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Drinovac Vlah V, Bach-Rojecky L. Mirror-Image Pain Update: Complex Interactions Between Central and Peripheral Mechanisms. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04102-x. [PMID: 38602655 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04102-x] [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: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
The appearance of contralateral effects after unilateral injury has been shown in various experimental pain models, as well as in clinics. They consist of a diversity of phenomena in contralateral peripheral nerves, sensory ganglia, or spinal cord: from structural changes and altered gene or protein expression to functional consequences such as the development of mirror-image pain (MP). Although MP is a well-documented phenomenon, the exact molecular mechanism underlying the induction and maintenance of mirror-like spread of pain is still an unresolved challenge. MP has generally been explained by central sensitization mechanisms leading to facilitation of pain impulse transfer through neural connections between the two sides of the central nervous system. On the contrary, the peripheral nervous system (PNS) was usually regarded unlikely to evoke such a symmetrical phenomenon. However, recent findings provided evidence that events in the PNS could play a significant role in MP induction. This manuscript provides an updated and comprehensive synthesis of the MP phenomenon and summarizes the available data on the mechanisms. A more detailed focus is placed on reported evidence for peripheral mechanisms behind the MP phenomenon, which were not reviewed up to now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Višnja Drinovac Vlah
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Domagojeva 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Lidija Bach-Rojecky
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Zagreb Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry, Domagojeva 2, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia.
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Choi SR, Lee J, Moon JY, Baek SJ, Lee JH. NAG-1/GDF-15 Transgenic Female Mouse Shows Delayed Peak Period of the Second Phase Nociception in Formalin-induced Inflammatory Pain. Exp Neurobiol 2023; 32:247-258. [PMID: 37749926 PMCID: PMC10569140 DOI: 10.5607/en23019] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug-activated gene-1 (NAG-1), also known as growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), is associated with cancer, diabetes, and inflammation, while there is limited understanding of the role of NAG-1 in nociception. Here, we examined the nociceptive behaviors of NAG-1 transgenic (TG) mice and wild-type (WT) littermates. Mechanical sensitivity was evaluated by using the von Frey filament test, and thermal sensitivity was assessed by the hot-plate, Hargreaves, and acetone tests. c-Fos, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 (Iba-1) immunoreactivity was examined in the spinal cord following observation of the formalin-induced nociceptive behaviors. There was no difference in mechanical or thermal sensitivity for NAG-1 TG and WT mice. Intraplantar formalin injection induced nociceptive behaviors in both male and female NAG-1 TG and WT mice. The peak period in the second phase was delayed in NAG-1 TG female mice compared with that of WT female mice, while there was no difference in the cumulative time of nociceptive behaviors between the two groups of mice. Formalin increased spinal c-Fos immunoreactivity in both TG and WT female mice. Neither GFAP nor Iba-1 immunoreactivity was increased in the spinal cord of TG and WT female mice. These findings indicate that NAG-1 TG mice have comparable baseline sensitivity to mechanical and thermal stimulation as WT mice and that NAG-1 in female mice may have an inhibitory effect on the second phase of inflammatory pain. Therefore, it could be a novel target to inhibit central nervous system response in pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheu-Ran Choi
- Department of Pharmacology, Catholic Kwandong University College of Medicine, Gangneung 25601, Korea
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jaehak Lee
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Ji-Young Moon
- Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency, Gimcheon 39660, Korea
| | - Seung Joon Baek
- Laboratory of Signal Transduction, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
| | - Jang-Hern Lee
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Research Institute for Veterinary Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
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Guo D, Kan S, Zhang L, Niu Z, Duan M, Liu Y, Pu X, Bai M, Pi C, Zhang D, Zhou C, Xie J. IL-10 enhances cell-to-cell communication in chondrocytes via STAT3 signaling pathway. Cell Signal 2023; 105:110605. [PMID: 36681291 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) allows the transfer of material, message and energy between cells, which influences cell behaviors including cell proliferation, migration, differentiation and apoptosis and determines cell fate. Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a versatile cytokine, attracts more and more attention in the cartilage pathology such as osteoarthritis (OA) due to its potential in anti-inflammation and wound repair. However, whether IL-10 can mediate GJIC in chondrocytes remains elusive. In the current study, we aimed to explore the role of IL-10 on GJIC and its underlying mechanism. We found that IL-10 can promote GJIC in living chondrocytes. IL-10-enhanced GJIC in chondrocytes was dependent on the up-regulation of connexin 43 (Cx43). Knockdown experiment based on siRNA interference then confirmed that IL-10-enhanced GJIC required participation of IL-10 receptor 1 (IL-10R1). IL-10 activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling and promoted the nuclear accumulation of p-STAT3 through IL-10 receptor 1. Inhibitor experiment further confirmed the importance of STAT3 signaling in IL-10-mediated GJIC. Taking together, our results provided a thorough process of IL-10-modulated cell-to-cell communication in chondrocytes and established a bridge between inflammatory factor, IL-10, and GJIC, which can increase our understanding about the physiology and pathology of cartilage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daimo Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shiyi Kan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhixing Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mengmeng Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaohua Pu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingru Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Caixia Pi
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Demao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chenchen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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Morita M, Watanabe S, Nomura N, Takano-Matsuzaki K, Oyama M, Iwai T, Tanabe M. Sulfatide-selectin signaling in the spinal cord induces mechanical allodynia. J Neurochem 2023; 164:658-670. [PMID: 36528843 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15743] [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: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Sulfatide is a sulfated glycosphingolipid that is present abundantly in myelin sheaths of the brain and spinal cord. It is synthesized by a cerebroside sulfotransferase encoded by Gal3st1, which catalyzes the transfer of sulfate from 3'-phosphoadenylylsulfate to galactosylceramide. We previously reported that Gal3st1 gene expression in the spinal cord is up-regulated 1 day after intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), indicating that sulfatide is involved in inflammatory pain. In the present study, we found that intrathecal injection of sulfatide led to mechanical allodynia. Sulfatide caused levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and nitric oxide in the spinal cord to increase. Mechanical allodynia induced by intrathecal injection of sulfatide was blocked by nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and by suppression of astrocyte activation by L-α-aminoadipate. These results suggest that sulfatide-induced mechanical allodynia involved glial activation and nitric oxide production. Blocking selectin, a sulfatide-binding protein, with bimosiamose attenuated sulfatide-induced allodynia and ameliorated CFA-induced mechanical allodynia during inflammatory pain. Finally, elevated levels of sulfatide concentration in the spinal cord were observed during CFA-induced inflammatory pain. The elevated sulfatide levels enhanced selectin activation in the spinal cord, resulting in mechanical allodynia. Our data suggest that sulfatide-selectin interaction plays a key role in inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motoki Morita
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shun Watanabe
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Natsumi Nomura
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanako Takano-Matsuzaki
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Misa Oyama
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Iwai
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Tanabe
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan.,Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Tokyo, Japan
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Chen YL, Feng XL, Cheung CW, Liu JA. Mode of action of astrocytes in pain: From the spinal cord to the brain. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 219:102365. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Li QY, Chen SX, Liu JY, Yao PW, Duan YW, Li YY, Zang Y. Neuroinflammation in the anterior cingulate cortex: the potential supraspinal mechanism underlying the mirror-image pain following motor fiber injury. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:162. [PMID: 35725625 PMCID: PMC9210588 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02525-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Peripheral nerve inflammation or lesion can affect contralateral healthy structures, and thus result in mirror-image pain. Supraspinal structures play important roles in the occurrence of mirror pain. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a first-order cortical region that responds to painful stimuli. In the present study, we systematically investigate and compare the neuroimmune changes in the bilateral ACC region using unilateral- (spared nerve injury, SNI) and mirror-(L5 ventral root transection, L5-VRT) pain models, aiming to explore the potential supraspinal neuroimmune mechanism underlying the mirror-image pain. Methods The up-and-down method with von Frey hairs was used to measure the mechanical allodynia. Viral injections for the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) were used to modulate ACC glutamatergic neurons. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blotting, protein microarray were used to detect the regulation of inflammatory signaling. Results Increased expressions of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and chemokine CX3CL1 in ACC induced by unilateral nerve injury were observed on the contralateral side in the SNI group but on the bilateral side in the L5-VRT group, representing a stronger immune response to L5-VRT surgery. In remote ACC, both SNI and L5-VRT induced robust bilateral increase in the protein level of Nav1.6 (SCN8A), a major voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) that regulates neuronal activity in the mammalian nervous system. However, the L5-VRT-induced Nav1.6 response occurred at PO 3d, earlier than the SNI-induced one, 7 days after surgery. Modulating ACC glutamatergic neurons via DREADD-Gq or DREADD-Gi greatly changed the ACC CX3CL1 levels and the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold. Neutralization of endogenous ACC CX3CL1 by contralateral anti-CX3CL1 antibody attenuated the induction and the maintenance of mechanical allodynia and eliminated the upregulation of CX3CL1, TNF-α and Nav1.6 protein levels in ACC induced by SNI. Furthermore, contralateral ACC anti-CX3CL1 also inhibited the expression of ipsilateral spinal c-Fos, Iba1, CD11b, TNF-α and IL-6. Conclusions The descending facilitation function mediated by CX3CL1 and its downstream cascade may play a pivotal role, leading to enhanced pain sensitization and even mirror-image pain. Strategies that target chemokine-mediated ACC hyperexcitability may lead to novel therapies for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-022-02525-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-Yun Li
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Shao-Xia Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yu Liu
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei-Wen Yao
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Wen Duan
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Yong Li
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Zang
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
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How Is Peripheral Injury Signaled to Satellite Glial Cells in Sensory Ganglia? Cells 2022; 11:cells11030512. [PMID: 35159321 PMCID: PMC8833977 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Injury or inflammation in the peripheral branches of neurons of sensory ganglia causes changes in neuronal properties, including excessive firing, which may underlie chronic pain. The main types of glial cell in these ganglia are satellite glial cells (SGCs), which completely surround neuronal somata. SGCs undergo activation following peripheral lesions, which can enhance neuronal firing. How neuronal injury induces SGC activation has been an open question. Moreover, the mechanisms by which the injury is signaled from the periphery to the ganglia are obscure and may include electrical conduction, axonal and humoral transport, and transmission at the spinal level. We found that peripheral inflammation induced SGC activation and that the messenger between injured neurons and SGCs was nitric oxide (NO), acting by elevating cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in SGCs. These results, together with work from other laboratories, indicate that a plausible (but not exclusive) mechanism for neuron-SGCs interactions can be formulated as follows: Firing due to peripheral injury induces NO formation in neuronal somata, which diffuses to SGCs. This stimulates cGMP synthesis in SGCs, leading to their activation and to other changes, which contribute to neuronal hyperexcitability and pain. Other mediators such as proinflammatory cytokines probably also contribute to neuron-SGC communications.
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Ma Q, Chen X, Sun J, Wang L, Jiang W, Zhang X, Chen S. Complete Freund's adjuvant-induced protein dysregulation correlated with mirror image pain as assessed by quantitative proteomics of the mouse spinal cord. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 589:23-28. [PMID: 34883286 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.11.032] [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: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Inflammation or trauma occurring on one side of the body can cause pathological pain on the contralateral noninjured side in a phenomenon called mirror-image pain (MIP). Although some potential mechanisms involved in MIP have been reported, including those involving the immune system and glial cells as well as neural mechanisms, the molecular mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms in MIP using quantitative proteomics and whole-cell patch clamp recordings. Behavioral test results showed that complete Freund's adjuvant could induce MIP in the mice. The results of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) quantitative proteomics showed that 108 proteins were dysregulated, and these proteins may represent potential targets. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis was applied to explore the potential molecular mechanisms during MIP after complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) treatment. Parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) results showed that PKCδ and seven other dysregulated proteins were related to MIP after CFA treatment. Patch clamp recording results showed that CFA treatment could increase intrinsic excitability and spontaneous firing in spinal cord neurons during MIP. In summary, we found that CFA could induce MIP. The results of proteomic research on the spinal cord after CFA treatment could provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms of MIP. Moreover, the neuronal activity of spinal cord neurons was upregulated during MIP after CFA treatment. In summary, the results of the spinal cord proteomic profile provide a potential molecular mechanism for understanding MIP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Ma
- School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150001, China; Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Jinli Sun
- Department of Reproduction, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Li Wang
- Office, Luohu District Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, 518000, China
| | - Weichao Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China
| | - Xi Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen People's Second Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
| | - Sifang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361003, China.
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Hu SW, Zhang Q, Xia SH, Zhao WN, Li QZ, Yang JX, An S, Ding HL, Zhang H, Cao JL. Contralateral Projection of Anterior Cingulate Cortex Contributes to Mirror-Image Pain. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9988-10003. [PMID: 34642215 PMCID: PMC8638682 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0881-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term limb nerve injury often leads to mirror-image pain (MIP), an abnormal pain sensation in the limb contralateral to the injury. Although it is clear that MIP is mediated in part by central nociception processing, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a key brain region that receives relayed peripheral nociceptive information from the contralateral limb. In this study, we induced MIP in male mice, in which a unilateral chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) induced a decreased nociceptive threshold in both hind limbs and an increased number of c-Fos-expressing neurons in the ACC both contralateral and ipsilateral to the injured limb. Using viral-mediated projection mapping, we observed that a portion of ACC neurons formed monosynaptic connections with contralateral ACC neurons. Furthermore, the number of cross-callosal projection ACC neurons that exhibited c-Fos signal was increased in MIP-expressing mice, suggesting enhanced transmission between ACC neurons of the two hemispheres. Moreover, selective inhibition of the cross-callosal projection ACC neurons contralateral to the injured limb normalized the nociceptive sensation of the uninjured limb without affecting the increased nociceptive sensation of the injured limb in CCI mice. In contrast, inhibition of the non-cross-callosal projection ACC neurons contralateral to the injury normalized the nociceptive sensation of the injured limb without affecting the MIP exhibited in the uninjured limb. These results reveal a circuit mechanism, namely, the cross-callosal projection of ACC between two hemispheres, that contributes to MIP and possibly other forms of contralateral migration of pain sensation.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mirror-image pain (MIP) refers to the increased pain sensitivity of the contralateral body part in patients with chronic pain. This pathology requires central processing, yet the mechanisms are less known. Here, we demonstrate that the cross-callosal projection neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contralateral to the injury contribute to MIP exhibited in the uninjured limb, but do not affect nociceptive sensation of the injured limb. In contrast, the non-cross-callosal projection neurons in the ACC contralateral to the injury contribute to nociceptive sensation of the injured limb, but do not affect MIP exhibited in the uninjured limb. Our study depicts a novel cross-callosal projection of ACC that contributes to MIP, providing a central mechanism for MIP in chronic pain state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Wan Hu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Sun-Hui Xia
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Wei-Nan Zhao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Qi-Ze Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jun-Xia Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Shuming An
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221002, China
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Lee JH, Ji H, Ko SG, Kim W. JI017 Attenuates Oxaliplatin-Induced Cold Allodynia via Spinal TRPV1 and Astrocytes Inhibition in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8811. [PMID: 34445514 PMCID: PMC8396301 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxaliplatin, a well-known chemotherapeutic agent, can induce severe neuropathic pain, which can seriously decrease the quality of life of patients. JI017 is an herb mixture composed of Aconitum carmichaelii, Angelica gigas, and Zingiber officinale. Its anti-tumor effect has been reported; however, the efficacy of JI017 against oxaliplatin-induced allodynia has never been explored. Single oxaliplatin injection [6 mg/kg, intraperitoneal, (i.p.)] induced both cold and mechanical allodynia, and oral administration of JI017 (500 mg/kg) alleviated cold but not mechanical allodynia in mice. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated that the upregulation of mRNA of spinal transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and astrocytes following oxaliplatin injection was downregulated after JI017 treatment. Moreover, TRPV1 expression and the activation of astrocytes were intensely increased in the superficial area of the spinal dorsal horn after oxaliplatin treatment, whereas JI017 suppressed both. The administration of TRPV1 antagonist [capsazepine, intrathecal (i.t.), 10 μg] attenuated the activation of astrocytes in the dorsal horn, demonstrating that the functions of spinal TRPV1 and astrocytes are closely related in oxaliplatin-induced neuropathic pain. Altogether, these results suggest that JI017 may be a potent candidate for the management of oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy as it decreases pain, spinal TRPV1, and astrocyte activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Hwan Lee
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Hyunseung Ji
- Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Seong-Gyu Ko
- Korean Medicine-Based Drug Repositioning Cancer Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
| | - Woojin Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
- Department of East-West Medicine, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
- Korean Medicine-Based Drug Repositioning Cancer Research Center, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea;
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11
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Charvériat M, Mouthon F, Rein W, Verkhratsky A. Connexins as therapeutic targets in neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2021; 1867:166098. [PMID: 33545299 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2021.166098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes represent the reticular part of the central nervous system; gap junctions formed by connexins Cx43, Cx30- and Cx26 provide for homocellular astrocyte-astrocyte coupling, whereas connexins Cx30, Cx32, Cx43, and Cx47 connect astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Astroglial networks are anatomically and functionally segregated being homologous to neuronal ensembles. Connexons, gap junctions and hemichannels (unpaired connexons) are affected in various neuropathologies from neuropsychiatric to neurodegenerative diseases. Manipulation of astrocytic connexins modulates the size and outreach of astroglial syncytia thus affecting astroglial homeostatic support. Modulation of astrocytic connexin significantly modifies pharmacological profile of many CNS drugs, which represents an innovative therapeutic approach for CNS disorders; this approach is now actively tested in pre-clinical and clinical studies. Wide combination of connexin modulators with CNS drugs open new promising perspectives for fundamental studies and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - A Verkhratsky
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK; Achucarro Centre for Neuroscience, IKERBASQUE, Basque Foundation for Science, 48011 Bilbao, Spain
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12
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Wang J, Zheng X, Liu B, Yin C, Chen R, Li X, Li Y, Nie H, Zeng D, He X, Jiang Y, Fang J, Liu B. Electroacupuncture Alleviates Mechanical Allodynia of a Rat Model of CRPS-I and Modulates Gene Expression Profiles in Dorsal Root Ganglia. Front Neurol 2020; 11:580997. [PMID: 33193035 PMCID: PMC7661737 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.580997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex regional pain syndrome type-I (CRPS-I) is chronic neurological disorder accompanied with devastating pain. Most conventional medical treatments lack effectiveness, making CRPS-I a challenging clinical condition. Electroacupuncture (EA) showed effectiveness in alleviating the pain symptoms of CRPS-I patients. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying EA's therapeutic effect are still not well-understood. Here, we established the rat chronic post-ischemic pain (CPIP) model to mimic CRPS-I and performed repetitive EA on bilateral hind limbs of the CPIP model rats. We then performed RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to study the differences in gene expression, gene networks, and molecular pathways in ipsilateral DRGs innervating the hind limb of the CPIP model rats with and without repetitive EA treatment. Our results found that repetitive EA treatment significantly alleviated mechanical allodynia in bilateral hind limbs of CPIP model rats. RNA-Seq analysis indicated that EA modulated the expression of multiple genes and gene networks in the DRGs of CPIP model rats. Further bioinformatics analysis identified the up-regulation of an array of genes involved in biological process such as neutrophil chemotaxis and immune response in the DRGs of CPIP model rats after EA treatment. Thus, these results suggest that EA may alleviate pain response in CPIP model rats via regulating multiple genes. Our work may help to further advance the understandings of the molecular mechanisms underlying EA's therapeutic effects on CRPS-I and help to identify novel targets for CRPS-I treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Boyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengyu Yin
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ruixiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojie Li
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huimin Nie
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Danyi Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaofen He
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yongliang Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianqiao Fang
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Boyi Liu
- Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
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13
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Cho J, Huh Y. Astrocytic Calcium Dynamics Along the Pain Pathway. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:594216. [PMID: 33192331 PMCID: PMC7596274 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.594216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes, once thought to be passive cells merely filling the space between neurons in the nervous system, are receiving attention as active modulators of the brain and spinal cord physiology by providing nutrients, maintaining homeostasis, and modulating synaptic transmission. Accumulating evidence indicates that astrocytes are critically involved in chronic pain regulation. Injury induces astrocytes to become reactive, and recent studies suggest that reactive astrocytes can have either neuroprotective or neurodegenerative effects. While the exact mechanisms underlying the transition from resting astrocytes to reactive astrocytes remain unknown, astrocytic calcium increase, coordinated by inflammatory molecules, has been suggested to trigger this transition. In this mini review article, we will discuss the roles of astrocytic calcium, channels contributing to calcium dynamics in astrocytes, astrocyte activations along the pain pathway, and possible relationships between astrocytic calcium dynamics and chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeiwon Cho
- Brain and Cognitive Science, Scranton College, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yeowool Huh
- Department of Medical Science, College of Medicine, Catholic Kwandong University, Incheon, South Korea.,Translational Brain Research Center, Catholic Kwandong University, International St. Mary's Hospital, Incheon, South Korea
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14
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Li Q, Wang YQ, Chu YX. The role of connexins and pannexins in orofacial pain. Life Sci 2020; 258:118198. [PMID: 32758624 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118198] [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: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Trigeminal neuralgia is characterized by extensive spreading of pain, referred to as ectopic pain, which describes the phenomenon of the pain passing from the injured regions to uninjured regions. Patients with orofacial pain often show no response to commonly used analgesics, and the exact mechanism of ectopic pain remains unclear, which restricts the development of specific drugs. The present review aims to summarize the contribution of the two families of transmembrane proteins, connexins (Cxs) and pannexins (Panxs), to the induction and spreading of orofacial pain and to provide potential targets for orofacial pain treatment. Cxs and Panxs have recently been shown to play essential roles in intercellular signal propagation in sensory ganglia, and previous studies have provided evidence for the contribution of several subtypes of Cxs and Panxs in various orofacial pain models. Upregulation of the expression of Cxs and Panxs in the trigeminal ganglia is observed in most cases after trigeminal injury, and regulating their expression or activity can improve pain-like behaviors in animals. It is speculated that after trigeminal injury, pain-related signals are transmitted to adjacent neurons and satellite glial cells in the trigeminal ganglia directly through gap junctions and simultaneously through hemichannels and pannexons through both autocrine and paracrine mechanisms. This review highlights recent discoveries in the regulation of Cxs and Panxs in different orofacial pain models and presents a hypothetical mechanism of ectopic pain in trigeminal neuralgia. In addition, the existing problems in current research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Li
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, Institutes of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yan-Qing Wang
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, Institutes of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yu-Xia Chu
- Department of Integrative Medicine and Neurobiology, Institutes of Integrative Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institutes of Brain Science, Brain Science Collaborative Innovation Center, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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15
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Vicario N, Turnaturi R, Spitale FM, Torrisi F, Zappalà A, Gulino R, Pasquinucci L, Chiechio S, Parenti C, Parenti R. Intercellular communication and ion channels in neuropathic pain chronicization. Inflamm Res 2020; 69:841-850. [PMID: 32533221 DOI: 10.1007/s00011-020-01363-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropathic pain is caused by primary lesion or dysfunction of either peripheral or central nervous system. Due to its complex pathogenesis, often related to a number of comorbidities, such as cancer, neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases, neuropathic pain still represents an unmet clinical need, lacking long-term effective treatment and complex case-by-case approach. AIM AND METHODS We analyzed the recent literature on the role of selective voltage-sensitive sodium, calcium and potassium permeable channels and non-selective gap junctions (GJs) and hemichannels (HCs) in establishing and maintaining chronic neuropathic conditions. We finally focussed our review on the role of extracellular microenvironment modifications induced by resident glial cells and on the recent advances in cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular environment communication in chronic neuropathies. CONCLUSION In this review, we provide an update on the current knowledge of neuropathy chronicization processes with a focus on both neuronal and glial ion channels, as well as on channel-mediated intercellular communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzio Vicario
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rita Turnaturi
- Section of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Federica Maria Spitale
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Filippo Torrisi
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Agata Zappalà
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Rosario Gulino
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Lorella Pasquinucci
- Section of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Santina Chiechio
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Oasi Research Institute IRCCS, Troina, Italy
| | - Carmela Parenti
- Section of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
| | - Rosalba Parenti
- Section of Physiology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
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16
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Glycosphingolipid Biosynthesis Pathway in the Spinal Cord and Dorsal Root Ganglia During Inflammatory Pain: Early and Late Changes in Expression Patterns of Glycosyltransferase Genes. Neuroscience 2020; 428:217-227. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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17
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Morioka N, Nakamura Y, Zhang FF, Hisaoka-Nakashima K, Nakata Y. Role of Connexins in Chronic Pain and Their Potential as Therapeutic Targets for Next-Generation Analgesics. Biol Pharm Bull 2019; 42:857-866. [PMID: 31155584 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b19-00195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Chronic pain, including inflammatory, neuropathic pain, is a serious clinical issue. There are increasing numbers of patients with chronic pain due to the growing number of elderly and it is estimated that about 25% of the global population will develop chronic pain. Chronic pain patients are refractory to medications used to treat acute pain such as opioids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Furthermore, the complexity and diversity of chronic pain mechanisms hinder the development of new analgesics. Thus, a better understanding of the mechanism of chronic pain is needed, which would facilitate the development of novel analgesics based on novel mechanisms. With this goal, connexins (Cxs) could be targeted for the development of new analgesics. Connexins are proteins with 20 subtypes, and function as channels, gap junctions between cells, and hemichannels that sample the extracellular space and release molecules such as neurotransmitters. Furthermore, Cxs could have functions independent of channel activity. Recent studies have shown that Cxs could be crucial in the induction and maintenance of chronic pain, and modulation of the activity or the expression of Cxs ameliorates nociceptive hypersensitivity in multiple chronic pain models. This review will cite novel findings on the role of of Cxs in the nociceptive transduction pathway under the chronic pain state and antinociceptive effects of various molecules modulating activity or expression of Cxs. Also, the potential of Cx modulation as a therapeutic strategy for intractable chronic pain will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norimitsu Morioka
- Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences
| | - Yoki Nakamura
- Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences
| | - Fang Fang Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences.,Institute of Pharmacology, Taishan Medical University
| | - Kazue Hisaoka-Nakashima
- Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences
| | - Yoshihiro Nakata
- Department of Pharmacology, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical & Health Sciences
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18
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Wang A, Xu C. The role of connexin43 in neuropathic pain induced by spinal cord injury. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2019; 51:555-561. [PMID: 31056639 DOI: 10.1093/abbs/gmz038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is caused by the damage or dysfunction of the nervous system. In many neuropathic pain models, there is an increase in the number of gap junction (GJ) channels, especially the upregulation of the expression of connexin43 (Cx43), leading to the secretion of various types of cytokines and involvement in the formation of neuropathic pain. GJs are widely distributed in mammalian organs and tissues, and Cx43 is the most abundant connexin (Cx) in mammals. Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cell type in the central nervous system (CNS), which mainly express Cx43. More importantly, GJs play an important role in regulating cell metabolism, signaling, and function. Many existing literatures showed that Cx43 plays an important role in the nervous system, especially in the CNS under normal and pathological conditions. However, many internal mechanisms have not yet been thoroughly explored. In this review, we summarized the current understanding of the role and association of Cx and pannexin channels in neuropathic pain, especially after spinal cord injury, as well as some of our own insights and thoughts which suggest that Cx43 may become an emerging therapeutic target for future neuropathic pain, bringing new hope to patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anhui Wang
- Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Changshui Xu
- Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Autonomic Nervous Function and Disease, Nanchang, China
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19
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Choi SR, Han HJ, Beitz AJ, Lee JH. Spinal Interleukin-1β Inhibits Astrocyte Cytochrome P450c17 Expression Which Controls the Development of Mechanical Allodynia in a Mouse Model of Neuropathic Pain. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:153. [PMID: 31281242 PMCID: PMC6596369 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We have recently demonstrated that sciatic nerve injury increases the expression of spinal cytochrome P450c17, a key neurosteroidogenic enzyme, which plays a critical role in the development of peripheral neuropathic pain. However, the modulatory mechanisms responsible for the expression of spinal P450c17 have yet to be examined. Here we investigated the possible involvement of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in altering P450c17 expression during the induction phase of neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain was produced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the right sciatic nerve in mice and mechanical allodynia was evaluated in the hind paws using a von-Frey filament (0.16 g). Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were performed to assess the expression of spinal IL-1β, interleukin-1 receptor type 1 (IL-1R1), P450c17, and GFAP. Spinal IL-1β was significantly increased on day 1 post-surgery and its receptor, IL-1R1 was expressed in GFAP-positive astrocytes. Intrathecal administration of the recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra, 20 ng) on days 0 and 1 post-surgery enhanced GFAP expression on day 1 post-surgery and induced an early increase in P450c17 expression in astrocytes, but not in neurons. Administration of IL-1β (10 ng) on days 0 and 1 post-surgery blocked the enhancement of both spinal P450c17 and GFAP expression induced by IL-1ra (20 ng) administration. Intrathecal administration of IL-1ra (20 ng) on days 0 to 3 post-surgery also facilitated the CCI-induced development of mechanical allodynia, and this early developed pain was dose-dependently attenuated by the administration of the P450c17 inhibitor, ketoconazole (1, 3, or 10 nmol) or the astrocyte metabolic inhibitor, fluorocitrate (0.01, 0.03, or 0.1 nmol). These results demonstrate that early increases in spinal IL-1β temporally inhibit astrocyte P450c17 expression and astrocyte activation ultimately controlling the development of mechanical allodynia induced by peripheral nerve injury. These findings imply that spinal IL-1β plays an important role as an early, but transient, control mechanism in the development of peripheral neuropathic pain via the inhibition of astrocyte P450c17 expression and astrocyte activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheu-Ran Choi
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ho-Jae Han
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Alvin J Beitz
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, United States
| | - Jang-Hern Lee
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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20
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Ni HD, Xu LS, Wang Y, Li H, An K, Liu M, Liu Q, Deng H, He Q, Huang B, Fang J, Yao M. Astrocyte activation in the periaqueductal gray promotes descending facilitation to cancer-induced bone pain through the JNK MAPK signaling pathway. Mol Pain 2019; 15:1744806919831909. [PMID: 30700204 PMCID: PMC6388461 DOI: 10.1177/1744806919831909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Descending nociceptive modulation from the supraspinal structures has an important role in cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP). Midbrain ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is a critical component of descending nociceptive circuits; nevertheless, its precise cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in descending facilitation remain elusive. Our previous study has shown that the activation of p38 MAPK in vlPAG microglia is essential for the neuropathic pain sensitization. However, the existence of potential connection between astrocytes and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway in CIBP has not yet been elucidated. The following study examines the involvement of astrocyte activation and upregulation of p-JNK in vlPAG, using a CIBP rat model. Briefly, CIBP was mimicked by an intramedullary injection of Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells into the animal tibia. A significant increase in expression levels of astrocytes in the vlPAG of CIBP rats was observed. Furthermore, stereotaxic microinjection of the astrocytic cytotoxin L-α-aminoadipic acid decreased the mechanical allodynia as well as established and reversed the astrocyte activation in CIBP rats. A significant increase in expression levels of p-JNK in astrocytes in vlPAG of CIBP rats was also observed. Moreover, the intrathecal administration of JNK inhibitors SP600125 reduced the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, while microinjection of the SP600125 decreased the mechanical allodynia of CIBP rats. These results suggested that CIBP is associated with astrocyte activation in the vlPAG that probably participates in driving descending pain facilitation through the JNK MAPK signaling pathway. To sum up, these findings reveal a novel site of astrocytes modulation of CIBP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua-Dong Ni
- 1 The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, China.,2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Long Sheng Xu
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Yungong Wang
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Hongbo Li
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Kang An
- 3 Department of Anesthesiology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Mingjuan Liu
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Qianying Liu
- 3 Department of Anesthesiology, Bengbu Medical College, Bengbu, China
| | - Houshen Deng
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Qiuli He
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Bing Huang
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Jianqiao Fang
- 1 The Second Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medicine University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ming Yao
- 2 Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
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21
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Spinal Cord Glycine Transporter 2 Mediates Bilateral ST35 Acupoints Sensitization in Rats with Knee Osteoarthritis. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:7493286. [PMID: 30881475 PMCID: PMC6383421 DOI: 10.1155/2019/7493286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2018] [Revised: 12/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The concept of “acupoint sensitization” refers to the functional status of acupoint switches from silent to active under pathological conditions. In clinic, acupoint sensitization provides important guidance for acupoints selection in different diseases. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon remains unclear. We generated a model of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) by intra-articular injection of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) into the left knee of rats. The paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and the total number of mast cells as well as mast cell degranulation rate (MCDR) of acupoint tissue were used to test whether the acupoints were sensitized. The results showed that KOA resulted in a reduced mechanical threshold and elevated total number of mast cell as well as mast cell degranulation rate at bilateral ST35 (Dubi) but not GB37 (Guangming) or nonacupoint area. The acupoint sensitization was accompanied by upregulation of glycine transporter 2 (GlyT2) and reduction of extracellular glycine levels in the bilateral dorsal horns of the spinal cord at L3-5. Selective inhibition of GlyT2 or intrathecal administration of glycine attenuated ST35 acupoint sensitization. The sensitization of bilateral ST35 was blocked after intraspinal GlyT2 short hairpin (sh) RNA (GlyT2-shRNA) microinjection to specifically downregulate GlyT2 expression in the left side (ipsilateral) L3-5 spinal cord dorsal horn before MIA injection. Moreover, electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at ST35 ameliorated articular pathological lesions and improved KOA-related pain behaviors. GlyT2-shRNA injection reversed EA-induced pain relief but not EA-induced reduction of joint lesions. Overall, this study demonstrated that spinal GlyT2, especially elevated GlyT2 expression in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of the spinal cord, is a crucial mediator of ST35 acupoint sensitization in KOA rats.
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Xing L, Yang T, Cui S, Chen G. Connexin Hemichannels in Astrocytes: Role in CNS Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:23. [PMID: 30787868 PMCID: PMC6372977 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the central nervous system (CNS), astrocytes form networks interconnected by gap junctions made from connexins of the subtypes Cx30 and Cx43. When unopposed by an adjoining hemichannel, astrocytic connexins can act as hemichannels to control the release of small molecules such as ATP and glutamate into the extracellular space. Accruing evidence indicates that astrocytic connexins are crucial for the coordination and maintenance of physiologic CNS activity. Here we provide an update on the role of astrocytic connexins in neurodegenerative disorders, glioma, and ischemia. In addition, we address the regulation of Cx43 in chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- LingYan Xing
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China
| | - Tuo Yang
- Department of Hand Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - ShuSen Cui
- Department of Hand Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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The Role of Connexin-43 in the Inflammatory Process: A New Potential Therapy to Influence Keratitis. J Ophthalmol 2019; 2019:9312827. [PMID: 30805212 PMCID: PMC6360563 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9312827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The studies outlined in this review highlight the relationship between inflammatory signaling molecules and connexin-43 (Cx43). Gap junction (GJ) channels and hemichannels (HCs) participate in the metabolic activity between intra- and extracellular space. Some ions and small molecules are exchanged from cell to cell or cell to extracellular space to affect the process of inflammation via GJ. We analyzed the effects of signaling molecules, such as innate immunity messengers, transcription factors, LPS, cytokine, inflammatory chemokines, and MMPs, on Cx43 expression during the inflammatory process. At the same time, we found that these signaling molecules play a critical role in the pathogenesis of keratitis. Thus, we assessed the function of Cx43 during inflammatory corneal disease. Corneal healing plays an essential role in the late stage of keratitis. We found that Cx43 is involved in wound healing. Studies have shown that the decrease of Cx43 can decrease the time of healing. We also report several Cx43 mimic peptides which can inhibit the activity of Cx43 Hc to mediate the releasing of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which may in turn influence the inflammatory process.
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Ebersberger A. The analgesic potential of cytokine neutralization with biologicals. Eur J Pharmacol 2018; 835:19-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.07.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Function of Connexins in the Interaction between Glial and Vascular Cells in the Central Nervous System and Related Neurological Diseases. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:6323901. [PMID: 29983707 PMCID: PMC6015683 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6323901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuronal signaling together with synapse activity in the central nervous system requires a precisely regulated microenvironment. Recently, the blood-brain barrier is considered as a “neuro-glia-vascular unit,” a structural and functional compound composed of capillary endothelial cells, glial cells, pericytes, and neurons, which plays a pivotal role in maintaining the balance of the microenvironment in and out of the brain. Tight junctions and adherens junctions, which function as barriers of the blood-brain barrier, are two well-known kinds in the endothelial cell junctions. In this review, we focus on the less-concerned contribution of gap junction proteins, connexins in blood-brain barrier integrity under physio-/pathology conditions. In the neuro-glia-vascular unit, connexins are expressed in the capillary endothelial cells and prominent in astrocyte endfeet around and associated with maturation and function of the blood-brain barrier through a unique signaling pathway and an interaction with tight junction proteins. Connexin hemichannels and connexin gap junction channels contribute to the physiological or pathological progress of the blood-brain barrier; in addition, the interaction with other cell-cell-adhesive proteins is also associated with the maintenance of the blood-brain barrier. Lastly, we explore the connexins and connexin channels involved in the blood-brain barrier in neurological diseases and any programme for drug discovery or delivery to target or avoid the blood-brain barrier.
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Jia M, Wu C, Gao F, Xiang H, Sun N, Peng P, Li J, Yuan X, Li H, Meng X, Tian B, Shi J, Li M. Activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral nerve contributes to paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. Mol Pain 2018; 13:1744806917719804. [PMID: 28714351 PMCID: PMC5562344 DOI: 10.1177/1744806917719804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Paclitaxel is commonly used as a cancer chemotherapy drug that frequently causes peripheral neuropathic pain. Inflammasome is a multiprotein complex consisting of Nod-like receptor proteins (NLRPs), apoptosis-associated speck-like protein, and caspase-1, which functions to switch on the inflammatory process and the release of interleukin-1β. Growing evidences have supported that peripheral interleukin-1β is critical in enhancing paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain. However, whether activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral nerve contributes to paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain is still unclear. Results Paclitaxel induced mechanical allodynia of rats from day 3 and worsened gradually till 3 weeks after injection. Paclitaxel resulted in expression of NLRP3 and activated fragments of caspase-1 and interleukin-1β in L4-6 dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve three weeks after injection, indicating activation of NLRP3 inflammasome. The expression of NLRP3 was located in CD68-labeled macrophages infiltrating in L4-6 dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve, and paclitaxel increased the expression of NLRP3 in macrophage. Moreover, the paclitaxel elicited mitochondria damage, which became swollen and enlarged in macrophages and axons of sciatic nerve three weeks after injection. In vitro, paclitaxel increased the number of damaged mitochondria and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production in the rat alveolar macrophage cell line NR8383. The administration of a non-specific reactive oxygen species scavenger, phenyl-N-tert-butylnitrone, markedly alleviated mechanical allodynia and inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in L4-6 dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve of the paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain model. Conclusions Paclitaxel induced mechanical allodynia and activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in infiltrated macrophages of L4-6 dorsal root ganglia and sciatic nerve. Paclitaxel elicited mitochondria damage and reactive oxygen species production may result in activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in peripheral nerve, which contributes to paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jia
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,2 Clinical Laboratories of Wuhan First Hospital, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Caihua Wu
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,2 Clinical Laboratories of Wuhan First Hospital, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Fang Gao
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Hongchun Xiang
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Ning Sun
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Ping Peng
- 3 Cancer Center of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Jingjing Li
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Xiaocui Yuan
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Hongping Li
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Xianfang Meng
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,4 The Institute for Brain Research (IBR), Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Bo Tian
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,4 The Institute for Brain Research (IBR), Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Jing Shi
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,4 The Institute for Brain Research (IBR), Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
| | - Man Li
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China.,4 The Institute for Brain Research (IBR), Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, P.R. China
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Wang JY, Gao YH, Qiao LN, Zhang JL, Duan-mu CL, Yan YX, Chen SP, Liu JL. Repeated electroacupuncture treatment attenuated hyperalgesia through suppression of spinal glial activation in chronic neuropathic pain rats. BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2018; 18:74. [PMID: 29466978 PMCID: PMC5822602 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-018-2134-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
Background Cumulated evidence reveals that glial cells in the spinal cord play an important role in the development of chronic neuropathic pain and are also complicated in the analgesic effect of EA intervention. But the roles of microgliacytes and astrocytes of spinal cord in the process of EA analgesia remain unknown. Methods A total of 120 male Wistar rats were used in the present study. The neuropathic pain model was established by chronic constrictive injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. The rats were randomly divided into sham group, CCI group, and sham CCI + EA group, and CCI + EA group. EA was applied to bilateral Zusanli (ST36)-Yanlingquan (GB34). The mechanical (both time and force responses) and thermal pain thresholds (PTs) of the bilateral hind-paws were measured. The number of microgliacytes and activity of astrocytes in the dorsal horns (DHs) of lumbar spinal cord (L4–5) were examined by immunofluorescence staining, and the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) protein was detected by western blot. Results Following CCI, both mechanical and thermal PTs of the ipsilateral hind-paw were significantly decreased beginning from the 3rd day after surgery (P < 0.05), and the mechanical PT of the contralateral hind-paw was considerably decreased from the 6th day on after surgery (P < 0.05). CCI also significantly upregulated the number of Iba-1 labeled microgliacytes and the fluorescence intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) -labeled astrocyte in the superficial laminae of DHs on bilateral sides (P < 0.05). After repeated EA, the mechanical and thermal PTs at bilateral hind-paws were significantly relieved (P < 0.05). The increased of number of microgliacytes was markedly suppressed by 2 days’ EA intervention, and the average fluorescence intensity was suppressed by 2 weeks’ EA. The expression of GFAP protein were down-regulated by 1 and 2 weeks’ EA treatment, respectively (P < 0.05). Conclusions Repeated EA can relieve neuropathic pain and mirror-image pain in chronic neuropathic pain rats, which is probably associated with its effect in downregulating glial cell activation of the lumbar spinal cord, the microgliacyte first and astrocyte later.
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Choi H, Roh D, Yoon S, Choi S, Kwon S, Kang S, Moon J, Han H, Beitz AJ, Lee J. Differential involvement of ipsilateral and contralateral spinal cord astrocyte D-serine in carrageenan-induced mirror-image pain: role of σ1 receptors and astrocyte gap junctions. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:558-572. [PMID: 29172248 PMCID: PMC5773966 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 11/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although we have recently demonstrated that spinal astrocyte gap junctions mediate the development of mirror-image pain (MIP), it is still unclear which astrocyte-derived factor is responsible for the development of MIP and how its production is controlled. In the present study, we focused on the role of ipsilateral versus contralateral D-serine in the development of MIP and investigated the possible involvement of σ1 receptors and gap junctions in astrocyte D-serine production. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Following carrageenan injection, mechanical allodynia was tested at various time points to examine the effect of individual drugs. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analyses were performed to clarify the expression levels of spinal D-serine, serine racemase, σ1 receptors and connexin 43. KEY RESULTS The expression of ipsilateral D-serine was up-regulated during the early phase of inflammation, while contralateral D-serine increased during the later phase of inflammation. The pharmacological inhibition of D-serine during the early phase blocked the development of both ipsilateral and contralateral mechanical allodynia. However, the inhibition of D-serine during the later phase of inflammation blocked contralateral, but not ipsilateral mechanical allodynia. Furthermore, the inhibition of σ1 receptors during the earlier phase of inflammation inhibited the increase in ipsilateral D-serine. Conversely, the blockade of astrocyte gap junctions suppressed the up-regulation of contralateral D-serine during the later phase of inflammation. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS Spinal astrocyte D-serine plays an important role in the development of mirror-image pain. Furthermore, σ1 receptors and astrocyte gap junction signalling mediate ipsilateral and contralateral D-serine production respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoon‐Seong Choi
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Dae‐Hyun Roh
- Department of Oral Physiology, School of DentistryKyung Hee UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Seo‐Yeon Yoon
- Pain Cognitive Function Research Center, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, College of Natural SciencesSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Sheu‐Ran Choi
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | | | - Suk‐Yun Kang
- KM Fundamental Research DivisionKorea Institute of Oriental MedicineDaejeonKorea
| | - Ji‐Young Moon
- Animal Protection & Welfare DivisionAnimal and Plant Quarantine AgencyGimcheonKorea
| | - Ho‐Jae Han
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Alvin J Beitz
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMNUSA
| | - Jang‐Hern Lee
- Department of Veterinary Physiology, BK21 PLUS Program for Creative Veterinary Science Research, Research Institute for Veterinary Science and College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
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Abstract
Enhanced expression and function of gap junctions and pannexin (Panx) channels have been associated with both peripheral and central mechanisms of pain sensitization. At the level of the sensory ganglia, evidence includes augmented gap junction and pannexin1 expression in glial cells and neurons in inflammatory and neuropathic pain models and increased synchrony and enhanced cross-excitation among sensory neurons by gap junction-mediated coupling. In spinal cord and in suprapinal areas, evidence is largely limited to increased expression of relevant proteins, although in several rodent pain models, hypersensitivity is reduced by treatment with gap junction/Panx1 channel blocking compounds. Moreover, targeted modulation of Cx43 expression was shown to modulate pain thresholds, albeit in somewhat contradictory ways, and mice lacking Panx1 expression globally or in specific cell types show depressed hyperalgesia. We here review the evidence for involvement of gap junctions and Panx channels in a variety of animal pain studies and then discuss ways in which gap junctions and Panx channels may mediate their action in pain processing. This discussion focusses on spread of signals among satellite glial cells, in particular intercellular Ca2+ waves, which are propagated through both gap junction and Panx1-dependent routes and have been associated with the phenomenon of spreading depression and the malady of migraine headache with aura.
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Wang ZC, Li LH, Bian C, Yang L, Lv N, Zhang YQ. Involvement of NF-κB and the CX3CR1 Signaling Network in Mechanical Allodynia Induced by Tetanic Sciatic Stimulation. Neurosci Bull 2017; 34:64-73. [PMID: 28612319 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-017-0149-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Tetanic stimulation of the sciatic nerve (TSS) triggers long-term potentiation in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and long-lasting pain hypersensitivity. CX3CL1-CX3CR1 signaling is an important pathway in neuronal-microglial activation. Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a key signal transduction molecule that regulates neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain. Here, we set out to determine whether and how NF-κB and CX3CR1 are involved in the mechanism underlying the pathological changes induced by TSS. After unilateral TSS, significant bilateral mechanical allodynia was induced, as assessed by the von Frey test. The expression of phosphorylated NF-κB (pNF-κB) and CX3CR1 was significantly up-regulated in the bilateral dorsal horn. Immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that pNF-κB and NeuN co-existed, implying that the NF-κB pathway is predominantly activated in neurons following TSS. Administration of either the NF-κB inhibitor ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate or a CX3CR1-neutralizing antibody blocked the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. In addition, blockade of NF-κB down-regulated the expression of CX3CL1-CX3CR1 signaling, and conversely the CX3CR1-neutralizing antibody also down-regulated pNF-κB. These findings suggest an involvement of NF-κB and the CX3CR1 signaling network in the development and maintenance of TSS-induced mechanical allodynia. Our work suggests the potential clinical application of NF-κB inhibitors or CX3CR1-neutralizing antibodies in treating pathological pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe-Chen Wang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Li-Hong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Chao Bian
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Ning Lv
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Yu-Qiu Zhang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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