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Boada MD, Gutierrez S, Eisenach JC. Effects of systemic oxytocin administration on ultraviolet B-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity and tactile hyposensitivity in mice. Mol Pain 2024; 20:17448069241226553. [PMID: 38172079 PMCID: PMC10846038 DOI: 10.1177/17448069241226553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation induces cutaneous inflammation, leading to thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity. Here, we examine the mechanical properties and profile of tactile and nociceptive peripheral afferents functionally disrupted by this injury and the role of oxytocin (OXT) as a modulator of this disruption. We recorded intracellularly from L4 afferents innervating the irradiated area (5.1 J/cm2) in 4-6 old week male mice (C57BL/6J) after administering OXT intraperitoneally, 6 mg/Kg. The distribution of recorded neurons was shifted by UVB radiation to a pattern observed after acute and chronic injuries and reduced mechanical thresholds of A and C- high threshold mechanoreceptors while reducing tactile sensitivity. UVB radiation did not change somatic membrane electrical properties or fiber conduction velocity. OXT systemic administration rapidly reversed these peripheral changes toward normal in both low and high-threshold mechanoreceptors and shifted recorded neuron distribution toward normal. OXT and V1aR receptors were present on the terminals of myelinated and unmyelinated afferents innervating the skin. We conclude that UVB radiation, similar to local tissue surgical injury, cancer metastasis, and peripheral nerve injury, alters the distribution of low and high threshold mechanoreceptors afferents and sensitizes nociceptors while desensitizing tactile units. Acute systemic OXT administration partially returns all of those effects to normal.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Danilo Boada
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - Silvia Gutierrez
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
| | - James C Eisenach
- Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA
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Noguri T, Hatakeyama D, Kitahashi T, Oka K, Ito E. Profile of dorsal root ganglion neurons: study of oxytocin expression. Mol Brain 2022; 15:44. [PMID: 35534837 PMCID: PMC9082903 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-022-00927-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Although dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons have been so far classified according to the difference in their fibers (Aβ, Aδ, and C), this classification should be further subdivided according to gene expression patterns. We focused on oxytocin (OXT) and its related receptors, because OXT plays a local role in DRG neurons. We measured the mRNA levels of OXT, OXT receptor (OXTR), vasopressin V1a receptor (V1aR), transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1), and piezo-type mechanosensitive ion channel component 2 (Piezo2) in single DRG neurons by using real-time PCR, and then performed a cluster analysis. According to the gene expression patterns, DRG neurons were classified into 4 clusters: Cluster 1 was characterized mainly by Piezo2, Cluster 2 by TRPV1, Cluster 4 by OXTR, and neurons in Cluster 3 did not express any of the target genes. The cell body diameter of OXT-expressing neurons was significantly larger in Cluster 1 than in Cluster 2. These results suggest that OXT-expressing DRG neurons with small cell bodies (Cluster 2) and large cell bodies (Cluster 1) probably correspond to C-fiber neurons and Aβ-fiber neurons, respectively. Furthermore, the OXT-expressing neurons contained not only TRPV1 but also Piezo2, suggesting that OXT may be released by mechanical stimulation regardless of nociception. Thus, mechanoreception and nociception themselves may induce the autocrine/paracrine function of OXT in the DRG, contributing to alleviation of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taisei Noguri
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan
| | - Dai Hatakeyama
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima, 770-8514, Japan
| | - Takashi Kitahashi
- Kushiro Nature Conservation Office, Ministry of the Environment, Kushiro, 085-8639, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan
| | - Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, 162-8480, Japan.
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, 169-8555, Japan.
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, 80708, Taiwan.
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Ito E, Oka K, Koshikawa F. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex sensing analgesia. Biophys Physicobiol 2022; 19:1-10. [PMID: 35797407 PMCID: PMC9173858 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.bppb-v19.0014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain often has an unknown cause, and many patients with chronic pain learn to accept that their pain is incurable and pharmacologic treatments are only temporarily effective. Complementary and integrative health approaches for pain are thus in high demand. One such approach is soft touch, e.g., adhesion of pyramidal thorn patches in a pain region. The effects of patch adhesion on pain relief have been confirmed in patients with various types of pain. A recent study using near-infrared spectroscopy revealed that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), especially the left side, is likely to be inactivated in patients experiencing pain relief during patch treatment. Mindfulness meditation is another well-known complementary and integrative approach for achieving pain relief. The relation between pain relief due to mindfulness meditation and changes in brain regions, including the DLPFC, has long been examined. In the present review article, we survey the literature describing the effects of the above-mentioned complementary and integrative treatments on pain relief, and outline the important brain regions, including the DLPFC, that are involved in analgesia. We hope that the present article will provide clues to researchers who hope to advance neurosensory treatments for pain relief without medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Keio University
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Miyashiro S, Yamada Y, Nagaoka M, Shima R, Muta T, Ishikawa H, Abe T, Hori M, Oka K, Koshikawa F, Ito E. Pain relief associated with decreased oxyhemoglobin level in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256626. [PMID: 34424921 PMCID: PMC8382195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain in the elbow, shoulder, knee, lower back, and various other joints is relieved by adhesion of pyramidal thorn patches. To elucidate the pain relief mechanism induced by the patches, we established a quantitative method for estimating the pain reduction and investigated the brain regions that change in association with pain relief. We first attempted to quantify the pain relief using transcutaneous electric stimulation (TCES) and a visual analog scale (VAS), and then applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to the prefrontal cortex, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We also examined the salivary oxytocin levels, which are thought to reflect oxytocin secretion levels from the posterior pituitary in the brain. Application of pyramidal thorn patches to pain regions decreased the pain degree estimated using TCES and VAS. Oxyhemoglobin levels were likely to be decreased in the left DLPFC on the basis of NIRS measurements during patch treatment, suggesting that the left DLPFC is involved in pain relief. On the other hand, the salivary oxytocin levels varied widely. A potential reason for the varying salivary oxytocin levels is its utilization in the pain region as an analgesic agent. Our results suggest that the left DLPFC will become a target brain region for pain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yurika Yamada
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Rei Shima
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshizumi Muta
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Ishikawa
- Department of Culture, Media and Society, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuri Abe
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Hori
- Department of Educational Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | | | - Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Saito N, Kaneko G, Mito K. Bumpy Patches: Analgesic Effects of Particle Pressure in Sports Injury Treatment. ADVANCED BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.14326/abe.10.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Norio Saito
- Acupuncture and Moxibustion Traditional Medicine Clinic
| | - Gen Kaneko
- School of Arts & Sciences, University of Houston-Victoria
| | - Kazuyuki Mito
- The Graduate School of Informatics and Engineering, The University of Electro-Communications
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Ito E, Shima R, Yoshioka T. A novel role of oxytocin: Oxytocin-induced well-being in humans. Biophys Physicobiol 2019; 16:132-139. [PMID: 31608203 PMCID: PMC6784812 DOI: 10.2142/biophysico.16.0_132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We review the involvement of a small molecule, oxytocin, in various effects of physical stimulation of somatosensory organs, mindfulness meditation, emotion and fragrance on humans, and then propose a hypothesis that complex human states and behaviors, such as well-being, social bonding, and emotional behavior, are explained by oxytocin. We previously reported that oxytocin can induce pain relief and described the possibility how oxytocin in the dorsal horn and/or the dorsal root ganglion relieves joint and muscle pain. In the present article, we expand our research target from the physical analgesic effects of oxytocin to its psychologic effects to upregulate well-being and downregulate stress and anxiety. For this purpose, we propose a “hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-oxytocin model” to explain why mindfulness meditation, placebo, and fragrance can reduce stress and anxiety, resulting in contentment. This new proposed model of HPA axis-oxytocin in the brain also provides a target to address other questions regarding emotional behaviors, learning and memory, and excess food intake leading to obesity, aimed at promoting a healthy life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.,Graduate Institute of Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan
| | - Rei Shima
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
| | - Tohru Yoshioka
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80756, Taiwan
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