniqa Tasnim
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Qiyu Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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24
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Spinal GABA A receptors for pain control: back to the future? Br J Anaesth 2019; 123:e176-e179. [PMID: 30916021 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2019.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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25
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van Amerongen G, Siebenga PS, Gurrell R, Dua P, Whitlock M, Gorman D, Okkerse P, Hay JL, Butt RP, Groeneveld GJ. Analgesic potential of PF-06372865, an α2/α3/α5 subtype-selective GABA A partial agonist, in humans. Br J Anaesth 2019; 123:e194-e203. [PMID: 30915991 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2018.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigated the analgesic effects of two doses (15 and 65 mg) of PF-06372865, a novel α2/α3/α5 gamma-aminobutyric acid A (GABAA) subunit selective partial positive allosteric modulator (PAM), compared with placebo and pregabalin (300 mg) as a positive control. METHODS We performed a randomised placebo-controlled crossover study (NCT02238717) in 20 healthy subjects, using a battery of pain tasks (electrical, pressure, heat, cold and inflammatory pain, including a paradigm of conditioned pain modulation). Pharmacodynamic measurements were performed at baseline and up to 10 h after dose. RESULTS A dose of 15 mg PF-06372865 increased pain tolerance thresholds (PTTs) for pressure pain at a ratio of 1.11 (90% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.22) compared with placebo. A dose of 65 mg PF-06372865 led to an increase in PTT for the cold pressor at a ratio of 1.17 (90% CI: 1.03, 1.32), and pressure pain task: 1.11 (90% CI: 1.01, 1.21). Pregabalin showed an increase in PTT for pressure pain at a ratio of 1.15 (95% CI: 1.06, 1.26) and cold pressor task: 1.31 (90% CI: 1.16, 1.48). CONCLUSION We conclude that PF-06372865 has analgesic potential at doses that do not induce significant sedation or other intolerable adverse events limiting its clinical use. In addition, the present study established the potential role for this battery of pain tasks as a tool in the development of analgesics with a novel mechanism of action, for the treatment of various pain states including neuropathic pain and to establish proof-of-concept. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT0223871.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Pinky Dua
- Early Clinical Development, Pfizer WRD, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mark Whitlock
- Early Clinical Development, Pfizer WRD, Cambridge, UK
| | - Donal Gorman
- Early Clinical Development, Pfizer WRD, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pieter Okkerse
- Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Justin L Hay
- Centre for Human Drug Research (CHDR), Leiden, the Netherlands
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26
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Lucas-Osma AM, Li Y, Lin S, Black S, Singla R, Fouad K, Fenrich KK, Bennett DJ. Extrasynaptic α 5GABA A receptors on proprioceptive afferents produce a tonic depolarization that modulates sodium channel function in the rat spinal cord. J Neurophysiol 2018; 120:2953-2974. [PMID: 30256739 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00499.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Activation of GABAA receptors on sensory axons produces a primary afferent depolarization (PAD) that modulates sensory transmission in the spinal cord. While axoaxonic synaptic contacts of GABAergic interneurons onto afferent terminals have been extensively studied, less is known about the function of extrasynaptic GABA receptors on afferents. Thus, we examined extrasynaptic α5GABAA receptors on low-threshold proprioceptive (group Ia) and cutaneous afferents. Afferents were impaled with intracellular electrodes and filled with neurobiotin in the sacrocaudal spinal cord of rats. Confocal microscopy was used to reconstruct the afferents and locate immunolabelled α5GABAA receptors. In all afferents α5GABAA receptors were found throughout the extensive central axon arbors. They were most densely located at branch points near sodium channel nodes, including in the dorsal horn. Unexpectedly, proprioceptive afferent terminals on motoneurons had a relative lack of α5GABAA receptors. When recording intracellularly from these afferents, blocking α5GABAA receptors (with L655708, gabazine, or bicuculline) hyperpolarized the afferents, as did blocking neuronal activity with tetrodotoxin, indicating a tonic GABA tone and tonic PAD. This tonic PAD was increased by repeatedly stimulating the dorsal root at low rates and remained elevated for many seconds after the stimulation. It is puzzling that tonic PAD arises from α5GABAA receptors located far from the afferent terminal where they can have relatively little effect on terminal presynaptic inhibition. However, consistent with the nodal location of α5GABAA receptors, we find tonic PAD helps produce sodium spikes that propagate antidromically out the dorsal roots, and we suggest that it may well be involved in assisting spike transmission in general. NEW & NOTEWORTHY GABAergic neurons are well known to form synaptic contacts on proprioceptive afferent terminals innervating motoneurons and to cause presynaptic inhibition. However, the particular GABA receptors involved are unknown. Here, we examined the distribution of extrasynaptic α5GABAA receptors on proprioceptive Ia afferents. Unexpectedly, these receptors were found preferentially near nodal sodium channels throughout the afferent and were largely absent from afferent terminals. These receptors produced a tonic afferent depolarization that modulated sodium spikes, consistent with their location.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M Lucas-Osma
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Yaqing Li
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Shihao Lin
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Sophie Black
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Rahul Singla
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Karim Fouad
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Keith K Fenrich
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - David J Bennett
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
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27
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Ralvenius WT, Neumann E, Pagani M, Acuña MA, Wildner H, Benke D, Fischer N, Rostaher A, Schwager S, Detmar M, Frauenknecht K, Aguzzi A, Hubbs JL, Rudolph U, Favrot C, Zeilhofer HU. Itch suppression in mice and dogs by modulation of spinal α2 and α3GABA A receptors. Nat Commun 2018; 9:3230. [PMID: 30104684 PMCID: PMC6089996 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05709-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic itch is a highly debilitating condition affecting about 10% of the general population. The relay of itch signals is under tight control by inhibitory circuits of the spinal dorsal horn, which may offer a hitherto unexploited therapeutic opportunity. Here, we found that specific pharmacological targeting of inhibitory α2 and α3GABAA receptors reduces acute histaminergic and non-histaminergic itch in mice. Systemic treatment with an α2/α3GABAA receptor selective modulator alleviates also chronic itch in a mouse model of atopic dermatitis and in dogs sensitized to house dust mites, without inducing sedation, motor dysfunction, or loss of antipruritic activity after prolonged treatment. Transsynaptic circuit tracing, immunofluorescence, and electrophysiological experiments identify spinal α2 and α3GABAA receptors as likely molecular targets underlying the antipruritic effect. Our results indicate that drugs targeting α2 and α3GABAA receptors are well-suited to alleviate itch, including non-histaminergic chronic itch for which currently no approved treatment exists.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Ralvenius
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Neumann
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Martina Pagani
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mario A Acuña
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik Wildner
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Dietmar Benke
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland.,Drug Discovery Network Zürich (DDNZ), Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Nina Fischer
- Dermatology Department, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ana Rostaher
- Dermatology Department, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Simon Schwager
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Detmar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Frauenknecht
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich and University Hospital Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Adriano Aguzzi
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Zürich and University Hospital Zürich, Schmelzbergstrasse 12, CH-8091, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jed Lee Hubbs
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Rudolph
- Laboratory of Genetic Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Claude Favrot
- Dermatology Department, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland. .,Neuroscience Center Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland. .,Drug Discovery Network Zürich (DDNZ), Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland. .,Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1-5/10, CH-8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
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28
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Merighi A. The histology, physiology, neurochemistry and circuitry of the substantia gelatinosa Rolandi (lamina II) in mammalian spinal cord. Prog Neurobiol 2018; 169:91-134. [PMID: 29981393 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The substantia gelatinosa Rolandi (SGR) was first described about two centuries ago. In the following decades an enormous amount of information has permitted us to understand - at least in part - its role in the initial processing of pain and itch. Here, I will first provide a comprehensive picture of the histology, physiology, and neurochemistry of the normal SGR. Then, I will analytically discuss the SGR circuits that have been directly demonstrated or deductively envisaged in the course of the intensive research on this area of the spinal cord, with particular emphasis on the pathways connecting the primary afferent fibers and the intrinsic neurons. The perspective existence of neurochemically-defined sets of primary afferent neurons giving rise to these circuits will be also discussed, with the proposition that a cross-talk between different subsets of peptidergic fibers may be the structural and functional substrate of additional gating mechanisms in SGR. Finally, I highlight the role played by slow acting high molecular weight modulators in these gating mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adalberto Merighi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2, I-10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy.
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29
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30
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Kato AS, Witkin JM. Protein complexes as psychiatric and neurological drug targets. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 151:263-281. [PMID: 29330067 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The need for improved medications for psychiatric and neurological disorders is clear. Difficulties in finding such drugs demands that all strategic means be utilized for their invention. The discovery of forebrain specific AMPA receptor antagonists, which selectively block the specific combinations of principal and auxiliary subunits present in forebrain regions but spare targets in the cerebellum, was recently disclosed. This discovery raised the possibility that other auxiliary protein systems could be utilized to help identify new medicines. Discussion of the TARP-dependent AMPA receptor antagonists has been presented elsewhere. Here we review the diversity of protein complexes of neurotransmitter receptors in the nervous system to highlight the broad range of protein/protein drug targets. We briefly outline the structural basis of protein complexes as drug targets for G-protein-coupled receptors, voltage-gated ion channels, and ligand-gated ion channels. This review highlights heterodimers, subunit-specific receptor constructions, multiple signaling pathways, and auxiliary proteins with an emphasis on the later. We conclude that the use of auxiliary proteins in chemical compound screening could enhance the detection of specific, targeted drug searches and lead to novel and improved medicines for psychiatric and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiko S Kato
- Neuroscience Discovery, Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| | - Jeffrey M Witkin
- Neuroscience Discovery, Lilly Research Labs, Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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31
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Speigel I, Bichler EK, García PS. The Influence of Regional Distribution and Pharmacologic Specificity of GABA AR Subtype Expression on Anesthesia and Emergence. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:58. [PMID: 28878632 PMCID: PMC5572268 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Anesthetics produce unconsciousness by modulating ion channels that control neuronal excitability. Research has shown that specific GABAA receptor (GABAAR) subtypes in particular regions of the central nervous system contribute to different hyperpolarizing conductances, and behaviorally to distinct components of the anesthetized state. The expression of these receptors on the neuron cell surface, and thus the strength of inhibitory neurotransmission, is dynamically regulated by intracellular trafficking mechanisms. Pharmacologic or activity-based perturbations to these regulatory systems have been implicated in pathology of several neurological conditions, and can alter the individual response to anesthesia. Furthermore, studies are beginning to uncover how anesthetic exposure itself elicits enduring changes in subcellular physiology, including the processes that regulate ion channel trafficking. Here, we review the mechanisms that determine GABAAR surface expression, and elaborate on influences germane to anesthesia and emergence. We address known trafficking differences between the intrasynaptic receptors that mediate phasic current and the extra-synaptic receptors mediating tonic current. We also describe neurophysiologic consequences and network-level abnormalities in brain function that result from receptor trafficking aberrations. We hypothesize that the relationship between commonly used anesthetic agents and GABAAR surface expression has direct consequences on mature functioning neural networks and by extension ultimately influence the outcome of patients that undergo general anesthesia. Rational design of new anesthetics, anesthetic techniques, EEG-based monitoring strategies, or emergence treatments will need to take these effects into consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Speigel
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, AtlantaGA, United States.,Research Division, Atlanta Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, AtlantaGA, United States
| | - Edyta K Bichler
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, AtlantaGA, United States.,Research Division, Atlanta Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, AtlantaGA, United States
| | - Paul S García
- Department of Anesthesiology, Emory University School of Medicine, AtlantaGA, United States.,Research Division, Atlanta Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, AtlantaGA, United States
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Functional Synaptic Integration of Forebrain GABAergic Precursors into the Adult Spinal Cord. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11634-11645. [PMID: 27852772 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2301-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord transplants of embryonic cortical GABAergic progenitor cells derived from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) can reverse mechanical hypersensitivity in the mouse models of peripheral nerve injury- and paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. Here, we used electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy to examine the extent to which MGE cells integrate into host circuitry and recapitulate endogenous inhibitory circuits. Whether the transplants were performed before or after nerve injury, the MGE cells developed into mature neurons and exhibited firing patterns characteristic of subpopulations of cortical and spinal cord inhibitory interneurons. Conversely, the transplanted cells preserved cortical morphological and neurochemical properties. We also observed a robust anatomical and functional synaptic integration of the transplanted cells into host circuitry in both injured and uninjured animals. The MGE cells were activated by primary afferents, including TRPV1-expressing nociceptors, and formed GABAergic, bicuculline-sensitive, synapses onto host neurons. Unexpectedly, MGE cells transplanted before injury prevented the development of mechanical hypersensitivity. Together, our findings provide direct confirmation of an extensive, functional synaptic integration of MGE cells into host spinal cord circuits. This integration underlies normalization of the dorsal horn inhibitory tone after injury and may be responsible for the prophylactic effect of preinjury transplants. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Spinal cord transplants of embryonic cortical GABAergic interneuron progenitors from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), can overcome the mechanical hypersensitivity produced in different neuropathic pain models in adult mice. Here, we examined the properties of transplanted MGE cells and the extent to which they integrate into spinal cord circuitry. Using electrophysiology, immunohistochemistry, and electron microscopy, we demonstrate that MGE cells, whether transplanted before or after nerve injury, develop into inhibitory neurons, are activated by nociceptive primary afferents, and form GABA-A-mediated inhibitory synapses with the host. Unexpectedly, cells transplanted into naive spinal cord prevented the development of nerve-injury-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. These results illustrate the remarkable plasticity of adult spinal cord and the potential of cell-based therapies against neuropathic pain.
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Abstract
It has been recently proposed that α5-subunit containing GABAA receptors (α5-GABAA receptors) that mediate tonic inhibition might be involved in pain. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contribution of α5-GABAA receptors in the loss of GABAergic inhibition and in formalin-induced, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced and L5 and L6 spinal nerve ligation-induced long-lasting hypersensitivity. Formalin or CFA injection and L5 and L6 spinal nerve ligation produced long-lasting allodynia and hyperalgesia. Moreover, formalin injection impaired the rate-dependent depression of the Hofmann reflex. Peripheral and intrathecal pretreatment or post-treatment with the α5-GABAA receptor antagonist, L-655,708 (0.15-15 nmol), prevented and reversed, respectively, these long-lasting behaviors. Formalin injection increased α5-GABAA receptor mRNA expression in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) mainly at 3 days. The α5-GABAA receptors were localized in the dorsal spinal cord and DRG colabeling with NeuN, CGRP, and IB4 which suggests their presence in peptidergic and nonpeptidergic neurons. These receptors were found mainly in small and medium sized neurons. Formalin injection enhanced α5-GABAA receptor fluorescence intensity in spinal cord and DRG at 3 and 6 days. Intrathecal administration of L-655,708 (15 nmol) prevented and reversed formalin-induced impairment of rate-dependent depression. These results suggest that α5-GABAA receptors play a role in the loss of GABAergic inhibition and contribute to long-lasting secondary allodynia and hyperalgesia.
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Perez-Sanchez J, Lorenzo LE, Lecker I, Zurek AA, Labrakakis C, Bridgwater EM, Orser BA, De Koninck Y, Bonin RP. α5GABAAReceptors Mediate Tonic Inhibition in the Spinal Cord Dorsal Horn and Contribute to the Resolution Of Hyperalgesia. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:1307-1318. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 10/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Irene Lecker
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | | | - Charalampos Labrakakis
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology; University of Ioannina; Ioannina Greece
| | | | - Beverley A. Orser
- University of Toronto, Department of Physiology; Toronto Ontario Canada
- University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesia; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Anesthesia; Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Yves De Koninck
- Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec; Québec Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience; Université Laval; Québec Canada
| | - Robert P. Bonin
- Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Québec; Québec Canada
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
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Cui L, Miao X, Liang L, Abdus-Saboor I, Olson W, Fleming MS, Ma M, Tao YX, Luo W. Identification of Early RET+ Deep Dorsal Spinal Cord Interneurons in Gating Pain. Neuron 2016; 91:1137-1153. [PMID: 27545714 PMCID: PMC5017914 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 04/30/2016] [Accepted: 07/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The gate control theory (GCT) of pain proposes that pain- and touch-sensing neurons antagonize each other through spinal cord dorsal horn (DH) gating neurons. However, the exact neural circuits underlying the GCT remain largely elusive. Here, we identified a new population of deep layer DH (dDH) inhibitory interneurons that express the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret neonatally. These early RET+ dDH neurons receive excitatory as well as polysynaptic inhibitory inputs from touch- and/or pain-sensing afferents. In addition, they negatively regulate DH pain and touch pathways through both pre- and postsynaptic inhibition. Finally, specific ablation of early RET+ dDH neurons increases basal and chronic pain, whereas their acute activation reduces basal pain perception and relieves inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Taken together, our findings uncover a novel spinal circuit that mediates crosstalk between touch and pain pathways and suggest that some early RET+ dDH neurons could function as pain "gating" neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Cui
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xuerong Miao
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Lingli Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
| | - Ishmail Abdus-Saboor
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - William Olson
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael S Fleming
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yuan-Xiang Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark, NJ 07103, USA.
| | - Wenqin Luo
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Dias QM, Prado WA. The lesion of dorsolateral funiculus changes the antiallodynic effect of the intrathecal muscimol and baclofen in distinct phases of neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve ligation in rats. Brain Res Bull 2016; 124:103-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Smith KM, Boyle KA, Mustapa M, Jobling P, Callister RJ, Hughes DI, Graham BA. Distinct forms of synaptic inhibition and neuromodulation regulate calretinin-positive neuron excitability in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Neuroscience 2016; 326:10-21. [PMID: 27045594 PMCID: PMC4919388 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Revised: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
CR+ spinal dorsal horn neurons form excitatory (Typical) and inhibitory (Atypical) subpopulations. Typical neurons received mixed (GABAergic and glycinergic) inhibition. Atypical neurons received inhibition dominated by glycine. Noradrenaline and serotonin evoke responses in Typical but not Atypical neurons. Enkephalins evoke responses in Atypical but not typical neurons.
The dorsal horn (DH) of the spinal cord contains a heterogenous population of neurons that process incoming sensory signals before information ascends to the brain. We have recently characterized calretinin-expressing (CR+) neurons in the DH and shown that they can be divided into excitatory and inhibitory subpopulations. The excitatory population receives high-frequency excitatory synaptic input and expresses delayed firing action potential discharge, whereas the inhibitory population receives weak excitatory drive and exhibits tonic or initial bursting discharge. Here, we characterize inhibitory synaptic input and neuromodulation in the two CR+ populations, in order to determine how each is regulated. We show that excitatory CR+ neurons receive mixed inhibition from GABAergic and glycinergic sources, whereas inhibitory CR+ neurons receive inhibition, which is dominated by glycine. Noradrenaline and serotonin produced robust outward currents in excitatory CR+ neurons, predicting an inhibitory action on these neurons, but neither neuromodulator produced a response in CR+ inhibitory neurons. In contrast, enkephalin (along with selective mu and delta opioid receptor agonists) produced outward currents in inhibitory CR+ neurons, consistent with an inhibitory action but did not affect the excitatory CR+ population. Our findings show that the pharmacology of inhibitory inputs and neuromodulator actions on CR+ cells, along with their excitatory inputs can define these two subpopulations further, and this could be exploited to modulate discrete aspects of sensory processing selectively in the DH.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - K A Boyle
- Institute of Neuroscience Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - M Mustapa
- Institute of Neuroscience Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - P Jobling
- School of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - R J Callister
- School of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - D I Hughes
- Institute of Neuroscience Psychology, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - B A Graham
- School of Biomedical Sciences & Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia.
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GABAergic modulation in central sensitization in humans: a randomized placebo-controlled pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic study comparing clobazam with clonazepam in healthy volunteers. Pain 2015; 156:397-404. [PMID: 25687539 DOI: 10.1097/01.j.pain.0000460331.33385.e8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Positive allosteric modulators of GABAA receptors (GAMs) acting at specific subtypes of GABAA receptors effectively restore compromised spinal pain control in rodents. Studies addressing a similar antihyperalgesic effect in humans are sparse and are hampered by sedative effects of nonselective GAMs available for use in humans. We present results from a randomized controlled double-blind crossover study in 25 healthy volunteers, which addressed potential antihyperalgesic actions of clobazam (CBZ) and clonazepam (CLN) at mildly sedating equianticonvulsive doses. Clobazam was chosen because of its relatively low sedative properties and CLN because of its use in neuropathic pain. Tolterodine (TLT) was used as an active placebo. The primary outcome parameter was a change in the area of cutaneous UVB irradiation-induced secondary hyperalgesia (ASH), which was monitored for 8 hours after drug application. Sedative effects were assessed in parallel to antihyperalgesia. Compared with TLT, recovery from hyperalgesia was significantly faster in the CBZ and CLN groups (P = 0.009). At the time point of maximum effect, the rate of recovery from hyperalgesia was accelerated by CBZ and CLN, relative to placebo by 15.7% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.8-30.5), P = 0.040, and 28.6% (95% CI 4.5-52.6), P = 0.022, respectively. Active compounds induced stronger sedation than placebo, but these differences disappeared 8 hours after drug application. We demonstrate here that GAMs effectively reduce central sensitization in healthy volunteers. These results provide proof-of-principle evidence supporting efficacy of GAMs as antihyperalgesic agents in humans and should stimulate further research on compounds with improved subtype specificity.
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Betelli C, MacDermott AB, Bardoni R. Transient, activity dependent inhibition of transmitter release from low threshold afferents mediated by GABAA receptors in spinal cord lamina III/IV. Mol Pain 2015; 11:64. [PMID: 26463733 PMCID: PMC4605127 DOI: 10.1186/s12990-015-0067-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Presynaptic GABAA receptors (GABAARs) located on central terminals of low threshold afferent fibers are thought to be involved in the processing of touch and possibly in the generation of tactile allodynia in chronic pain. These GABAARs mediate primary afferent depolarization (PAD) and modulate transmitter release. The objective of this study was to expand our understanding of the presynaptic inhibitory action of GABA released onto primary afferent central terminals following afferent stimulation. Results We recorded evoked postsynaptic excitatory responses (eEPSCs and eEPSPs) from lamina III/IV neurons in spinal cord slices from juvenile rats (P17–P23, either sex), while stimulating dorsal roots. We investigated time and activity dependent changes in glutamate release from low threshold A fibers and the impact of these changes on excitatory drive. Blockade of GABAARs by gabazine potentiated the second eEPSC during a train of four afferent stimuli in a large subset of synapses. This resulted in a corresponding increase of action potential firing after the second stimulus. The potentiating effect of gabazine was due to inhibition of endogenously activated presynaptic GABAARs, because it was not prevented by the blockade of postsynaptic GABAARs through intracellular perfusion of CsF. Exogenous activation of presynaptic GABAARs by muscimol depressed evoked glutamate release at all synapses and increased paired pulse ratio (PPR). Conclusions These observations suggest that afferent driven release of GABA onto low threshold afferent terminals is most effective following the first action potential in a train and serves to suppress the initial strong excitatory drive onto dorsal horn circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Betelli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi, 287, 41125, Modena, Italy.
| | - Amy B MacDermott
- Departments of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Neuroscience, Columbia University, 630 W. 168th Street, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Rita Bardoni
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Campi, 287, 41125, Modena, Italy.
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Wang H, Liu W, Cai Y, Ma L, Ma C, Luo A, Huang Y. Glutaminase 1 is a potential biomarker for chronic post-surgical pain in the rat dorsal spinal cord using differential proteomics. Amino Acids 2015; 48:337-48. [PMID: 26427714 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-015-2085-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) is a normal and significant symptom in clinical surgery, such as breast operation, biliary tract operation, cesarean operation, uterectomy and thoracic operation. Severe chronic post-surgical pain could increase post-surgical complications, including myocardial ischemia, respiratory insufficiency, pneumonia and thromboembolism. However, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. Herein, a rat CPSP model was produced via thoracotomy. After surgery, in an initial study, 5 out of 12 rats after surgery showed a significant decrease in mechanical withdrawal threshold and/or increase in the number of acetone-evoked responses, and therefore classified as the CPSP group. The remaining seven animals were classified as non-CPSP. Subsequently, open-chest operation was performed on another 30 rats and divided into CPSP and non-CPSP groups after 21-day observation. Protein expression levels in the dorsal spinal cord tissue were determined by 12.5 % SDS-PAGE. Finally, differently expressed proteins were identified by LC MS/MS and analyzed by MASCOT software, followed by Gene Ontology cluster analysis using PANTHER software. Compared with the non-CPSP group, 24 proteins were only expressed in the CPSP group and another 23 proteins expressed differentially between CPSP and non-CPSP group. Western blot further confirmed that the expression of glutaminase 1 (GLS1) was significantly higher in the CPSP than in the non-CPSP group. This study provided a new strategy to identify the spinal proteins, which may contribute to the development of chronic pain using differential proteomics, and suggested that GLS1 may serve as a potential biomarker for CPSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitang Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medicine Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yehua Cai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Ma
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medicine Science, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Peking Union Medical College, School of Basic Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ailun Luo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medicine Science, Beijing, China
| | - Yuguang Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medicine Science, Beijing, China.
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Zhang TC, Janik JJ, Peters RV, Chen G, Ji RR, Grill WM. Spinal sensory projection neuron responses to spinal cord stimulation are mediated by circuits beyond gate control. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:284-300. [PMID: 25972582 PMCID: PMC4507960 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00147.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is a therapy used to treat intractable pain with a putative mechanism of action based on the Gate Control Theory. We hypothesized that sensory projection neuron responses to SCS would follow a single stereotyped response curve as a function of SCS frequency, as predicted by the Gate Control circuit. We recorded the responses of antidromically identified sensory projection neurons in the lumbar spinal cord during 1- to 150-Hz SCS in both healthy rats and neuropathic rats following chronic constriction injury (CCI). The relationship between SCS frequency and projection neuron activity predicted by the Gate Control circuit accounted for a subset of neuronal responses to SCS but could not account for the full range of observed responses. Heterogeneous responses were classifiable into three additional groups and were reproduced using computational models of spinal microcircuits representing other interactions between nociceptive and nonnociceptive sensory inputs. Intrathecal administration of bicuculline, a GABAA receptor antagonist, increased spontaneous and evoked activity in projection neurons, enhanced excitatory responses to SCS, and reduced inhibitory responses to SCS, suggesting that GABAA neurotransmission plays a broad role in regulating projection neuron activity. These in vivo and computational results challenge the Gate Control Theory as the only mechanism underlying SCS and refine our understanding of the effects of SCS on spinal sensory neurons within the framework of contemporary understanding of dorsal horn circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhe C Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Ryan V Peters
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; and
| | - Ru-Rong Ji
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; and
| | - Warren M Grill
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Department of Surgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina;
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Involvement of medullary GABAergic system in extraterritorial neuropathic pain mechanisms associated with inferior alveolar nerve transection. Exp Neurol 2015; 267:42-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2015.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Ralvenius WT, Benke D, Acuña MA, Rudolph U, Zeilhofer HU. Analgesia and unwanted benzodiazepine effects in point-mutated mice expressing only one benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAA receptor subtype. Nat Commun 2015; 6:6803. [PMID: 25865415 PMCID: PMC4829939 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Agonists at the benzodiazepine-binding site of GABAA receptors (BDZs) enhance synaptic inhibition through four subtypes (α1, α2, α3 and α5) of GABAA receptors (GABAAR). When applied to the spinal cord, they alleviate pathological pain; however, insufficient efficacy after systemic administration and undesired effects preclude their use in routine pain therapy. Previous work suggested that subtype-selective drugs might allow separating desired antihyperalgesia from unwanted effects, but the lack of selective agents has hitherto prevented systematic analyses. Here we use four lines of triple GABAAR point-mutated mice, which express only one benzodiazepine-sensitive GABAAR subtype at a time, to show that targeting only α2GABAARs achieves strong antihyperalgesia and reduced side effects (that is, no sedation, motor impairment and tolerance development). Additional pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analyses in these mice explain why clinically relevant antihyperalgesia cannot be achieved with nonselective BDZs. These findings should foster the development of innovative subtype-selective BDZs for novel indications such as chronic pain. Benzodiazepines (BDZs) target GABAA receptors to alleviate pain but these also cause side effects. Here the authors use mice in which only one GABAA receptor is BDZ-sensitive at a time to identify α2GABAA as the receptor that provides maximal analgesic activity but minimal side-effects in response to BDZs.
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Affiliation(s)
- William T Ralvenius
- 1] Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland [2] Center for Neuroscience Zurich (ZNZ), Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dietmar Benke
- 1] Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland [2] Center for Neuroscience Zurich (ZNZ), Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario A Acuña
- 1] Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland [2] Center for Neuroscience Zurich (ZNZ), Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Uwe Rudolph
- 1] Laboratory of Genetic Neuropharmacology, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA [2] Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- 1] Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland [2] Center for Neuroscience Zurich (ZNZ), Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland [3] Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, CH-8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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Nakamura Y, Morioka N, Zhang FF, Hisaoka-Nakashima K, Nakata Y. Downregulation of connexin36 in mouse spinal dorsal horn neurons leads to mechanical allodynia. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:584-91. [PMID: 25400139 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Revised: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Connexin36 (Cx36), a component of neuronal gap junctions, is crucial for interneuronal communication and regulation. Gap junction dysfunction underlies neurological disorders, including chronic pain. Following a peripheral nerve injury, Cx36 expression in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn was markedly decreased over time, which paralleled the time course of hind paw tactile allodynia. Intrathecal (i.t.) injection of Cx36 siRNA (1 and 5 pg) significantly reduced the expression of Cx36 protein in the lumbar spinal cord, peaking 3 days after the injection, which corresponded with the onset of hind paw tactile allodynia. It is possible that some of the tactile allodynia resulting from Cx36 downregulation could be mediated through excitatory neuromodulators, such as glutamate and substance P. The Cx36 knockdown-evoked tactile allodynia was significantly attenuated by i.t. treatment with the N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist MK-801 but not the substance P receptor antagonist CP96345. Immunohistochemistry showed that Cx36 was colocalized with glycine transporter-2, a marker for inhibitory glycinergic spinal interneurons, but not with glutamate decarboxylase 67, a marker for inhibitory GABAergic spinal interneurons. The results indicate that spinal inhibition through glycinergic interneurons is reduced, leading to increased glutamatergic neurotransmission, as a result of Cx36 downregulation. The current data suggest that gap junction dysfunction underlies neuropathic pain and further suggest a novel target for the development of analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoki Nakamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Hofer SC, Ralvenius WT, Gachet MS, Fritschy JM, Zeilhofer HU, Gertsch J. Localization and production of peptide endocannabinoids in the rodent CNS and adrenal medulla. Neuropharmacology 2015; 98:78-89. [PMID: 25839900 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2015.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) comprises the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 and their endogenous arachidonic acid-derived agonists 2-arachidonoyl glycerol and anandamide, which play important neuromodulatory roles. Recently, a novel class of negative allosteric CB1 receptor peptide ligands, hemopressin-like peptides derived from alpha hemoglobin, has been described, with yet unknown origin and function in the CNS. Using monoclonal antibodies we now identified the localization of RVD-hemopressin (pepcan-12) and N-terminally extended peptide endocannabinoids (pepcans) in the CNS and determined their neuronal origin. Immunohistochemical analyses in rodents revealed distinctive and specific staining in major groups of noradrenergic neurons, including the locus coeruleus (LC), A1, A5 and A7 neurons, which appear to be major sites of production/release in the CNS. No staining was detected in dopaminergic neurons. Peptidergic axons were seen throughout the brain (notably hippocampus and cerebral cortex) and spinal cord, indicative of anterograde axonal transport of pepcans. Intriguingly, the chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla were also strongly stained for pepcans. We found specific co-expression of pepcans with galanin, both in the LC and adrenal gland. Using LC-MS/MS, pepcan-12 was only detected in non-perfused brain (∼ 40 pmol/g), suggesting that in the CNS it is secreted and present in extracellular compartments. In adrenal glands, significantly more pepcan-12 (400-700 pmol/g) was measured in both non-perfused and perfused tissues. Thus, chromaffin cells may be a major production site of pepcan-12 found in blood. These data uncover important areas of peptide endocannabinoid occurrence with exclusive noradrenergic immunohistochemical staining, opening new doors to investigate their potential physiological function in the ECS. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Fluorescent Tools in Neuropharmacology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie C Hofer
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - William T Ralvenius
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - M Salomé Gachet
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Marc Fritschy
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 4, 8093 Zürich, CH-8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jürg Gertsch
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, Bühlstrasse 28, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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Peng F, Qu ZW, Qiu CY, Liao M, Hu WP. Spinal vasopressin alleviates formalin-induced nociception by enhancing GABAA receptor function in mice. Neurosci Lett 2015; 593:61-5. [PMID: 25782631 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) plays a regulatory role in nociception. Intrathecal administration of AVP displays an antinociceptive effect. However, little is understood about the mechanism underlying spinal AVP analgesia. Here, we have found that spinal AVP dose dependently reduced the second, but not first, phase of formalin-induced spontaneous nociception in mice. The AVP analgesia was completely blocked by intrathecal injected SR 49059, a vasopressin-1A (V1A) receptor antagonist. However, spinal AVP failed to exert its antinociceptive effect on the second phase formalin-induced spontaneous nociception in V1A receptor knock-out (V1A-/-) mice. The AVP analgesia was also reversed by bicuculline, a GABAA receptor antagonist. Moreover, AVP potentiated GABA-activated currents in dorsal root ganglion neurons from wild-type littermates, but not from V1A-/- mice. Our results may reveal a novel spinal mechanism of AVP analgesia by enhancing the GABAA receptor function in the spinal cord through V1A receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Peng
- Institute of Ion Channels, Department of Pharmacology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China; Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Wenzou Medical University, Wenzou 32500, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Zu-Wei Qu
- Institute of Ion Channels, Department of Pharmacology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China
| | - Chun-Yu Qiu
- Institute of Ion Channels, Department of Pharmacology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China
| | - Min Liao
- Department of Anatomy and Histology & Embryology, College of Basic Medicine, Wenzou Medical University, Wenzou 32500, Zhejiang, PR China.
| | - Wang-Ping Hu
- Institute of Ion Channels, Department of Pharmacology, Hubei University of Science and Technology, 88 Xianning Road, Xianning 437100, Hubei, PR China.
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GABAA α5 subunit-containing receptors do not contribute to reversal of inflammatory-induced spinal sensitization as indicated by the unique selectivity profile of the GABAA receptor allosteric modulator NS16085. Biochem Pharmacol 2015; 93:370-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2014.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2014] [Revised: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Zeilhofer HU, Ralvenius WT, Acuña MA. Restoring the Spinal Pain Gate. DIVERSITY AND FUNCTIONS OF GABA RECEPTORS: A TRIBUTE TO HANNS MÖHLER, PART B 2015; 73:71-96. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Möhler H. The legacy of the benzodiazepine receptor: from flumazenil to enhancing cognition in Down syndrome and social interaction in autism. ADVANCES IN PHARMACOLOGY (SAN DIEGO, CALIF.) 2014; 72:1-36. [PMID: 25600365 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apha.2014.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The study of the psychopharmacology of benzodiazepines continues to provide new insights into diverse brain functions related to vigilance, anxiety, mood, epileptiform activity, schizophrenia, cognitive performance, and autism-related social behavior. In this endeavor, the discovery of the benzodiazepine receptor was a key event, as it supplied the primary benzodiazepine drug-target site, provided the molecular link to the allosteric modulation of GABAA receptors and, following the recognition of GABAA receptor subtypes, furnished the platform for future, more selective drug actions. This review has two parts. In a retrospective first part, it acknowledges the contributions to the field made by my collaborators over the years, initially at Hoffmann-La Roche in Basle and later, in academia, at the University and the ETH of Zurich. In the second part, the new frontier of GABA pharmacology, targeting GABAA receptor subtypes, is reviewed with special focus on nonsedative anxiolytics, antidepressants, analgesics, as well as enhancers of cognition in Down syndrome and attenuators of symptoms of autism spectrum disorders. It is encouraging that a clinical trial has been initiated with a partial inverse agonist acting on α5 GABAA receptors in an attempt to alleviate the cognitive deficits in Down syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanns Möhler
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland.
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Juif PE, Melchior M, Poisbeau P. Characterization of the fast GABAergic inhibitory action of etifoxine during spinal nociceptive processing in male rats. Neuropharmacology 2014; 91:117-22. [PMID: 25545681 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Etifoxine (EFX) is a non-benzodiazepine anxiolytic which potentiate GABAA receptor (GABAAR) function directly or indirectly via the production of 3α-reduced neurosteroids. The later effect is now recognized to account for the long-term reduction of pain symptoms in various neuropathic and inflammatory pain models. In the present study, we characterized the acute antinociceptive properties of EFX during spinal pain processing in naive and monoarthritic rats using in vivo electrophysiology. The topical application of EFX on lumbar spinal cord segment, at concentrations higher than 30 μM, reduced the excitability of wide dynamic range neurons receiving non-nociceptive and nociceptive inputs. Windup discharge resulting from the repetitive stimulation of the peripheral receptive field, and recognized as a short-term plastic process seen in central nociceptive sensitization, was significantly inhibited by EFX at these concentrations. In good agreement, mechanical nociceptive thresholds were also significantly increased following an acute intrathecal injection of EFX. The acute modulatory properties of EFX on spinal pain processing were never seen in the simultaneous presence of bicuculline. This result further confirmed EFX antinociception to result from the potentiation of spinal GABAA receptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- P E Juif
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Strasbourg, France
| | - M Melchior
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Strasbourg, France
| | - P Poisbeau
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and University of Strasbourg, Institute of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences, Strasbourg, France.
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