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Zhang J, Wang H, Guo L. Investigating the brain functional abnormalities underlying pain hypervigilance in chronic neck and shoulder pain: a resting-state fMRI study. Neuroradiology 2024; 66:1353-1361. [PMID: 38296904 DOI: 10.1007/s00234-024-03286-2] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate pain hypervigilance in individuals suffering from chronic neck and shoulder pain (CNSP) and its underlying brain mechanism. METHODS The evaluation of pain vigilance was conducted through the utilization of pain vigilance and awareness questionnaires. Voxel-wise regional homogeneity (ReHo) from 60 CNSP patients and 60 healthy controls (HCs) using resting-state fMRI data. Voxel-wise two-sample T-test was conducted to reveal the ReHo variations between CNSP and HC. Correlation analyses were utilized to reveal the connection between brain abnormalities and medical measurements. Furthermore, a mediation analysis was conducted to elucidate the pathway-linking changes in brain function with medical measurements. RESULTS Our present study revealed three main findings. Firstly, patients with CSNP demonstrated a heightened vigilance of pain in comparison to healthy adults, a common occurrence among individuals with chronic pain conditions. Secondly, we observed brain abnormalities in various brain regions in CSNP patients, and these alterations were associated with the extent of pain vigilance. Lastly, the pain hypervigilance impact on the severity of pain was found to be controlled by regional neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in subjects with CSNP. CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that long-term repetitive nociceptive input caused by chronic pain further aggravates the pain intensity by impairing the vigilance-related pain processing within the anterior cingulate cortex in CNSP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyang Zhang
- Radiology Department, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin University, Jiefang Nan Road 406, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300211, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Wang
- Radiology Department, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin University, Jiefang Nan Road 406, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300211, People's Republic of China
| | - Lin Guo
- Radiology Department, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin University, Jiefang Nan Road 406, Hexi District, Tianjin, 300211, People's Republic of China.
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Sardi NF, Pescador AC, Torres-Chavez KE, Fischer L. Revealing a role of brainstem monoaminergic nuclei on the pronociceptive effect of sleep restriction. Neuropharmacology 2024; 258:110055. [PMID: 38950692 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110055] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances and persistent pain conditions are public health challenges worldwide. Although it is well-known that sleep deficit increases pain sensitivity, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. We have recently demonstrated the involvement of nucleus accumbens (NAc) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the pronociceptive effect of sleep restriction. In this study, we found that sleep restriction increases c-Fos expression in NAc and ACC, suggesting hyperactivation of these regions during prolonged wakefulness in male Wistar rats. Blocking adenosine A2A receptors in the NAc or GABAA receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), or locus coeruleus (LC) effectively mitigated the pronociceptive effect of sleep restriction. In contrast, the blockade of GABAA receptors in each of these nuclei only transiently reduced carrageenan-induced hyperalgesia. Pharmacological activation of dopamine D2, serotonin 5-HT1A and noradrenaline alpha-2 receptors within the ACC also prevented the pronociceptive effect of sleep restriction. While pharmacological inhibition of these same monoaminergic receptors in the ACC restored the pronociceptive effect which had been prevented by the GABAergic disinhibition of the of the VTA, DRN or LC. Overall, these findings suggest that the pronociceptive effect of sleep restriction relies on increased adenosinergic activity on NAc, heightened GABAergic activity in VTA, DRN, and LC, and reduced inhibitory monoaminergic activity on ACC. These findings advance our understanding of the interplay between sleep and pain, shedding light on potential NAc-brainstem-ACC mechanisms that could mediate increased pain sensitivity under conditions of sleep impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia F Sardi
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Pain, Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ana C Pescador
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Pain, Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; Department of Health Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Araranguá, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Karla E Torres-Chavez
- Laboratory of Physiology, School of Medicine, Catholic University of Santa María, Arequipa, Peru
| | - Luana Fischer
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology of Pain, Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
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3
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Hu Y, Ma J, Chen B, Pang J, Liang W, Wu W. The Duration of Chronic Pain Can Affect Brain Functional Changes of the Pain Matrix in Patients with Chronic Back Pain: A Resting-State fMRI Study. J Pain Res 2024; 17:1941-1951. [PMID: 38828086 PMCID: PMC11141710 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s457575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose This study was conducted to explore the differences in functional changes in the pain matrix in patients with chronic back pain (CBP) at different stages and identify whether these brain changes were related to the pain duration. Patients and Methods In this study, 29 healthy individuals and 54 patients with CBP were recruited. According to the pain duration, 25 patients (3 to 12 months) were divided into the CBP-S group and 29 patients (≥ 24 months) were divided into the CBP-L group. All subjects completed clinical pain-related measurement and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. Moreover, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), functional connectivity (FC), and correlation analysis were conducted in this study. Results Compared with healthy controls, patients in the CBP-L group showed significantly decreased ALFF in the left precuneus. In the FC analysis, patients in the CBP-S and CBP-L groups showed significantly decreased FC in several regions in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortices (OFC) and the left ventral posterior insula. Moreover, there were significant differences in the FC between the left hyper granular insula and the probabilistic area in OFC in pairwise group comparisons. The correlation analysis results demonstrated that pain duration was correlated with these functional brain changes, and the ANCOVA results revealed that pain intensity and pain interference scores did not affect the FC analysis results. Conclusion There are different changes in the pain neural matrix in patients with chronic pain at different stages. Furthermore, the pain duration is related to brain functional changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingxuan Hu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Junqin Ma
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bingmei Chen
- Department of Radiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiahui Pang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen Liang
- Department of Radiology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wen Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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4
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Tiwari N, Qiao LY. Sex Differences in Visceral Pain and Comorbidities: Clinical Outcomes, Preclinical Models, and Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms. Cells 2024; 13:834. [PMID: 38786056 PMCID: PMC11119472 DOI: 10.3390/cells13100834] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism of visceral pain has been documented in clinics and experimental animal models. Aside from hormones, emerging evidence suggests the sex-differential intrinsic neural regulation of pain generation and maintenance. According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG), up to 25% of the population have visceral pain at any one time, and in the United States 10-15 percent of adults suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Here we examine the preclinical and clinical evidence of sex differences in visceral pain focusing on IBS, other forms of bowel dysfunction and IBS-associated comorbidities. We summarize preclinical animal models that provide a means to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms in the sexual dimorphism of visceral pain. Neurons and nonneuronal cells (glia and immune cells) in the peripheral and central nervous systems, and the communication of gut microbiota and neural systems all contribute to sex-dependent nociception and nociplasticity in visceral painful signal processing. Emotion is another factor in pain perception and appears to have sexual dimorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Tiwari
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Liya Y. Qiao
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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5
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Li D, Du H, Qu ST, Wu JL, Li YC, Xu QY, Chen X, Dai XX, Xu JT, Wang Q, Xu GY. Thalamic Nucleus Reuniens Glutamatergic Neurons Mediate Colorectal Visceral Pain in Mice via 5-HT 2B Receptors. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01207-0. [PMID: 38739251 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01207-0] [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: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common functional bowel disorder characterized by abdominal pain and visceral hypersensitivity. Reducing visceral hypersensitivity is the key to effectively relieving abdominal pain in IBS. Increasing evidence has confirmed that the thalamic nucleus reuniens (Re) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neurotransmitter system play an important role in the development of colorectal visceral pain, whereas the exact mechanisms remain largely unclear. In this study, we found that high expression of the 5-HT2B receptors in the Re glutamatergic neurons promoted colorectal visceral pain. Specifically, we found that neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD) mice exhibited visceral hyperalgesia and enhanced spontaneous synaptic transmission in the Re brain region. Colorectal distension (CRD) stimulation induced a large amount of c-Fos expression in the Re brain region of NMD mice, predominantly in glutamatergic neurons. Furthermore, optogenetic manipulation of glutamatergic neuronal activity in the Re altered colorectal visceral pain responses in CON and NMD mice. In addition, we demonstrated that 5-HT2B receptor expression on the Re glutamatergic neurons was upregulated and ultimately promoted colorectal visceral pain in NMD mice. These findings suggest a critical role of the 5HT2B receptors on the Re glutamatergic neurons in the regulation of colorectal visceral pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Han Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Shu-Ting Qu
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Jing-Lai Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Yong-Chang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Qi-Ya Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xia Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Xiao-Xuan Dai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Ji-Tian Xu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
| | - Guang-Yin Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, China.
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Li J, Qin Y, Zhong Z, Meng L, Huang L, Li B. Pain experience reduces social avoidance to others in pain: a c-Fos-based functional connectivity network study in mice. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae207. [PMID: 38798004 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae207] [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: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Pain experience increases individuals' perception and contagion of others' pain, but whether pain experience affects individuals' affiliative or antagonistic responses to others' pain is largely unknown. Additionally, the neural mechanisms underlying how pain experience modulates individuals' responses to others' pain remain unclear. In this study, we explored the effects of pain experience on individuals' responses to others' pain and the underlying neural mechanisms. By comparing locomotion, social, exploration, stereotyped, and anxiety-like behaviors of mice without any pain experience (naïve observers) and mice with a similar pain experience (experienced observers) when they observed the pain-free demonstrator with intraperitoneal injection of normal saline and the painful demonstrator with intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid, we found that pain experience of the observers led to decreased social avoidance to the painful demonstrator. Through whole-brain c-Fos quantification, we discovered that pain experience altered neuronal activity and enhanced functional connectivity in the mouse brain. The analysis of complex network and graph theory exhibited that functional connectivity networks and activated hub regions were altered by pain experience. Together, these findings reveal that neuronal activity and functional connectivity networks are involved in the modulation of individuals' responses to others' pain by pain experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuxin Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Zifeng Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Linjie Meng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Lianyan Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
| | - Boxing Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Neuroscience Program, Zhongshan School of Medicine and the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
- Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Second Road, Yuexiu District, 510080 Guangzhou, China
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7
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Wu J, Hua L, Liu W, Yang X, Tang X, Yuan S, Zhou S, Ye Q, Cui S, Wu Z, Lai L, Tang C, Wang L, Yi W, Yao L, Xu N. Electroacupuncture Exerts Analgesic Effects by Restoring Hyperactivity via Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptors in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Chronic Inflammatory Pain. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2949-2963. [PMID: 37957422 PMCID: PMC11043129 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03760-7] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
As one of the commonly used therapies for pain-related diseases in clinical practice, electroacupuncture (EA) has been proven to be effective. In chronic pain, neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) have been reported to be hyperactive, while the mechanism by which cannabinoid type 1 receptors (CB1Rs) in the ACC are involved in EA-mediated analgesic mechanisms remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the potential central mechanism of EA analgesia. A combination of techniques was used to detect the expression and function of CB1R, including quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR), western blot (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and in vivo multichannel optical fibre recording, and neuronal activity was examined by in vivo two-photon imaging and in vivo electrophysiological recording. We found that the hyperactivity of pyramidal neurons in the ACC during chronic inflammatory pain is associated with impairment of the endocannabinoid system. EA at the Zusanli acupoint (ST36) can reduce the hyperactivity of pyramidal neurons and exert analgesic effects by increasing the endocannabinoid ligands anandamide (AEA), 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and CB1R. More importantly, CB1R in the ACC is one of the necessary conditions for the EA-mediated analgesia effect, which may be related to the negative regulation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) by the activation of CB1R downregulating NR1 subunits of NMDAR (NR1) via histidine triad nucleotide-binding protein 1 (HINT1). Our study suggested that the endocannabinoid system in the ACC plays an important role in acupuncture analgesia and provides evidence for a central mechanism of EA-mediated analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junshang Wu
- Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Libo Hua
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenhao Liu
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyun Yang
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaorong Tang
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si Yuan
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Sheng Zhou
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuping Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation MedicineThe Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuai Cui
- Acupuncture and Meridian Research Institute, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Anhui, China
| | - Zhennan Wu
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lanfeng Lai
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chunzhi Tang
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lin Wang
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Yi
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lulu Yao
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Nenggui Xu
- South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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8
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Fernández RC, Puddington MM, Kliger R, Core JD, Jure I, Labombarda F, Papini MR, Muzio RN. Instrumental successive negative contrast in rats: Trial distribution, reward magnitude, and prefrontal cortex activation. Physiol Behav 2024; 278:114511. [PMID: 38479582 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114511] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Successive negative contrast (SNC) has been used to study reward relativity, reward loss, and frustration for decades. In instrumental SNC (iSNC), the anticipatory performance of animals downshifted from a large reward to a small reward is compared to that of animals always reinforced with the small reward. iSNC involves a transient deterioration of anticipatory behavior in downshifted animals compared to unshifted controls. There is scattered information on the optimal parameters to produce this effect and even less information about its neural basis. Five experiments with rats trained in a runway to collect food pellets explored the effects of trial distribution (massed or spaced), amount of preshift training, reward disparity, and reward magnitude on the development of an iSNC effect. Start, run, and goal latencies were measured. Using spaced trials (one trial per day), evidence of the iSNC effect was observed with 24 preshift trials and a 32-to-4 pellet disparity. With massed trials (4 trials per session separated by 30-s intertrial intervals), evidence of iSNC was found with 12 preshift sessions (a total of 48 trials) and a 16-to-2 pellet disparity. The massed-training procedure was then used to assess neural activity in three prefrontal cortex areas using c-Fos expression in animals perfused after the first downshift session. There was evidence of increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex and a trend toward increased activation in the infralimbic and prelimbic cortices. These procedures open a venue for studying the neural basis of the instrumental behavior of animals that experience reward loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío C Fernández
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones, Lavalle 2353, 1052-Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín M Puddington
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones, Lavalle 2353, 1052-Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Salud y Seguridad Social, Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, Juncal 1319, 1062-Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Rafi Kliger
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julián Del Core
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ignacio Jure
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Florencia Labombarda
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mauricio R Papini
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX 76129, USA.
| | - Rubén N Muzio
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IBYME-CONICET), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428-Buenos Aires, Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones, Lavalle 2353, 1052-Buenos Aires, Argentina
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9
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Wang J, Wang S, Fang Z, Zhao J, Zhang G, Guo Y, Wang Q, Jiang Z, Zhong H, Hou W. Estrogen receptor GPR30 in the anterior cingulate cortex mediates exacerbated neuropathic pain in ovariectomized mice. Brain Res 2024; 1829:148798. [PMID: 38403038 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148798] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Menopausal women experience neuropathic pain 63% more frequently than men do, which may attribute to the estrogen withdrawal. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the role of estrogen receptors (ERs) in ovariectomized (OVX) female mice following chronic constriction injury (CCI) was investigated. With 17β-estradiol (E2) supplemented, aggravated mechanical allodynia in OVX mice could be significantly alleviated, particularly after intra-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) E2 delivery. Pharmacological interventions further demonstrated that the agonist of G-protein-coupled estrogen receptor 30 (GPR30), rather than ERα or ERβ in the ACC, exhibited the similar analgesic effect as E2, whereas antagonist of GPR30 exacerbated allodynia. Furthermore, OVX surgery reduced GPR30 expression in the ACC, which could be restored with estrogen supplementation. Selective downregulation of GPR30 in the ACC of naïve female mice induces mechanical allodynia, whereas GPR30 overexpression in the ACC remarkedly alleviated OVX-exacerbated allodynia. Collectively, estrogen withdrawal could downregulate the ACC GPR30 expression, resulting in exacerbated neuropathic pain. Our findings highlight the importance of GPR30 in the ACC in aggravated neuropathic pain during menopause, and offer a potential therapeutic candidate for neuropathic pain management in menopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajia Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Shiquan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Zongping Fang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Jianshuai Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Guoqing Zhang
- Department of Cardiovasology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710004, China
| | - Yaru Guo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Zhenhua Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China; Department of Nursing, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710032, China
| | - Haixing Zhong
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
| | - Wugang Hou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xijing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China.
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Chang X, Zhang H, Chen S. Neural circuits regulating visceral pain. Commun Biol 2024; 7:457. [PMID: 38615103 PMCID: PMC11016080 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06148-y] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Visceral hypersensitivity, a common clinical manifestation of irritable bowel syndrome, may contribute to the development of chronic visceral pain, which is a major challenge for both patients and health providers. Neural circuits in the brain encode, store, and transfer pain information across brain regions. In this review, we focus on the anterior cingulate cortex and paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus to highlight the progress in identifying the neural circuits involved in visceral pain. We also discuss several neural circuit mechanisms and emphasize the importance of cross-species, multiangle approaches and the identification of specific neurons in determining the neural circuits that control visceral pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Chang
- College of Acupuncture and Massage, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
| | - Haiyan Zhang
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China
| | - Shaozong Chen
- Research Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250355, China.
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11
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Kollenburg L, Kurt E, Arnts H, Vinke S. Cingulotomy: the last man standing in the battle against medically refractory poststroke pain. Pain Rep 2024; 9:e1149. [PMID: 38529477 PMCID: PMC10962879 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000001149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Central poststroke pain (CPSP) places a huge burden on patient lives because patients are often refractory to conventional strategies and have little chance for spontaneous recovery. A subset of patients is even given approval for euthanasia and is without any perspective. Because the anterior cingulate cortex historically seems to be a promising target for patients with both mental and chronic pain disorders, lesioning of this central "hub" with cingulotomy may be a useful strategy for medically refractory CPSP. However, limited research is available on cingulotomy for central pain. Hence, we represent a rare case in which cingulotomy is performed on a patient with CPSP. Objectives To describe the potential of cingulotomy in a case with CPSP. Methods The case presented in this study concerns a 60-year-old woman who experienced CPSP, caused by a hemorrhagic stroke in the basal ganglia and thalamus. The patient visited several centers and tried multiple off-label treatments; however, she was told nothing else could be done and was even given approval for euthanasia. Hence, anterior cingulotomy was performed. Results After surgery, no transient adverse events occurred, except for vocabulary disturbances post stroke, which disappeared after several weeks. After 14 weeks, changes in pain behavior were observed, followed by a decreased pain intensity. At a later follow-up, the pain had completely disappeared. Conclusion Anterior cingulotomy seems to be a suitable "last-resort" option for patients with CPSP. Future research, including homogenous groups, to define the best location for lesioning is required to allow the revival of this "old" technique in the current era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Kollenburg
- Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erkan Kurt
- Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hisse Arnts
- Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Saman Vinke
- Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Neurosurgery
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12
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Li HL, Zhang Y, Zhou JW. Acupuncture for radicular pain: a review of analgesic mechanism. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1332876. [PMID: 38596777 PMCID: PMC11002172 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1332876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Radicular pain, a common and complex form of neuropathic pain, presents significant challenges in treatment. Acupuncture, a therapy originating from ancient traditional Chinese medicine and widely utilized for various pain types, including radicular pain, has shown promising outcomes in the management of lumbar radicular pain, cervical radicular pain, and radicular pain due to spinal stenosis. Despite its efficacy, the exact mechanisms through which acupuncture achieves analgesia are not fully elucidated and are the subject of ongoing research. This review sheds light on the current understanding of the analgesic mechanisms of acupuncture for radicular pain, offering valuable perspectives for both clinical application and basic scientific research. Acupuncture is postulated to relieve radicular pain by several mechanisms: peripherally, it reduces muscle spasms, lessens mechanical pressure on nerve roots, and improves microcirculation; at the molecular level, it inhibits the HMGB1/RAGE and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways, thereby decreasing the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines; within the spinal cord, it influences synaptic plasticity; and centrally, it modulates brain function, particularly affecting the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and thalamus within the default mode network. By acting across these diverse biological domains, acupuncture presents an effective treatment modality for radicular pain, and deepening our understanding of the underlying mechanisms regarding analgesia for radicular pain is crucial for enhancing its clinical efficacy and advancement in pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Lin Li
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian-Wei Zhou
- Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Sciences, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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13
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Wu M, Song W, Zhang M, Teng L, Tang Q, Zhu L. Potential mechanisms of exercise for relieving inflammatory pain: a literature review of animal studies. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1359455. [PMID: 38389561 PMCID: PMC10881774 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1359455] [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: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory pain (IP) is one of the most prevalent and intractable human conditions, and it leads to progressive dysfunction and reduced quality of life. Additionally, IP is incredibly challenging to treat successfully with drugs or surgery. The development of IP is complex and multifactorial, and peripheral and central sensitization may influence chronicity and treatment resistance in IP. Understanding the mechanisms underlying IP is vital for developing novel therapies. Strong evidence suggests that exercise can be a first-line relief for patients with IP during rehabilitation. However, the mechanisms through which exercise improves IP remain unclear. Here, we reviewed the current animal experimental evidence for an exercise intervention in IP and proposed biological mechanisms for the effects of synaptic plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex, endocannabinoids, spinal dorsal horn excitability balance, immune cell polarization balance, cytokines, and glial cells. This information will contribute to basic science and strengthen the scientific basis for exercise therapy prescriptions for IP in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minmin Wu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Wenjing Song
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Mei Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Lili Teng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Qiang Tang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
| | - Luwen Zhu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Harbin, China
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14
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Chen Q, Clark JD. Leveraging Endogenous Pain Modulation for Analgesia. Anesthesiology 2024; 140:192-194. [PMID: 38193741 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000004812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- QiLiang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - J David Clark
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, School of Medicine, Stanford, California; Anesthesiology Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
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15
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Wang YD, Bao ST, Gao Y, Chen J, Jia T, Yin C, Cao JL, Xiao C, Zhou C. The anterior cingulate cortex controls the hyperactivity in subthalamic neurons in male mice with comorbid chronic pain and depression. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002518. [PMID: 38386616 PMCID: PMC10883538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurons in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) become hyperactive following nerve injury and promote pain-related responses in mice. Considering that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in pain and emotion processing and projects to the STN, we hypothesize that ACC neurons may contribute to hyperactivity in STN neurons in chronic pain. In the present study, we showed that ACC neurons enhanced activity in response to noxious stimuli and to alterations in emotional states and became hyperactive in chronic pain state established by spared nerve injury of the sciatic nerve (SNI) in mice. In naïve mice, STN neurons were activated by noxious stimuli, but not by alterations in emotional states. Pain responses in STN neurons were attenuated in both naïve and SNI mice when ACC neurons were inhibited. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of the ACC-STN pathway induced bilateral hyperalgesia and depression-like behaviors in naive mice; conversely, inhibition of this pathway is sufficient to attenuate hyperalgesia and depression-like behaviors in SNI mice and naïve mice subjected to stimulation of STN neurons. Finally, mitigation of pain-like and depression-like behaviors in SNI mice by inhibition of the ACC-STN projection was eliminated by activation of STN neurons. Our results demonstrate that hyperactivity in the ACC-STN pathway may be an important pathophysiology in comorbid chronic pain and depression. Thus, the ACC-STN pathway may be an intervention target for the treatment of the comorbid chronic pain and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Di Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Wuxi Ninth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shu-Ting Bao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Gao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jin Chen
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tao Jia
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cui Yin
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Cheng Xiao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chunyi Zhou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
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16
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Song Q, Wei A, Xu H, Gu Y, Jiang Y, Dong N, Zheng C, Wang Q, Gao M, Sun S, Duan X, Chen Y, Wang B, Huo J, Yao J, Wu H, Li H, Wu X, Jing Z, Liu X, Yang Y, Hu S, Zhao A, Wang H, Cheng X, Qin Y, Qu Q, Chen T, Zhou Z, Chai Z, Kang X, Wei F, Wang C. An ACC-VTA-ACC positive-feedback loop mediates the persistence of neuropathic pain and emotional consequences. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:272-285. [PMID: 38172439 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01519-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
The central mechanisms underlying pain chronicity remain elusive. Here, we identify a reciprocal neuronal circuit in mice between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that mediates mutual exacerbation between hyperalgesia and allodynia and their emotional consequences and, thereby, the chronicity of neuropathic pain. ACC glutamatergic neurons (ACCGlu) projecting to the VTA indirectly inhibit dopaminergic neurons (VTADA) by activating local GABAergic interneurons (VTAGABA), and this effect is reinforced after nerve injury. VTADA neurons in turn project to the ACC and synapse to the initial ACCGlu neurons to convey feedback information from emotional changes. Thus, an ACCGlu-VTAGABA-VTADA-ACCGlu positive-feedback loop mediates the progression to and maintenance of persistent pain and comorbid anxiodepressive-like behavior. Disruption of this feedback loop relieves hyperalgesia and anxiodepressive-like behavior in a mouse model of neuropathic pain, both acutely and in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Song
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Anqi Wei
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Huadong Xu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease and the Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Gu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Nan Dong
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chaowen Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Qinglong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences; and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences; and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Suhua Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences; and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xueting Duan
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yang Chen
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bianbian Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingxiao Huo
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingyu Yao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hua Li
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xuanang Wu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zexin Jing
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoying Liu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuxin Yang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
- College of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Shaoqin Hu
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Anran Zhao
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hongyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease and the Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
- College of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China
| | - Xu Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease and the Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Yuhao Qin
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease and the Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Qiumin Qu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, the Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, College of Future Technology; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences; and PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Zuying Chai
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Xinjiang Kang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease and the Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, China.
| | - Feng Wei
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry; Program in Neuroscience, Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Changhe Wang
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
- Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education of China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease and the Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
- Department of Neurosurgery, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
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17
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Sardi NF, Pescador AC, Azevedo EM, Pochapski JA, Kukolj C, Spercoski KM, Andrade AJM, da Cunha C, Fischer L. Sleep and Pain: A Role for the Anterior Cingulate Cortex, Nucleus Accumbens, and Dopamine in the Increased Pain Sensitivity Following Sleep Restriction. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:331-349. [PMID: 37673193 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Persistent pain conditions and sleep disorders are public health problems worldwide. It is widely accepted that sleep disruption increases pain sensitivity; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we used a protocol of 6 hours a day of total sleep deprivation for 3 days in rats to advance the understanding of these mechanisms. We focused on gender differences and the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic system. The findings demonstrated that sleep restriction (SR) increased pain sensitivity in a similar way in males and females, without inducing a significant stress response. This pronociceptive effect depends on a nucleus accumbens (NAc) neuronal ensemble recruited during SR and on the integrity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Data on indirect dopaminergic parameters, dopamine transporter glycosylation, and dopamine and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP)-regulated phosphoprotein-32 phosphorylation, as well as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine levels, suggest that dopaminergic function decreases in the NAc and ACC after SR. Complementarily, pharmacological activation of dopamine D2, but not D1 receptors either in the ACC or in the NAc prevents SR from increasing pain sensitivity. The ACC and NAc are the main targets of dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic projections with a key role in pain modulation. This study showed their integrative role in the pronociceptive effect of SR, pointing to dopamine D2 receptors as a potential target for pain management in patients with sleep disorders. These findings narrow the focus of future studies on the mechanisms by which sleep impairment increases pain sensitivity. PERSPECTIVE: This study demonstrates that the pronociceptive effect of SR affects similarly males and females and depends on a NAc neuronal ensemble recruited during SR and on the integrity of the ACC. Findings on dopaminergic function support dopamine D2 receptors as targets for pain management in sleep disorders patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia F Sardi
- Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Ana C Pescador
- Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Evellyn M Azevedo
- Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - José A Pochapski
- Department of Pharmacology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; Department of Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Caroline Kukolj
- Department of Biochemistry, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Katherinne M Spercoski
- Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil; Division of Biosciences, Federal University of Parana, Palotina, Parana, Brazil
| | - Anderson J M Andrade
- Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Claudio da Cunha
- Department of Pharmacology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
| | - Luana Fischer
- Department of Physiology, Division of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil
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18
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Mirmoosavi M, Aminitabar A, Mirfathollahi A, Shalchyan V. Exploring altered oscillatory activity in the anterior cingulate cortex after nerve injury: Insights into mechanisms of neuropathic allodynia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 190:106381. [PMID: 38114049 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2023.106381] [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: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
While neural oscillations play a critical role in sensory perception, it remains unclear how these rhythms function under conditions of neuropathic allodynia. Recent studies demonstrated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is associated with the affective-aversive component of pain, and plasticity changes in this region are closely linked to abnormal allodynic sensations. Here, to study the mechanisms of allodynia, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) in the bilateral ACC of awake-behaving rats and compared the spectral power and center frequency of brain oscillations between healthy and CCI (chronic constriction injury) induced neuropathic pain conditions. Our results indicated that activation of the ACC occurs bilaterally in the presence of neuropathic pain, similar to the healthy condition. Furthermore, CCI affects both spontaneous and stimulus-induced activity of ACC neurons. Specifically, we observed an increase in spontaneous beta activity after nerve injury compared to the healthy condition. By stimulating operated or unoperated paws, we found more intense event-related desynchronization (ERD) responses in the theta, alpha, and beta frequency bands and faster alpha center frequency after CCI compared to before CCI. Although the behavioral manifestation of allodynia was more pronounced in the operated paw than the unoperated paw following CCI, there was no significant difference in the center frequency and ERD responses observed in the ACC between stimulation of the operated and unoperated limbs. Our findings offer evidence supporting the notion that aberrancies in ACC oscillations may contribute to the maintenance and development of neuropathic allodynia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnoosh Mirmoosavi
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran
| | - Amir Aminitabar
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran
| | - Alavie Mirfathollahi
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran; Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS), Tehran 16583-44575, Iran
| | - Vahid Shalchyan
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, Tehran 16846-13114, Iran.
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19
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Xie RG, Xu GY, Wu SX, Luo C. Presynaptic glutamate receptors in nociception. Pharmacol Ther 2023; 251:108539. [PMID: 37783347 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108539] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a frequent, distressing and poorly understood health problem. Plasticity of synaptic transmission in the nociceptive pathways after inflammation or injury is assumed to be an important cellular basis for chronic, pathological pain. Glutamate serves as the main excitatory neurotransmitter at key synapses in the somatosensory nociceptive pathways, in which it acts on both ionotropic and metabotropic glutamate receptors. Although conventionally postsynaptic, compelling anatomical and physiological evidence demonstrates the presence of presynaptic glutamate receptors in the nociceptive pathways. Presynaptic glutamate receptors play crucial roles in nociceptive synaptic transmission and plasticity. They modulate presynaptic neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity, which in turn regulates pain sensitization. In this review, we summarize the latest understanding of the expression of presynaptic glutamate receptors in the nociceptive pathways, and how they contribute to nociceptive information processing and pain hypersensitivity associated with inflammation / injury. We uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms of presynaptic glutamate receptors in shaping synaptic transmission and plasticity to mediate pain chronicity, which may provide therapeutic approaches for treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rou-Gang Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Guang-Yin Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Sheng-Xi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Ceng Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
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20
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Wang TZ, Wang F, Tian ZC, Li ZZ, Liu WN, Ding H, Xie TT, Cao ZX, Li HT, Sun ZC, Xie RG, Wu SX, Pan ZX, Luo C. Cingulate cGMP-dependent protein kinase I facilitates chronic pain and pain-related anxiety and depression. Pain 2023; 164:2447-2462. [PMID: 37326662 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Patients with chronic pain often experience exaggerated pain response and aversive emotion, such as anxiety and depression. Central plasticity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is assumed to be a critical interface for pain perception and emotion, which has been reported to involve activation of NMDA receptors. Numerous studies have documented the key significance of cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (PKG-I) as a crucial downstream target for the NMDA receptor-NO-cGMP signaling cascade in regulating neuronal plasticity and pain hypersensitivity in specific regions of pain pathway, ie, dorsal root ganglion or spinal dorsal horn. Despite this, whether and how PKG-I in the ACC contributes to cingulate plasticity and comorbidity of chronic pain and aversive emotion has remained elusive. Here, we uncovered a crucial role of cingulate PKG-I in chronic pain and comorbid anxiety and depression. Chronic pain caused by tissue inflammation or nerve injury led to upregulation of PKG-I expression at both mRNA and protein levels in the ACC. Knockdown of ACC-PKG-I relieved pain hypersensitivity as well as pain-associated anxiety and depression. Further mechanistic analysis revealed that PKG-I might act to phosphorylate TRPC3 and TRPC6, leading to enhancement of calcium influx and neuronal hyperexcitability as well as synaptic potentiation, which results in the exaggerated pain response and comorbid anxiety and depression. We believe this study sheds new light on the functional capability of ACC-PKG-I in modulating chronic pain as well as pain-associated anxiety and depression. Hence, cingulate PKG-I may represent a new therapeutic target against chronic pain and pain-related anxiety and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao-Zhi Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Fei Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- Medical Experiment Center, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, China
| | - Zhi-Cheng Tian
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhen-Zhen Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wan-Neng Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hui Ding
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ting-Ting Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zi-Xuan Cao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- The Twenty-second Squadron of the Sixth Regiment, School of Basal Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hai-Tao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- The Fourteenth Squadron of the Fourth Regiment, School of Basal Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhi-Chuan Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xi'an Daxing Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Rou-Gang Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Sheng-Xi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhen-Xiang Pan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ceng Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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21
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Tesic I, Pigoni A, Moltrasio C, Brambilla P, Delvecchio G. How does feeling pain look like in depression: A review of functional neuroimaging studies. J Affect Disord 2023; 339:400-411. [PMID: 37459979 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Major Depression Disorder (MDD) and pain appear to be reciprocal risk factors and sharing common neuroanatomical pathways and biological substrates. However, the role of MDD on pain processing remains still unclear. Therefore, this review aims to focus on the effect of depression on pain anticipation, and perception, before and after treatment, through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). METHODS A bibliographic search was conducted on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science, looking for fMRI studies exploring pain processing in MDD patients. RESULTS Amongst the 602 studies retrieved, 12 met the inclusion criteria. In terms of pain perception, studies evidenced that MDD patients generally presented increased activation in brain regions within the prefrontal cortex, insula and in the limbic system (such as amygdala, hippocampus) and occipital cortex. The studies investigating the effect of antidepressant treatment evidenced a reduced activation in areas such as insula, anterior cingulate, and prefrontal cortices. In terms of pain anticipation, contrasting results were evidenced in MDD patients, which presented both increased and decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex, the insula and the temporal lobe, alongside with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, the frontal gyrus and occipital lobes. LIMITATIONS The small number of included studies, the heterogeneous approaches of the studies might limit the conclusions of this review. CONCLUSIONS Acute pain processing in MDD patients seems to involve numerous and different brain areas. However, more specific fMRI studies with a more homogeneous population and rigorous approach should be conducted to better highlight the effect of depression on pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isidora Tesic
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pigoni
- Social and Affective Neuroscience Group, MoMiLab, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Moltrasio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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22
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Sun Q, Weng RX, Li JH, Li YC, Xu JT, Li R, Lu X, Xu GY. Rab27a-mediated exosome secretion in anterior cingulate cortex contributes to colorectal visceral pain in adult mice with neonatal maternal deprivation. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2023; 325:G356-G367. [PMID: 37529842 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00029.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Chronic visceral pain is a common symptom of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Exosomes are involved in the development of pain. Rab27a can mediate the release of exosomes. The purpose of this study is to investigate how Rab27a-mediated exosome secretion in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) regulates visceral hyperalgesia induced with neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD) in adult mice. The colorectal distension method was adopted to measure visceral pain. The BCA protein assay kit was applied to detect the exosome protein concentration. Western blotting, quantitative PCR, and immunofluorescence technique were adopted to detect the expression of Rab27a and the markers of exosomes. Exosomes extracted from ACC were more in NMD mice than in control (CON) mice. Injection of the exosome-specific inhibitor GW4869 in ACC attenuated colorectal visceral pain of NMD mice. Injection of NMD-derived exosomes produced colorectal visceral pain in CON mice. Rab27a was upregulated in ACC of NMD mice. Rab27a was highly expressed in ACC neurons of NMD mice, rather than astrocytes and microglia. Injection of Rab27a-siRNA reduced the release of exosomes and attenuated the colorectal visceral pain in NMD mice. This study suggested that overexpression of Rab27a increased exosome secretion in ACC neurons, thus contributing to visceral hyperalgesia in NMD mice.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This work demonstrated that the expression of Rab27a in the anterior cingulate cortex was upregulated, which mediated multivesicular bodies trafficking to the plasma membrane and led to the increased release of neuronal exosomes, thus contributing to colorectal visceral pain in neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD) mice. Blocking the release of exosomes or downregulation of Rab27a could alleviate colorectal visceral pain in NMD mice. These data may provide a promising strategy for the treatment of visceral pain in irritable bowel syndrome patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui-Xia Weng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Hui Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Chang Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji-Tian Xu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Rui Li
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Lu
- Department of Oncology, Hai'an People's Hospital, Nantong, People's Republic of China
| | - Guang-Yin Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow University, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
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23
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Li J, Wang Y, Yang R, Ma W, Yan J, Li Y, Chen G, Pan J. Pain in Huntington's disease and its potential mechanisms. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1190563. [PMID: 37484692 PMCID: PMC10357841 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1190563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is common and frequent in many neurodegenerative diseases, although it has not received much attention. In Huntington's disease (HD), pain is often ignored and under-researched because attention is more focused on motor and cognitive decline than psychiatric symptoms. In HD progression, pain symptoms are complex and involved in multiple etiologies, particularly mental issues such as apathy, anxiety and irritability. Because of psychiatric issues, HD patients rarely complain of pain, although their bodies show severe pain symptoms, ultimately resulting in insufficient awareness and lack of research. In HD, few studies have focused on pain and pain-related features. A detailed and systemic pain history is crucial to assess and explore pain pathophysiology in HD. This review provides an overview concentrating on pain-related factors in HD, including neuropathology, frequency, features, affecting factors and mechanisms. More attention and studies are still needed in this interesting field in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajie Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Riyun Yang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Wenjun Ma
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - JunGuo Yan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Center for Basic Medical Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingying Pan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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24
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Liu RH, Zhang M, Xue M, Wang T, Lu JS, Li XH, Chen YX, Fan K, Shi W, Zhou SB, Chen QY, Kang L, Song Q, Yu S, Zhuo M. Inhibiting neuronal AC1 for treating anxiety and headache in the animal model of migraine. iScience 2023; 26:106790. [PMID: 37235050 PMCID: PMC10206497 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Migraines are a common medical condition. From a basic science point of view, the central mechanism for migraine and headache is largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that cortical excitatory transmission is significantly enhanced in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-a brain region which is critical for pain perception. Biochemical studies found that the phosphorylation levels of both the NMDA receptor GluN2B and AMPA receptor GluA1 were enhanced in ACC of migraine rats. Both the presynaptic release of glutamate and postsynaptic responses of AMPA receptors and NMDA receptors were enhanced. Synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) was occluded. Furthermore, behavioral anxiety and nociceptive responses were increased, which were reversed by application of AC1 inhibitor NB001 within ACC. Our results provide strong evidence that cortical LTPs contribute to migraine-related pain and anxiety. Drugs that inhibit cortical excitation such as NB001 may serve as potential medicines for treating migraine in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ren-Hao Liu
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Mingjie Zhang
- Department of Neurology, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Man Xue
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Jing-Shan Lu
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Xu-Hui Li
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Yu-Xin Chen
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Kexin Fan
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Wantong Shi
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Si-Bo Zhou
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Qi-Yu Chen
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Li Kang
- Department of Neurology, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Qian Song
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Core Facilities Sharing Platform, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Shengyuan Yu
- Department of Neurology, the First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Min Zhuo
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao 266000, China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
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Yan B, Tang S, Zhang Y, Xiao X. The Role of Glia Underlying Acupuncture Analgesia in Animal Pain Models: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PAIN MEDICINE 2023; 24:11-24. [PMID: 35916732 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnac115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As a traditional Chinese therapy, acupuncture is proposed worldwide as a treatment for pain and other health problems, but findings on acupuncture analgesia have been inconsistent because of its variable modalities of therapeutic intervention. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the existing animal studies for evidence on acupuncture and its effect on glia in association with a reduction in pain conditions. METHODS Literature searches were performed in four English- and Chinese-language databases (Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, and CNKI) on October 8, 2021. Included studies reported the pain outcome (e.g., paw withdrawal latency, paw withdrawal threshold) and glia outcome (e.g., glial marker GFPA, Iba1, and OX42) in pain-induced animals during acupuncture treatment. RESULTS Fifty-two preclinical studies were included in the meta-analysis. A single acupuncture treatment in rodents had an analgesic effect, which was more effective in inflammatory pain than in neuropathic pain in the early phase of treatment. The analgesic efficacy became more curative after repeated acupuncture. Furthermore, acupuncture treatment could effectively inhibit the activity of astrocytes and microglia in both inflammatory pain and neuropathic pain in a time-course pattern. CONCLUSIONS Acupuncture treatment improves analgesic effect in rodent pain conditions under the possible mechanism of glial inhibition. Therefore, these results provide an opportunity to evaluate the effectiveness of acupuncture analgesia and neuroinflammation in animal models to research further neurobiological mechanisms and to inform the design of future clinical trials. STUDY REGISTRATION PROSPERO (ID: CRD42020196011).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Yan
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Ministry of Education; Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengyu Tang
- School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuqiu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Jing'an District Centre Hospital of Shanghai, Institutes of Brain Science; Institutes of Integrative Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Ministry of Education; Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence; MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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26
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Robertson JW, Aristi G, Hashmi JA. White matter microstructure predicts measures of clinical symptoms in chronic back pain patients. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 37:103309. [PMID: 36621020 PMCID: PMC9850203 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Chronic back pain (CBP) has extensive clinical and social implications for its sufferers and is a major source of disability. Chronic pain has previously been shown to have central neural factors underpinning it, including the loss of white matter (WM), however traditional methods of analyzing WM microstructure have produced mixed and unclear results. To better understand these factors, we assessed the WM microstructure of 50 patients and 40 healthy controls (HC) using diffusion-weighted imaging. The data were analyzed using fixel-based analysis (FBA), a higher-order diffusion modelling technique applied to CBP for the first time here. Subjects also answered questionnaires relating to pain, disability, catastrophizing, and mood disorders, to establish the relationship between fixelwise metrics and clinical symptoms. FBA determined that, compared to HC, CBP patients had: 1) lower fibre density (FD) in several tracts, specifically the right anterior and bilateral superior thalamic radiations, right spinothalamic tract, right middle cerebellar peduncle, and the body and splenium of corpus callosum; 2) higher FD in the genu of corpus callosum; and 3) lower FDC - a combined fibre density and cross-section measure - in the bilateral spinothalamic tracts and right anterior thalamic radiation. Exploratory correlations showed strong negative relationships between fixelwise metrics and clinical questionnaire scores, especially pain catastrophizing. These results have important implications for the intake and processing of sensory data in CBP that warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Robertson
- Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1276 South Park St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada; Nova Scotia Health Authority, 1276 South Park St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada.
| | - Guillermo Aristi
- Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1276 South Park St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada; Nova Scotia Health Authority, 1276 South Park St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada
| | - Javeria A Hashmi
- Department of Anesthesia, Pain Management and Perioperative Medicine, Dalhousie University, 1276 South Park St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada; Nova Scotia Health Authority, 1276 South Park St., Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 2Y9, Canada.
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27
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Zhang TT, Guo SS, Wang HY, Jing Q, Yi X, Hu ZH, Yu XR, Xu TL, Liu MG, Zhao X. An Anterior Cingulate Cortex-to-Midbrain Projection Controls Chronic Itch in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2022; 39:793-807. [PMID: 36528690 PMCID: PMC10169993 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00996-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractItch is an unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. While acute itch serves as a protective system to warn the body of external irritating agents, chronic itch is a debilitating but poorly-treated clinical disease leading to repetitive scratching and skin lesions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic itch remain mysterious. Here, we identified a cell type-dependent role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in controlling chronic itch-related excessive scratching behaviors in mice. Moreover, we delineated a neural circuit originating from excitatory neurons of the ACC to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that was critically involved in chronic itch. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ACC→VTA circuit also selectively modulated histaminergic acute itch. Finally, the ACC neurons were shown to predominantly innervate the non-dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. Taken together, our findings uncover a cortex–midbrain circuit for chronic itch-evoked scratching behaviors and shed novel insights on therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Su-Shan Guo
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Hui-Ying Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Qi Jing
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Xin Yi
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zi-Han Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Xin-Ren Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Ming-Gang Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China.
| | - Xuan Zhao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China.
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Wang JH, Wu C, Lian YN, Liu L, Li XY. Targeting long-term depression of excitatory synaptic transmission for the treatment of neuropathic pain. FEBS J 2022; 289:7334-7342. [PMID: 34528400 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16200] [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: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Injury or disease in the somatosensory nervous system may cause broad molecular changes and lead to neuropathic pain. Excitatory synaptic transmission in somatosensory pathways conveys the somatosensory information from the peripheral to the central nervous system. Long-term effects of excitatory synaptic transmission on the pain pathway contribute to neuropathic pain hypersensitivity. Synaptic strength is dynamically regulated and undergoes bidirectional changes, manifested by two primary forms of synaptic plasticity, long-term potentiation and long-term depression (LTD), which are mediated by insertion and endocytosis of amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (AMPARs), respectively. Molecular mechanisms of LTP have been extensively studied; on the other hand, the role of AMPAR endocytosis in the pain-related synaptic enhancement is less well known. Recent research in the anterior cingulate cortex reveals that loss of LTD contributes to the maintenance of neuropathic pain, which provides the novel perspective of the mechanism of LTD also being critical for maintaining neuropathic pain. More importantly, exploring the molecular mechanism of LTD may help with the development of novel analgesic strategies to manage neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Hua Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Na Lian
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li Liu
- Core Facilities of the School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiang-Yao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
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29
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Jiao X, Yuan M, Li Q, Huang Y, Ji M, Li J, Yan S, Sun H, Wang X, Pan Z, Ren Q, Wang D, Wang G. Brain Morphological and Functional Changes in Adenomyosis with Pain: A Resting State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11185286. [PMID: 36142933 PMCID: PMC9504732 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11185286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The absence of clinically objective methods to evaluate adenomyosis-associated pain and the poor understanding of its pathophysiology lead to treatment limitations. We conducted a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study with 49 patients with pain-related adenomyosis and 30 pain-free controls to investigate brain morphological alterations and regional dysfunctions in patients with pain-related adenomyosis. These patients had significantly higher scores for anxiety and depression than the control group (p < 0.05). They also had a lower gray matter volume (GMV) in the bilateral insula, left angular gyrus, precuneus, left inferior temporal gyrus, and left postcentral gyrus (p < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Similarly, decreased voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity was observed in the bilateral insula, posterior cingulate cortex, middle frontal gyrus, and postcentral gyrus in the adenomyosis patient group (p < 0.05, AlphaSim corrected). Regional homogeneity showed significant differences mainly in the bilateral cerebellum, left inferior frontal gyrus, medial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate gyrus. Correlation analysis showed that the degree of depression in patients with adenomyosis was negatively correlated with the GMV of the left angular gyrus. The results show that these patients exhibited changes in multiple brain regions associated with pain as well as emotion perception and processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Jiao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Ming Yuan
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
| | - Qiuju Li
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
| | - Yufei Huang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Miaomiao Ji
- Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Shandong Province, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Shumin Yan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Hao Sun
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Zangyu Pan
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Qianhui Ren
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (D.W.); (G.W.); Tel.: +86-185-6008-1661 (D.W.); +86-185-6008-1729 (G.W.)
| | - Guoyun Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
- Medical Integration and Practice Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
- Correspondence: (D.W.); (G.W.); Tel.: +86-185-6008-1661 (D.W.); +86-185-6008-1729 (G.W.)
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30
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Zhang J, Zhang X, Li L, Bai L, Gao Y, Yang Y, Wang L, Qiao Y, Wang X, Xu JT. Activation of Double-Stranded RNA-Activated Protein Kinase in the Dorsal Root Ganglia and Spinal Dorsal Horn Regulates Neuropathic Pain Following Peripheral Nerve Injury in Rats. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1381-1400. [PMID: 35655111 PMCID: PMC9587175 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01255-2] [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] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-activated kinase (PKR) is an important component in inflammation and immune dysfunction. However, the role of PKR in neuropathic pain remains unclear. Here, we showed that lumbar 5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL) led to a significant increase in the level of phosphorylated PKR (p-PKR) in both the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn. Images of double immunofluorescence staining revealed that p-PKR was expressed in myelinated A-fibers, unmyelinated C-fibers, and satellite glial cells in the DRG. In the dorsal horn, p-PKR was located in neuronal cells, astrocytes, and microglia. Data from behavioral tests showed that intrathecal (i.t.) injection of 2-aminopurine (2-AP), a specific inhibitor of PKR activation, and PKR siRNA prevented the reductions in PWT and PWL following SNL. Established neuropathic pain was also attenuated by i.t. injection of 2-AP and PKR siRNA, which started on day 7 after SNL. Prior repeated i.t. injections of PKR siRNA prevented the SNL-induced degradation of IκBα and IκBβ in the cytosol and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 in both the DRG and dorsal horn. Moreover, the SNL-induced increase in interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production was diminished by this treatment. Collectively, these results suggest that peripheral nerve injury-induced PKR activation via NF-κB signaling-regulated expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the DRG and dorsal horn contributes to the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Our findings suggest that pharmacologically targeting PKR might be an effective therapeutic strategy for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Xuan Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Liren Li
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Liying Bai
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhengzhou University, 1 Jianshe East Road, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Yin Yang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Yiming Qiao
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Xueli Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Ji-Tian Xu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Zhengzhou University, 100 Science Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
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31
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Behavioral and receptor expression studies on the primary somatosensory cortex and anterior cingulate cortex oxytocin involvement in modulation of sensory and affective dimensions of neuropathic pain induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation in rats. Physiol Behav 2022; 251:113818. [PMID: 35443199 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113818] [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: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain cortical areas are involved in processing of sensory, affective and cognitive aspects of pain. In the present study, microinjection effects of oxytocin and L-368,899 (an oxytocin receptor antagonist) into the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were investigated on sensory and affective aspects of neuropathic pain. METHODS Neuropathic pain was induced by partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL). Seven days later, right and left sides of S1 and ACC were surgically implanted with guide cannulas. Sensory (day 14) and affective (day 17) dimensions were recorded using von Frey filaments and place escape avoidance paradigm, respectively. The S1 and ACC oxytocin receptor protein expression were also determined. RESULTS The S1 and ACC oxytocin suppressed PSNL-induced mechanical allodynia, whereas PSNL-induced aversion was attenuated by ACC oxytocin. In the S1, alone L-368,899 with no effect on aversion increased mechanical allodynia, whereas, in the ACC, this treatment increased both mechanical allodynia and aversion. Pre-treatment with L-368,899 prevented oxytocin-induced anti-allodynia and anti-aversion. Oxytocin and L-368,899 did not alter mechanical allodynia in intact and sham groups. All the above-mentioned treatments did not change crossing number. The density of oxytocin receptors in the S1 and ACC of PSNL group was increased 1.5-2 folds in comparison to intact and sham groups. CONCLUSIONS The results of the present study explained that the ACC and S1 oxytocin ameliorated sensory component of neuropathic pain, whereas affective component was attenuated only by ACC oxytocin. These effects might be related to the PSNL-increased oxytocin receptor expression in the S1 and ACC.
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Neuroimmune Mechanisms Underlying Neuropathic Pain: The Potential Role of TNF-α-Necroptosis Pathway. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23137191. [PMID: 35806192 PMCID: PMC9266916 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23137191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuroimmune mechanism underlying neuropathic pain has been extensively studied. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), a key pro-inflammatory cytokine that drives cytokine storm and stimulates a cascade of other cytokines in pain-related pathways, induces and modulates neuropathic pain by facilitating peripheral (primary afferents) and central (spinal cord) sensitization. Functionally, TNF-α controls the balance between cell survival and death by inducing an inflammatory response and two programmed cell death mechanisms (apoptosis and necroptosis). Necroptosis, a novel form of programmed cell death, is receiving increasing attraction and may trigger neuroinflammation to promote neuropathic pain. Chronic pain is often accompanied by adverse pain-associated emotional reactions and cognitive disorders. Overproduction of TNF-α in supraspinal structures such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and hippocampus plays an important role in pain-associated emotional disorders and memory deficits and also participates in the modulation of pain transduction. At present, studies reporting on the role of the TNF-α–necroptosis pathway in pain-related disorders are lacking. This review indicates the important research prospects of this pathway in pain modulation based on its role in anxiety, depression and memory deficits associated with other neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, we have summarized studies related to the underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain mediated by TNF-α and discussed the role of the TNF-α–necroptosis pathway in detail, which may represent an avenue for future therapeutic intervention.
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33
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Deep Brain Stimulation, Stereotactic Radiosurgery and High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Targeting the Limbic Pain Matrix: A Comprehensive Review. Pain Ther 2022; 11:459-476. [PMID: 35471626 PMCID: PMC9098763 DOI: 10.1007/s40122-022-00381-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain (CP) represents a socio-economic burden for affected patients along with therapeutic challenges for currently available therapies. When conventional therapies fail, modulation of the affective pain matrix using reversible deep brain stimulation (DBS) or targeted irreversible thalamotomy by stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) appear to be considerable treatment options. We performed a literature search for clinical trials targeting the affective pain circuits (thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], ventral striatum [VS]/internal capsule [IC]). PubMed, Ovid, MEDLINE and Scopus were searched (1990–2021) using the terms “chronic pain”, “deep brain stimulation”, “stereotactic radiosurgery”, “radioneuromodulation”, “MR-guided focused ultrasound”, “affective pain modulation”, “pain attention”. In patients with CP treated with DBS, SRS or MRgFUS the somatosensory thalamus and periventricular/periaquaeductal grey was the target of choice in most treated subjects, while affective pain transmission was targeted in a considerably lower number (DBS, SRS) consisting of the following nodi of the limbic pain matrix: the anterior cingulate cortex; centromedian-parafascicularis of the thalamus, pars posterior of the central lateral nucleus and internal capsule/ventral striatum. Although DBS, SRS and MRgFUS promoted a meaningful and sustained pain relief, an effective, evidence-based comparative analysis is biased by heterogeneity of the observation period varying between 3 months and 5 years with different stimulation patterns (monopolar/bipolar contact configuration; frequency 10–130 Hz; intensity 0.8–5 V; amplitude 90–330 μs), source and occurrence of lesioning (radiation versus ultrasound) and chronic pain ethology (poststroke pain, plexus injury, facial pain, phantom limb pain, back pain). The advancement of neurotherapeutics (MRgFUS) and novel DBS targets (ACC, IC/VS), along with established and effective stereotactic therapies (DBS–SRS), increases therapeutic options to impact CP by modulating affective, pain-attentional neural transmission. Differences in trial concept, outcome measures, targets and applied technique promote conflicting findings and limited evidence. Hence, we advocate to raise awareness of the potential therapeutic usefulness of each approach covering their advantages and disadvantages, including such parameters as invasiveness, risk–benefit ratio, reversibility and responsiveness.
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34
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Ma Q. A functional subdivision within the somatosensory system and its implications for pain research. Neuron 2022; 110:749-769. [PMID: 35016037 PMCID: PMC8897275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Somatosensory afferents are traditionally classified by soma size, myelination, and their response specificity to external and internal stimuli. Here, we propose the functional subdivision of the nociceptive somatosensory system into two branches. The exteroceptive branch detects external threats and drives reflexive-defensive reactions to prevent or limit injury. The interoceptive branch senses the disruption of body integrity, produces tonic pain with strong aversive emotional components, and drives self-caring responses toward to the injured region to reduce suffering. The central thesis behind this functional subdivision comes from a reflection on the dilemma faced by the pain research field, namely, the use of reflexive-defensive behaviors as surrogate assays for interoceptive tonic pain. The interpretation of these assays is now being challenged by the discovery of distinct but interwoven circuits that drive exteroceptive versus interoceptive types of behaviors, with the conflation of these two components contributing partially to the poor translation of therapies from preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiufu Ma
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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35
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Ren D, Li JN, Qiu XT, Wan FP, Wu ZY, Fan BY, Zhang MM, Chen T, Li H, Bai Y, Li YQ. Anterior Cingulate Cortex Mediates Hyperalgesia and Anxiety Induced by Chronic Pancreatitis in Rats. Neurosci Bull 2021; 38:342-358. [PMID: 34907496 PMCID: PMC9068840 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00800-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Central sensitization is essential in maintaining chronic pain induced by chronic pancreatitis (CP), but cortical modulation of painful CP remains elusive. Here, we examined the role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the pathogenesis of abdominal hyperalgesia in a rat model of CP induced by intraductal administration of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). TNBS treatment resulted in long-term abdominal hyperalgesia and anxiety in rats. Morphological data indicated that painful CP induced a significant increase in FOS-expressing neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and ACC, and some FOS-expressing neurons in the NTS projected to the ACC. In addition, a larger portion of ascending fibers from the NTS innervated pyramidal neurons, the neural subpopulation primarily expressing FOS under the condition of painful CP, rather than GABAergic neurons within the ACC. CP rats showed increased expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1, and increased membrane trafficking and phosphorylation of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) subunit NR2B and the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid receptor (AMPAR) subunit GluR1 within the ACC. Microinjection of NMDAR and AMPAR antagonists into the ACC to block excitatory synaptic transmission significantly attenuated abdominal hyperalgesia in CP rats, which was similar to the analgesic effect of endomorphins injected into the ACC. Specifically inhibiting the excitability of ACC pyramidal cells via chemogenetics reduced both hyperalgesia and comorbid anxiety, whereas activating these neurons via optogenetics failed to aggravate hyperalgesia and anxiety in CP rats. Taken together, these findings provide neurocircuit, biochemical, and behavioral evidence for involvement of the ACC in hyperalgesia and anxiety in CP rats, as well as novel insights into the cortical modulation of painful CP, and highlights the ACC as a potential target for neuromodulatory interventions in the treatment of painful CP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Ren
- Department of Anatomy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 510000, China.,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jia-Ni Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Xin-Tong Qiu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Fa-Ping Wan
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.,Department of Anatomy, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Zhen-Yu Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Bo-Yuan Fan
- Department of Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710004, China
| | - Ming-Ming Zhang
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yang Bai
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China. .,Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang, 110016, China.
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 510000, China. .,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China. .,Key Laboratory of Brain Science Research and Transformation in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Haikou, 570216, China. .,Department of Human Anatomy, College of Basic Medicine, Dali University, Dali, 671000, China.
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Gui SG, Chen RB, Zhong YL, Huang X. Machine Learning Analysis Reveals Abnormal Static and Dynamic Low-Frequency Oscillations Indicative of Long-Term Menstrual Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea Patients. J Pain Res 2021; 14:3377-3386. [PMID: 34737632 PMCID: PMC8558045 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s332224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous neuroimaging studies demonstrated that patients with primary dysmenorrhea (PD) exhibited dysfunctional resting-state brain activity. However, alterations of dynamic brain activity in PD patients have not been fully characterized. PURPOSE Our study aimed to assess the effect of long-term menstrual pain on changes in static and dynamic neural activity in PD patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS Twenty-eight PD patients and 28 healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state magnetic resonance imaging scans. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and dynamic ALFF was used as classification features in a machine learning approach involving a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. RESULTS Compared with the HC group, PD patients showed significantly increased ALFF values in the right cerebellum_crus2, right rectus, left supplementary motor area, right superior frontal gyrus, right supplementary motor area, and left superior frontal medial gyrus. Additionally, PD patients showed significantly decreased ALFF values in the right middle temporal gyrus and left thalamus. PD patients also showed significantly increased dALFF values in the right fusiform, Vermis_10, right middle temporal gyrus, right putamen, right insula, left thalamus, right precentral gyrus, and right postcentral gyrus. Based on ALFF and dALFF values, the SVM classifier achieved respective overall accuracies of 96.36% and 85.45% and respective areas under the curve of 1.0 and 0.95. CONCLUSION PD patients demonstrated abnormal static and dynamic brain activities that involved the default mode network, sensorimotor network, and pain-related subcortical nuclei. Moreover, ALFF and dALFF may offer sensitive biomarkers for distinguishing patients with PD from HCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shao-Gao Gui
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Radiology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ri-Bo Chen
- Department of Radiology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yu-Lin Zhong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Jiangxi Provincial People’s Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330006, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China
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