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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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Han S, Wang J, Zhang W, Tian X. Chronic Pain-Related Cognitive Deficits: Preclinical Insights into Molecular, Cellular, and Circuit Mechanisms. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04073-z. [PMID: 38470516 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04073-z] [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: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity of chronic pain, significantly disrupting patients' quality of life. Despite this comorbidity being clinically recognized, the underlying neuropathological mechanisms remain unclear. Recent preclinical studies have focused on the fundamental mechanisms underlying the coexistence of chronic pain and cognitive decline. Pain chronification is accompanied by structural and functional changes in the neural substrate of cognition. Based on the developments in electrophysiology and optogenetics/chemogenetics, we summarized the relevant neural circuits involved in pain-induced cognitive impairment, as well as changes in connectivity and function in brain regions. We then present the cellular and molecular alternations related to pain-induced cognitive impairment in preclinical studies, mainly including modifications in neuronal excitability and structure, synaptic plasticity, glial cells and cytokines, neurotransmitters and other neurochemicals, and the gut-brain axis. Finally, we also discussed the potential treatment strategies and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Han
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Xuebi Tian
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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Jiang Z, Wei J, Liang J, Huang W, Ouyang F, Chen C, Li P, Cao S, Cai Y, Li J, Huang B, Zeng J, Chen Y. Dl-3-n-Butylphthalide Alleviates Secondary Brain Damage and Improves Working Memory After Stroke in Cynomolgus Monkeys. Stroke 2024; 55:725-734. [PMID: 38406851 DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.123.045037] [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: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Remote secondary neurodegeneration is associated with poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI). Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) improves PSCI clinically. However, whether it ameliorates PSCI by alleviating secondary neurodegeneration remains uncertain. Nonhuman primates provide more relevant models than rodents for human stroke and PSCI. This study investigated the effects of NBP on PSCI and secondary neurodegeneration in cynomolgus monkeys after permanent left middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). METHODS Thirteen adult male cynomolgus monkeys were randomly assigned to sham (n=4), MCAO+placebo (n=5), and MCAO+NBP groups (n=4). The MCAO+placebo and MCAO+NBP groups received saline and NBP injections intravenously, respectively, starting at 6-hour postsurgery for 2 weeks, followed by soybean oil and NBP orally, respectively, for 10 weeks after MCAO. Infarct size was assessed at week 4 by magnetic resonance imaging. Working memory and executive function were evaluated dynamically using the delayed response task and object retrieval detour task, respectively. Neuron loss, glia proliferation, and neuroinflammation in the ipsilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, and hippocampus were analyzed by immunostaining 12 weeks after MCAO. RESULTS Infarcts were located in the left middle cerebral artery region, apart from the ipsilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, thalamus, or hippocampus, with no significant difference between the MCAO+placebo and MCAO+NBP group. Higher success in delayed response task was achieved at weeks 4, 8, and 12 after NBP compared with placebo treatments (P<0.05), but not in the object retrieval detour task (all P>0.05). More neurons and less microglia, astrocytes, CD68-positive microglia, tumor necrosis factor-α, and inducible NO synthase were observed in the ipsilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and thalamus after 12 weeks of NBP treatment (P<0.05), but not in the hippocampus (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that NBP improves working memory by alleviating remote secondary neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in the ipsilateral dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and thalamus after MCAO in cynomolgus monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zimu Jiang
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Jiating Wei
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Jiahui Liang
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Weixian Huang
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Fubing Ouyang
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Chunyong Chen
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University; Nanning, China (C.C., P.L., B.H.)
| | - Pingping Li
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University; Nanning, China (C.C., P.L., B.H.)
| | - Suhan Cao
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Yuangui Cai
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Jianle Li
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Baozi Huang
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Guangxi Medical University; Nanning, China (C.C., P.L., B.H.)
| | - Jinsheng Zeng
- Department of Neurology (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z.), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
| | - Yicong Chen
- Section II, Department of Neurology and Stroke Center (Y. Chen), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Treatment of Major Neurological Diseases, Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
- National Key Clinical Department, Key Discipline of Neurology; Guangzhou, China (Z.J., J.W., J. Liang, W.H., F.O., C.C., P.L., S.C., Y. Cai, J. Li, B.H., J.Z., Y. Chen)
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Yao D, Chen Y, Chen G. The role of pain modulation pathway and related brain regions in pain. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:899-914. [PMID: 37288945 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0037] [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: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a multifaceted process that encompasses unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences. The essence of the pain process is aversion, or perceived negative emotion. Central sensitization plays a significant role in initiating and perpetuating of chronic pain. Melzack proposed the concept of the "pain matrix", in which brain regions associated with pain form an interconnected network, rather than being controlled by a singular brain region. This review aims to investigate distinct brain regions involved in pain and their interconnections. In addition, it also sheds light on the reciprocal connectivity between the ascending and descending pathways that participate in pain modulation. We review the involvement of various brain areas during pain and focus on understanding the connections among them, which can contribute to a better understanding of pain mechanisms and provide opportunities for further research on therapies for improved pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Yao
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Yeru Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
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Fossati G, Kiss-Bodolay D, Prados J, Chéreau R, Husi E, Cadilhac C, Gomez L, Silva BA, Dayer A, Holtmaat A. Bimodal modulation of L1 interneuron activity in anterior cingulate cortex during fear conditioning. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1138358. [PMID: 37334059 PMCID: PMC10272719 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1138358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a crucial role in encoding, consolidating and retrieving memories related to emotionally salient experiences, such as aversive and rewarding events. Various studies have highlighted its importance for fear memory processing, but its circuit mechanisms are still poorly understood. Cortical layer 1 (L1) of the ACC might be a particularly important site of signal integration, since it is a major entry point for long-range inputs, which is tightly controlled by local inhibition. Many L1 interneurons express the ionotropic serotonin receptor 3a (5HT3aR), which has been implicated in post-traumatic stress disorder and in models of anxiety. Hence, unraveling the response dynamics of L1 interneurons and subtypes thereof during fear memory processing may provide important insights into the microcircuit organization regulating this process. Here, using 2-photon laser scanning microscopy of genetically encoded calcium indicators through microprisms in awake mice, we longitudinally monitored over days the activity of L1 interneurons in the ACC in a tone-cued fear conditioning paradigm. We observed that tones elicited responses in a substantial fraction of the imaged neurons, which were significantly modulated in a bidirectional manner after the tone was associated to an aversive stimulus. A subpopulation of these neurons, the neurogliaform cells (NGCs), displayed a net increase in tone-evoked responses following fear conditioning. Together, these results suggest that different subpopulations of L1 interneurons may exert distinct functions in the ACC circuitry regulating fear learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuliana Fossati
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Neuro Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Kiss-Bodolay
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Lemanic Neuroscience Doctoral School, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Julien Prados
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ronan Chéreau
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elodie Husi
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christelle Cadilhac
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lucia Gomez
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bianca A. Silva
- Neuro Center, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexandre Dayer
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anthony Holtmaat
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, and Neurocenter, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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Alemi M, Pereira AR, Cerqueira-Nunes M, Monteiro C, Galhardo V, Cardoso-Cruz H. Role of Glutamatergic Projections from Lateral Habenula to Ventral Tegmental Area in Inflammatory Pain-Related Spatial Working Memory Deficits. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11030820. [PMID: 36979799 PMCID: PMC10045719 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11030820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral habenula (LHb) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), which form interconnected circuits, have important roles in the crucial control of sensory and cognitive motifs. Signaling in the LHb-VTA pathway can be exacerbated during pain conditions by a hyperactivity of LHb glutamatergic neurons to inhibit local VTA DAergic cells. However, it is still unclear whether and how this circuit is endogenously engaged in pain-related cognitive dysfunctions. To answer this question, we modulated this pathway by expressing halorhodopsin in LHb neurons of adult male rats, and then selectively inhibited the axonal projections from these neurons to the VTA during a working memory (WM) task. Behavioral performance was assessed after the onset of an inflammatory pain model. We evaluated the impact of the inflammatory pain in the VTA synapses by performing immunohistochemical characterization of specific markers for GABAergic (GAD65/67) and dopaminergic neurons (dopamine transporter (DAT), dopamine D2 receptor (D2r) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)). Our results revealed that inhibition of LHb terminals in the VTA during the WM delay-period elicits a partial recovery of the performance of pain animals (in higher complexity challenges); this performance was not accompanied by a reduction of nociceptive responses. Finally, we found evidence that the pain-affected animals exhibit VTA structural changes, namely with an upregulation of GAD65/67, and a downregulation of DAT and D2r. These results demonstrate a role of LHb neurons and highlight their responsibility in the stability of the local VTA network, which regulates signaling in frontal areas necessary to support WM processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mobina Alemi
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Raquel Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Cerqueira-Nunes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Programa Doutoral em Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina-Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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7
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Asgharpour-Masouleh N, Rezayof A, Alijanpour S, Delphi L. Pharmacological activation of mediodorsal thalamic GABA-A receptors modulates morphine/cetirizine-induced changes in the prefrontal cortical GFAP expression in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Behav Brain Res 2023; 438:114213. [PMID: 36372242 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114213] [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: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the involvement of mediodorsal thalamic (MD) GABA-A receptors in cetirizine/morphine-induced anti-allodynia using a rat model of neuropathic pain. To assess the importance of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) for chronic pain processing, its expression level changes of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were measured following drug treatments. Each animal was subjected to chronic constriction of the sciatic nerve surgery simultaneously with the MD cannulation under stereotaxic surgery. The results showed that the administration of morphine (3-5 mg/kg) or cetirizine (1-3 mg/kg) produced significant analgesia in neuropathic rats. Systemic administration of cetirizine (2.5 and 3 mg/kg) potentiated the analgesic response to a low and intolerance dose of morphine (3 mg/kg). Intra-MD microinjection of muscimol, a selective GABA-A receptor agonist (0.005-0.01 μg/rat), increased the cetirizine/morphine-induced anti-allodynia, while muscimol by itself did not affect neuropathic pain. The neuropathic pain was associated with the increased PFC expression level of GFAP, suggesting the impact of chronic pain on PFC glial management. Interestingly, the anti-allodynia was associated with a decrease in the PFC expression level of GFAP under the drugs' co-administration. Thus, cetirizine has a significant potentiating effect on morphine response in neuropathic pain via interacting with the MD GABA-A receptors. It seems that neuropathic pain affects the prefrontal cortex GFAP signaling pathway. In clinical studies, these findings can be considered to create a combination therapy with low doses of GABA-A receptor agonist plus cetirizine and morphine to manage neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ameneh Rezayof
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Sakineh Alijanpour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran
| | - Ladan Delphi
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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8
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Multidimensional Pain Modulation by Acupuncture Analgesia: The Reward Effect of Acupuncture on Pain Relief. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:3759181. [PMID: 36408345 PMCID: PMC9671730 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3759181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Pain is an intrinsically unpleasant experience with features that protect an organism by promoting motivation and learning. Pain relief, a negative reinforcement of pain, is considered a reward and activates the brain's reward system. The reward circuit in the brain involves reward and pain. Acupuncture has a multidimensional and comprehensive regulating effect on chronic pain. However, the reward effect of acupuncture in relieving chronic pain and the mechanism of the brain reward circuit involved in acupuncture analgesia are not thoroughly studied. In this article, we have reviewed the definition of pain abnormalities and negative emotions in patients with chronic pain, the conceptual characteristics of analgesic reward, and the new progress in studying brain reward circuits and functions. Moreover, we have expounded on the critical clinical and scientific significance of studying the reward effect of acupuncture analgesia and related brain reward circuits, the pain mechanism obtained from human neuroimaging studies, and the survey results on the effects of acupuncture on reward/motivation circuits. Some viewpoints and suggestions on the reward effect of acupuncture analgesia and related reward circuits have been put forward to clarify the multidimensional characteristics and benign regulation of acupuncture analgesia. Studies on the reward effect of acupuncture in relieving chronic pain and the regulating effect of the brain reward loop on acupuncture analgesia help to deepen the clinical understanding of acupuncture analgesia, innovate the research concept of acupuncture analgesia, and provide help for further studies on the central mechanism of acupuncture in improving chronic pain in the future.
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9
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Activation of VIP interneurons in the prefrontal cortex ameliorates neuropathic pain aversiveness. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111333. [PMID: 36103825 PMCID: PMC9520588 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
While dysfunction of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been implicated in chronic pain, the underlying neural circuits and the contribution of specific cellular populations remain unclear. Using in vivo Ca2+ imaging, we report that in both male and female mice, peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain causes a marked reduction of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-expressing interneuron activity in the prelimbic area of the mPFC, which contributes to decreased prefrontal cortical outputs. Moreover, prelimbic glutamatergic projections to GABAergic interneurons in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are diminished, leading to loss of cortical-cortical inhibition and increased pyramidal neuron activity in the ACC. Chemogenetic activation of prelimbic VIP interneurons restores neuronal responses in the mPFC-ACC pathway and attenuates pain-like behaviors in mice. Furthermore, restoration of prelimbic outputs to the ACC reverses nerve injury-induced ACC hyperactivation. These findings reveal mPFC circuit changes associated with neuropathic pain and highlight VIP interneurons as potential therapeutic targets for pain treatment.
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10
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Li Z, He Z, Li Z, Sun T, Zhang W, Xiang H. Differential synaptic mechanism underlying the neuronal modulation of prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus in response to chronic postsurgical pain with or without cognitive deficits in rats. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:961995. [PMID: 36117908 PMCID: PMC9478413 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.961995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic Postsurgical Pain (CPSP) is well recognized to impair cognition, particularly memory. Mounting evidence suggests anatomic and mechanistic overlap between pain and cognition on several levels. Interestingly, the drugs currently used for treating chronic pain, including opioids, gabapentin, and NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) antagonists, are also known to impair cognition. So whether pain-related cognitive deficits have different synaptic mechanisms as those underlying pain remains to be elucidated. In this context, the synaptic transmission in the unsusceptible group (cognitively normal pain rats) was isolated from that in the susceptible group (cognitively compromised pain rats). It was revealed that nearly two-thirds of the CPSP rats suffered cognitive impairment. The whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings revealed that the neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala neurons were enhanced in the unsusceptible group, while these parameters remained the same in the susceptible group. Moreover, the neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission in hippocampus neurons demonstrated the opposite trend. Correspondingly, the levels of synaptic transmission-related proteins demonstrated a tendency similar to that of the excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission. Furthermore, morphologically, the synapse ultrastructure varied in the postsynaptic density (PSD) between the CPSP rats with and without cognitive deficits. Together, these observations indicated that basal excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission changes were strikingly different between the CPSP rats with and without cognitive deficits.
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11
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Li Z, Sun T, He Z, Li Z, Zhang W, Wang J, Xiang H. SCFAs Ameliorate Chronic Postsurgical Pain-Related Cognition Dysfunction via the ACSS2-HDAC2 Axis in Rats. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:6211-6227. [PMID: 35902549 PMCID: PMC9463230 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02971-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Patients with chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) frequently exhibit comorbid cognitive deficits. Recent observations have emphasized the critical effects of gut microbial metabolites, like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), in regulating cognitive function. However, the underlying mechanisms and effective interventions remain unclear. According to hierarchical clustering and 16S rRNA analysis, over two-thirds of the CPSP rats had cognitive impairment, and the CPSP rats with cognitive impairment had an aberrant composition of gut SCFA-producing bacteria. Then, using feces microbiota transplantation, researchers identified a causal relationship between cognitive-behavioral and microbic changes. Similarly, the number of genera that generated SCFAs was decreased in the feces from recipients of cognitive impairment microbiota. Moreover, treatment with the SCFAs alleviated the cognitive-behavioral deficits in the cognitively compromised pain rats. Finally, we observed that SCFA supplementation improved histone acetylation and abnormal synaptic transmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), hippocampal CA1, and central amygdala (CeA) area via the ACSS2 (acetyl-CoA synthetase2)-HDAC2 (histone deacetylase 2) axis. These findings link pain-related cognition dysfunction, gut microbiota, and short-chain fatty acids, shedding fresh insight into the pathogenesis and therapy of pain-associated cognition dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Tianning Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Zhigang He
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Zhixiao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Wencui Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Wuhan, 430071, Hubei, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hongbing Xiang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, China.
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12
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Meng X, Yue L, Liu A, Tao W, Shi L, Zhao W, Wu Z, Zhang Z, Wang L, Zhang X, Zhou W. Distinct basolateral amygdala excitatory inputs mediate the somatosensory and aversive-affective components of pain. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102207. [PMID: 35772494 PMCID: PMC9304789 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a multidimensional perception that includes unpleasant somatosensory and affective experiences; however, the underlying neural circuits that mediate different components of pain remain elusive. Although hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala glutamatergic (BLAGlu) neurons is required for the somatosensory and emotional processing of pain, the precise excitatory inputs to BLAGlu neurons and their roles in mediating different aspects of pain are unclear. Here, we identified two discrete glutamatergic neuronal circuits in male mice: a projection from the insular cortex glutamatergic (ICGlu) to BLAGlu neurons, which modulates both the somatosensory and affective components of pain, and a projection from the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus (MDGlu) to BLAGlu neurons, which modulates only the aversive-affective component of pain. Using whole-cell recording and fiber photometry, we found that neurons within the IC→BLA and MD→BLA pathways were activated in mice upon inflammatory pain induced by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into their paws. Optical inhibition of the ICGlu→BLA pathway increased the nociceptive threshold and induced behavioral place preference in CFA mice. In contrast, optical inhibition of the MDGlu→BLA pathway did not affect the nociceptive threshold but still induced place preference in CFA mice. In normal mice, optical activation of the ICGlu→BLA pathway decreased the nociceptive threshold and induced place aversion, while optical activation of the MDGlu→BLA pathway only evoked aversion. Taken together, our results demonstrate that discrete ICGlu→BLA and MDGlu→BLA pathways are involved in modulating different components of pain, provide insights into its circuit basis, and better our understanding of pain perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Meng
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Lingxiao Yue
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China; Department of Pathology, Anhui Medical College, Hefei, China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wenjuan Tao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Li Shi
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Wan Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhongmin Wu
- Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Liecheng Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Xulai Zhang
- Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China.
| | - Wenjie Zhou
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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13
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Brain Structural and Functional Alterations in Multiple Sclerosis-Related Fatigue: A Systematic Review. Neurol Int 2022; 14:506-535. [PMID: 35736623 PMCID: PMC9228847 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint14020042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatigue is one of the most disabling symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS); it influences patients’ quality of life. The etiology of fatigue is complex, and its pathogenesis is still unclear and debated. The objective of this review was to describe potential brain structural and functional dysfunctions underlying fatigue symptoms in patients with MS. To reach this purpose, a systematic review was conducted of published studies comparing functional brain activation and structural brain in MS patients with and without fatigue. Electronic databases were searched until 24 February 2021. The structural and functional outcomes were extracted from eligible studies and tabulated. Fifty studies were included: 32 reported structural brain differences between patients with and without fatigue; 14 studies described functional alterations in patients with fatigue compared to patients without it; and four studies showed structural and functional brain alterations in patients. The results revealed structural and functional abnormalities that could correlate to the symptom of fatigue in patients with MS. Several studies reported the differences between patients with fatigue and patients without fatigue in terms of conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes and brain atrophy, specifically in the thalamus. Functional studies showed abnormal activation in the thalamus and in some regions of the sensorimotor network in patients with fatigue compared to patients without it. Patients with fatigue present more structural and functional alterations compared to patients without fatigue. Specifically, abnormal activation and atrophy of the thalamus and some regions of the sensorimotor network seem linked to fatigue.
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14
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Cardoso-Cruz H, Laranjeira I, Monteiro C, Galhardo V. Altered prefrontal-striatal theta-band oscillatory dynamics underlie working memory deficits in neuropathic pain rats. Eur J Pain 2022; 26:1546-1568. [PMID: 35603472 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (PL-mPFC) and nucleus accumbens core region (NAcc) play an important role in supporting several executive cognitive mechanisms, such as spatial working-memory (WM). Recently, this circuit has been also associated with both sensory and affective components of pain. However, it is still unclear whether this circuit is endogenously engaged in neuropathic pain-related cognitive dysfunctions. METHODS To answer this question, we induced the expression of halorhodopsin in local PL-mPFC neurons projecting to NAcc, and then selectively inhibited the terminals of these neurons in the NAcc while recording neural activity during the performance of a delayed non-match to sample (DNMS) spatial WM task. Within-subject behavioral performance and PL-mPFC to NAcc circuit neural activity was assessed after the onset of a persistent rodent neuropathic pain model - spared nerve injury (SNI). RESULTS Our results revealed that the induction of the neuropathy reduced WM performance, and altered the interplay between PL-mPFC and NAcc neurons namely in increasing the functional connectivity from NAcc to PL-mPFC, particularly in the theta-band spontaneous oscillations; in addition, these behavioral and functional perturbations were partially reversed by selective optogenetic inhibition of PL-mPFC neuron terminals into the NAcc during the DNMS task delay-period, without significant antinociceptive effects. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these results strongly suggest that the PL-mPFC excitatory output into the NAcc plays an important role in the deregulation of WM under pain conditions. SIGNIFICANCE Selective optogenetic inhibition of prefrontal-striatal microcircuit reverses pain-related working memory deficits, but has no significant impact on pain responses. Neuropathic pain underlies an increase of functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens core area and the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex mediated by theta-band activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Laranjeira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.,Mestrado em Neurobiologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
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15
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Multi-Region Local Field Potential Signatures in Response to the Formalin-induced Inflammatory Stimulus in Male Rats. Brain Res 2022; 1778:147779. [PMID: 35007546 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147779] [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: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Pain can be ignited by noxious chemical (e.g., acid), mechanical (e.g., pressure), and thermal (e.g., heat) stimuli and generated by the activation of sensory neurons and their axonal terminals called nociceptors in the periphery. Nociceptive information transmitted from the periphery is projected to the central nervous system (thalamus, somatosensory cortex, insular, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, periaqueductal grey, prefrontal cortex, etc.) to generate a unified experience of pain. Local field potential (LFP) recording is one of the neurophysiological tools to investigate the combined neuronal activity, ranging from several hundred micrometers to a few millimeters (radius), located around the embedded electrode. The advantage of recording LFP is that it provides stable simultaneous activities in various brain regions in response to external stimuli. In this study, differential LFP activities from the contralateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), ventral tegmental area (VTA), and bilateral amygdala in response to peripheral noxious formalin injection were recorded in anesthetized male rats. The results indicated increased power of delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma bands in the ACC and amygdala but no change of gamma-band in the right amygdala. Within the VTA, intensities of the delta, theta, and beta bands were only enhanced significantly after formalin injection. It was found that the connectivity (i.t. the coherence) among these brain regions reduced significantly under the formalin-induced nociception, which suggests a significant interruption within the brain. With further study, it will sort out the key combination of structures that will serve as the signature for pain state.
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16
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Oberto VJ, Boucly CJ, Gao H, Todorova R, Zugaro MB, Wiener SI. Distributed cell assemblies spanning prefrontal cortex and striatum. Curr Biol 2021; 32:1-13.e6. [PMID: 34699783 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Highly synchronous neuronal assembly activity is deemed essential for cognitive brain function. In theory, such synchrony could coordinate multiple brain areas performing complementary processes. However, cell assemblies have been observed only in single structures, typically cortical areas, and little is known about their synchrony with downstream subcortical structures, such as the striatum. Here, we demonstrate distributed cell assemblies activated at high synchrony (∼10 ms) spanning prefrontal cortex and striatum. In addition to including neurons at different brain hierarchical levels, surprisingly, they synchronized functionally distinct limbic and associative sub-regions. These assembly activations occurred when members shifted their firing phase relative to ongoing 4 Hz and theta rhythms, in association with high gamma oscillations. This suggests that these rhythms could mediate the emergence of cross-structural assemblies. To test for the role of assemblies in behavior, we trained the rats to perform a task requiring cognitive flexibility, alternating between two different rules in a T-maze. Overall, assembly activations were correlated with task-relevant parameters, including impending choice, reward, rule, or rule order. Moreover, these behavioral correlates were more robustly expressed by assemblies than by their individual member neurons. Finally, to verify whether assemblies can be endogenously generated, we found that they were indeed spontaneously reactivated during sleep and quiet immobility. Thus, cell assemblies are a more general coding mechanism than previously envisioned, linking distributed neocortical and subcortical areas at high synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie J Oberto
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Céline J Boucly
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - HongYing Gao
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Ralitsa Todorova
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Michaël B Zugaro
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Sidney I Wiener
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), College de France, CNRS, INSERM, Université PSL, Paris, France.
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17
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Miyashiro S, Yamada Y, Nagaoka M, Shima R, Muta T, Ishikawa H, Abe T, Hori M, Oka K, Koshikawa F, Ito E. Pain relief associated with decreased oxyhemoglobin level in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256626. [PMID: 34424921 PMCID: PMC8382195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain in the elbow, shoulder, knee, lower back, and various other joints is relieved by adhesion of pyramidal thorn patches. To elucidate the pain relief mechanism induced by the patches, we established a quantitative method for estimating the pain reduction and investigated the brain regions that change in association with pain relief. We first attempted to quantify the pain relief using transcutaneous electric stimulation (TCES) and a visual analog scale (VAS), and then applied near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) to the prefrontal cortex, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We also examined the salivary oxytocin levels, which are thought to reflect oxytocin secretion levels from the posterior pituitary in the brain. Application of pyramidal thorn patches to pain regions decreased the pain degree estimated using TCES and VAS. Oxyhemoglobin levels were likely to be decreased in the left DLPFC on the basis of NIRS measurements during patch treatment, suggesting that the left DLPFC is involved in pain relief. On the other hand, the salivary oxytocin levels varied widely. A potential reason for the varying salivary oxytocin levels is its utilization in the pain region as an analgesic agent. Our results suggest that the left DLPFC will become a target brain region for pain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yurika Yamada
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Rei Shima
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshizumi Muta
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruyuki Ishikawa
- Department of Culture, Media and Society, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tetsuri Abe
- Department of Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masashi Hori
- Department of Educational Psychology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kotaro Oka
- Department of Bioscience and Informatics, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | | | - Etsuro Ito
- Department of Biology, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Waseda Research Institute for Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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18
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Cortical Modulation of Nociception. Neuroscience 2021; 458:256-270. [PMID: 33465410 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Nociception is the neuronal process of encoding noxious stimuli and could be modulated at peripheral, spinal, brainstem, and cortical levels. At cortical levels, several areas including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), ventrolateral orbital cortex (VLO), insular cortex (IC), motor cortex (MC), and somatosensory cortices are involved in nociception modulation through two main mechanisms: (i) a descending modulatory effect at spinal level by direct corticospinal projections or mostly by activation of brainstem structures (i.e. periaqueductal grey matter (PAG), locus coeruleus (LC), the nucleus of raphe (RM) and rostroventral medulla (RVM)); and by (ii) cortico-cortical or cortico-subcortical interactions. This review summarizes evidence related to the participation of the aforementioned cortical areas in nociception modulation and different neurotransmitters or neuromodulators that have been studied in each area. Besides, we point out the importance of considering intracortical neuronal populations and receptors expression, as well as, nociception-induced cortical changes, both functional and connectional, to better understand this modulatory effect. Finally, we discuss the possible mechanisms that could potentiate the use of cortical stimulation as a promising procedure in pain alleviation.
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19
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Khosravi H, Khalilzadeh E, Vafaei Saiah G. Pain-induced aggression and changes in social behavior in mice. Aggress Behav 2021; 47:89-98. [PMID: 32662216 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The effects of neuropathic, formalin, and acetic acid-induced visceral pain were investigated on the social and aggressive behaviors in the Swiss male mice. Neuropathic pain was induced by tibial nerve transection (TNT). Also, somatic and visceral pain was conducted by intraplantar injection of diluted formalin (1%, 20 μl) and intraperitoneal administration of acetic acid (0.6%, 200 μl), respectively. Fourteen and twenty one days after the TNT surgery, and also, 1 and 7 days following formalin and acetic acid administration, the three-chambered test was used to determine sociability and preference for social novelty and resident/intruder test was used for the evaluation of the aggressive behaviors. In the sociability phase of the three-chambered test, all the three models of pain did not change the animal's sociability. However, in the social novelty preference phase, the animals in pain showed deficits in social novelty preference by a significant increase in the time spent with the familiar mice compared to the control groups. Also, animals in pain significantly showed more aggressive behaviors like biting and clinching and have much less attack latency in comparison to the control groups. Pain-induced changes in the social novelty preference and aggressive behaviors continued in the neuropathic group until the end of the experiment. However, 7 days following the induction of both formalin and visceral pain, animals' social memory, and aggression almost returned to the standard value. These results suggest that long-lasting pain could lead to social memory impairment and increase aggressive behaviors in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hatef Khosravi
- Division of Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tabriz Tabriz Iran
| | - Emad Khalilzadeh
- Division of Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tabriz Tabriz Iran
| | - Gholamreza Vafaei Saiah
- Division of Physiology, Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Tabriz Tabriz Iran
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20
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Chronic pain impact on rodents’ behavioral repertoire. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:101-127. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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21
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Houlton J, Barwick D, Clarkson AN. Frontal cortex stroke-induced impairment in spatial working memory on the trial-unique nonmatching-to-location task in mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 177:107355. [PMID: 33276070 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Stroke-induced cognitive impairments are of significant concern, however mechanisms that underpin these impairments remain poorly understood and researched. To further characterise cognitive impairments in our frontal cortex stroke model, and to align our assessments with what is used clinically, we tested young C57BL/6J mice trained in operant touchscreen chambers to complete the trial-unique nonmatched-to-location (TUNL) task. Based on baseline performance, animals were given either stroke (n = 12) or sham (n = 12) surgery using a photothrombosis model, bilaterally targeting the frontal cortex. Upon recovery, post-stroke spatial working memory was assessed by varying the degree of separation and delay within TUNL trials. Seven weeks after surgery, animals received a prelimbic injection of the retrograde tracer cholera toxin B (CTB) to access thalamo-PFC connectivity. Tissue was then processed histologically and immunohistochemically to assess infarct volume, astrogliosis and thalamocortical connectivity. Assessment of TUNL probes revealed sensitivity to a frontal cortex stroke (separation: p = 0.0003, delay: p < 0.0001), with stroke animals taking significantly longer (p = 0.0170) during reacquisition of the TUNL task, relative to shams. CTB-positive cell counts revealed a stroke-induced loss of thalamo-PFC connectivity. In addition, quantification of reactive astrogliosis revealed a positive correlation between the degree of astrogliosis expanding into white matter tracts and the development of cognitive impairments. This study reveals a stroke-induced impairment in mice completing the TUNL task. Our findings also demonstrate a significant loss of thalamo-PFC connections and a correlation between white matter reactive astrogliosis and cognitive impairment. Future experiments will investigate therapeutic interventions in the hope of promoting functional improvement in cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh Houlton
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Health Research Centre and Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Deanna Barwick
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Health Research Centre and Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Andrew N Clarkson
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Health Research Centre and Brain Research New Zealand, University of Otago, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
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22
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Tafakori S, Farrokhi A, Shalchyan V, Daliri MR. Investigating the impact of mobile range electromagnetic radiation on the medial prefrontal cortex of the rat during working memory. Behav Brain Res 2020; 391:112703. [PMID: 32461126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Research has been focused on the effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted from a mobile phone on general health, especially the nervous system. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of RF-EMR on the brain mechanism of rats by recording local field potentials (LFPs) signals during working memory (WM) task. Subjects were exposed to 900 MHz from a dipole antenna daily for three hours. Exposure was applied, first on a short term base (1 week) and then on a long term base (4 weeks). Behavioral parameters were measured weekly while rats performed T-maze tasks in two types of normal and delayed. LFPs signals were simultaneously recorded by implanted microelectrode arrays on the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rats. Results showed a significant increase (*p < 0.05) in the task completion time of exposed rats which vanished shortly after the end of short term RF-EMR exposure. Before exposure, during correctly performed delayed tasks, an increase (peak) in power changes of theta band (4-12 Hz) was observed. But during correctly performed normal tasks, an increase appeared only by applying RF-EMR exposure. The similarity in power changes pattern of theta band in both types of tasks was observed after long term exposure. Classification accuracy of LFPs in truly done normal and delayed tasks was compared in pre and post-exposure states. Initial classification accuracy was 84.2 % which decreased significantly (*P < 0.05) after exposure. These observations indicated that RF-EMR may cause unusual brain functioning which is temporary at least for short term exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Tafakori
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, 16846-13114, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ashkan Farrokhi
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, 16846-13114, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Shalchyan
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, 16846-13114, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- Neuroscience and Neuroengineering Research Lab., Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Narmak, 16846-13114, Tehran, Iran.
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23
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Mohammadi M, Manaheji H, Maghsoudi N, Danyali S, Baniasadi M, Zaringhalam J. Microglia dependent BDNF and proBDNF can impair spatial memory performance during persistent inflammatory pain. Behav Brain Res 2020; 390:112683. [PMID: 32442548 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Inflammatory pain is commonly associated with cognitive impairment. However, its molecular mechanisms are poorly understood. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanisms of behavioral changes associated with inflammatory pain. Briefly, 36 Wistar rats were randomly divided into two main groups: CFA group treated with 100 μL of Complete Freunds' Adjuvant (CFA) and CFA + Minocycline group treated with 100 μL of CFA+40 mg/kg/day of minocycline). After that, each group was divided into three subgroups based on different time points of the study. The pain was induced using CFA and subsequent behavioral changes (i.e., hyperalgesia and learning and spatial memory) were analyzed by the Morris Water Maze (MWM) task and Radiant Heat. Then, the cellular and molecular changes were assessed using Western Blotting, Immunohistochemistry, and Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) techniques. Results of the study indicated that CFA-induced pain impaired spatial learning and memory functions. Studying the cellular changes showed that persistent inflammatory pain increased the microglial activity in CA1 and Dentate Gyrus (DG) regions. Furthermore, an increase was observed in the percentage of TUNEL-positive cells. Also, pro-Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)/BDNF ratio, Caspase3, and Receptor-Interacting Protein kinase 3 (RIP3) levels increased in the rats' hippocampus following induction of persistent inflammatory pain. These changes were reversed following the cessation of pain as well as the injection of minocycline. Taking together, the results of the current study for the first time revealed that an increase in the microglia dependent proBDNF/BDNF ratio following persistent inflammatory pain leads to cell death of the CA1 and DG neurons that subsequently causes a cognitive deficit in the learning and spatial memory functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mola Mohammadi
- Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Homa Manaheji
- Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nader Maghsoudi
- Department of Biology, Queens College and Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA; Neurobiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Danyali
- Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mansoureh Baniasadi
- Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalal Zaringhalam
- Physiology Department, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Neurophysiology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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24
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Kummer KK, Mitrić M, Kalpachidou T, Kress M. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex as a Central Hub for Mental Comorbidities Associated with Chronic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3440. [PMID: 32414089 PMCID: PMC7279227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain patients frequently develop and suffer from mental comorbidities such as depressive mood, impaired cognition, and other significant constraints of daily life, which can only insufficiently be overcome by medication. The emotional and cognitive components of pain are processed by the medial prefrontal cortex, which comprises the anterior cingulate cortex, the prelimbic, and the infralimbic cortex. All three subregions are significantly affected by chronic pain: magnetic resonance imaging has revealed gray matter loss in all these areas in chronic pain conditions. While the anterior cingulate cortex appears hyperactive, prelimbic, and infralimbic regions show reduced activity. The medial prefrontal cortex receives ascending, nociceptive input, but also exerts important top-down control of pain sensation: its projections are the main cortical input of the periaqueductal gray, which is part of the descending inhibitory pain control system at the spinal level. A multitude of neurotransmitter systems contributes to the fine-tuning of the local circuitry, of which cholinergic and GABAergic signaling are particularly emerging as relevant components of affective pain processing within the prefrontal cortex. Accordingly, factors such as distraction, positive mood, and anticipation of pain relief such as placebo can ameliorate pain by affecting mPFC function, making this cortical area a promising target region for medical as well as psychosocial interventions for pain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (K.K.K.); (M.M.); (T.K.)
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25
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King JA, Nephew BC, Choudhury A, Poirier GL, Lim A, Mandrekar P. Chronic alcohol-induced liver injury correlates with memory deficits: Role for neuroinflammation. Alcohol 2020; 83:75-81. [PMID: 31398460 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2019.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects over 15 million adults over age 18 in the United States, with estimated costs of 220 billion dollars annually - mainly due to poor quality of life and lost productivity, which in turn is intricately linked to cognitive dysfunction. AUD-induced neuroinflammation in the brain, notably the hippocampus, is likely to contribute to cognitive impairments. The neuroinflammatory mechanisms mediating the impact of chronic alcohol on the central nervous system, specifically cognition, require further study. We hypothesized that chronic alcohol consumption impairs memory and increases the inflammatory cytokines TNFα, IL6, MCP1, and IL1β in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex regions in the brain. Using the chronic-binge Gao-NIAAA alcohol mouse model of liver disease, representative of the drinking pattern common to human alcoholics, we investigated behavioral and neuroinflammatory parameters. Our data show that chronic alcohol intake elevated peripheral and brain alcohol levels, induced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT, a marker of liver injury), impaired memory and sensorimotor coordination, and increased inflammatory gene expression in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Interestingly, serum ALT and hippocampal IL6 correlated with memory impairment, suggesting an intrinsic relationship between neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and liver disease. Overall, our results point to a likely liver-brain functional partnership and suggest that future strategies to alleviate hepatic and/or neuroinflammatory impacts of chronic AUD may result in improved cognitive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean A King
- Center for Comparative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States.
| | - Benjamin C Nephew
- Center for Comparative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States; Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Asmita Choudhury
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Guillaume L Poirier
- Center for Comparative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Arlene Lim
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Pranoti Mandrekar
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
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26
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Formalin-induced and neuropathic pain altered time estimation in a temporal bisection task in rats. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18683. [PMID: 31822729 PMCID: PMC6904569 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55168-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Time perception is an important ability that is related closely to humans’ and animals’ daily activities. It can be distorted by various emotional states. In human studies, experimental pain has been shown to prolong the perception of time. However, related animal studies are lacking. In this study, we used a temporal bisection task to investigate how acute inflammatory pain (induced by hind-paw formalin injection) and chronic neuropathic pain [induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL)] affected time perception in rats. Rats were trained to recognize “short” (1200-ms) and “long” (2400-ms) anchor-duration pure tones and were rewarded for corresponding lever presses. During testing, rats perceived a series of intermediate-duration and anchor-duration pure tones, and selected levers corresponding to the “short” and “long” tones. After formalin injection, rats gave more “long” lever-press responses than after saline injection. The point of subjective equality after formalin injection also increased, suggesting that formalin-induced acute pain extended time perception. In contrast, rats that had undergone SNL gave fewer “long” lever-press responses compared with the sham surgery group. This animal study suggests that formalin-induced pain and neuropathic pain may have different effects on time perception.
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27
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Kodama K, Takamoto K, Nishimaru H, Matsumoto J, Takamura Y, Sakai S, Ono T, Nishijo H. Analgesic Effects of Compression at Trigger Points Are Associated With Reduction of Frontal Polar Cortical Activity as Well as Functional Connectivity Between the Frontal Polar Area and Insula in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Trial. Front Syst Neurosci 2019; 13:68. [PMID: 31798422 PMCID: PMC6863771 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2019.00068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Compression of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in muscles is reported to reduce chronic musculoskeletal pain. Although the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is implicated in development of chronic pain, the mechanisms of how MTrP compression at low back regions affects PFC activity remain under debate. In this study, we investigated effects of MTrP compression on brain hemodynamics and EEG oscillation in subjects with chronic low back pain. Methods The study was a prospective, randomized, parallel-group trial and an observer and subject-blinded clinical trial. Thirty-two subjects with chronic low back pain were divided into two groups: subjects with compression at MTrPs (n = 16) or those with non-MTrPs (n = 16). Compression at MTrP or non-MTrP for 30 s was applied five times, and hemodynamic activity (near-infrared spectroscopy; NIRS) and EEGs were simultaneously recorded during the experiment. Results The results indicated that compression at MTrPs significantly (1) reduced subjective pain (P < 0.05) and increased the pressure pain threshold (P < 0.05), (2) decreased the NIRS hemodynamic activity in the frontal polar area (pPFC) (P < 0.05), and (3) increased the current source density (CSD) of EEG theta oscillation in the anterior part of the PFC (P < 0.05). CSD of EEG theta oscillation was negatively correlated with NIRS hemodynamic activity in the pPFC (P < 0.05). Furthermore, functional connectivity in theta bands between the medial pPFC and insula cortex was significantly decreased in the MTrP group (P < 0.05). The functional connectivity between those regions was positively correlated with subjective low back pain (P < 0.05). Discussion The results suggest that MTrP compression at the lumbar muscle modulates pPFC activity and functional connectivity between the pPFC and insula, which may relieve chronic musculoskeletal pain. Trial registration This trial was registered at University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000033913) on 27 August 2018, at https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000038660.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanae Kodama
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kouichi Takamoto
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.,Department of Sports and Health Sciences, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of East Asia, Shimonoseki, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Nishimaru
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yusaku Takamura
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Shigekazu Sakai
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Taketoshi Ono
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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28
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Zheng C, Huang Y, Bo B, Wei L, Liang Z, Wang Z. Projection from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex to the Lateral Part of Mediodorsal Thalamus Modulates Vicarious Freezing Behavior. Neurosci Bull 2019; 36:217-229. [PMID: 31531804 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-019-00427-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Emotional contagion, a primary form of empathy, is present in rodents. Among emotional contagion behaviors, social transmission of fear is the most studied. Here, we modified a paradigm used in previous studies to more robustly assess the social transmission of fear in rats that experienced foot-shock. We used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to show that foot-shock experience enhances the regional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). We found that lesioning the ACC specifically attenuated the vicarious freezing behavior of foot-shock-experienced observer rats. Furthermore, ablation of projections from the ACC to the mediodorsal thalamus (MDL) bilaterally delayed the vicarious freezing responses, and activation of these projections decreased the vicarious freezing responses. Overall, our results demonstrate that, in rats, the ACC modulates vicarious freezing behavior via a projection to the MDL and provide clues to understanding the mechanisms underlying empathic behavior in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaowen Zheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yanwang Huang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Binshi Bo
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Lei Wei
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Zhifeng Liang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Zuoren Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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Bidirectional optogenetic modulation of prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity in pain-related working memory deficits. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10980. [PMID: 31358862 PMCID: PMC6662802 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47555-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of the prefrontal-hippocampal circuit has been identified as a leading cause to pain-related working-memory (WM) deficits. However, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly determined. To address this issue, we implanted multichannel arrays of electrodes in the prelimbic cortex (PL-mPFC), and in the dorsal hippocampal CA1 field (dCA1) to record the neural activity during the performance of a delayed non-match to sample (DNMS) task. The prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity was selectively modulated by bidirectional optogenetic inhibition or stimulation of local PL-mPFC glutamatergic calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II alpha (CaMKIIα) expressing neurons during the DNMS task delay-period. The within-subject behavioral performance was assessed using a persistent neuropathic pain model – spared nerve injury (SNI). Our results showed that the induction of the neuropathic pain condition affects the interplay between PL-mPFC and dCA1 regions in a frequency-dependent manner, and that occurs particularly across theta oscillations while rats performed the task. In SNI-treated rats, this disruption was reversed by the selective optogenetic inhibition of PL-mPFC CaMKIIα-expressing neurons during the last portion of the delay-period, but without any significant effect on pain responses. Finally, we found that prefrontal-hippocampal theta connectivity is strictly associated with higher performance levels. Together, our findings suggest that PL-mPFC CaMKIIα-expressing neurons could be modulated by painful conditions and their activity may be critical for prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity during WM processing.
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30
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Selective optogenetic inhibition of medial prefrontal glutamatergic neurons reverses working memory deficits induced by neuropathic pain. Pain 2019; 160:805-823. [PMID: 30681984 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Stability of local medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) network activity is believed to be critical for sustaining cognitive processes such as working memory (WM) and decision making. Dysfunction of the mPFC has been identified as a leading cause to WM deficits in several chronic pain conditions; however, the underlying mechanisms remain largely undetermined. Here, to address this issue, we implanted multichannel arrays of electrodes in the prelimbic region of the mPFC and recorded the neuronal activity during a food-reinforced delayed nonmatch to sample (DNMS) task of spatial WM. In addition, we used an optogenetic technique to selectively suppress the activity of excitatory pyramidal neurons that are considered the neuronal substrate for memory retention during the delay period of the behavioral task. Within-subject behavioral performance and pattern of neuronal activity were assessed after the onset of persistent pain using the spared nerve injury model of peripheral neuropathy. Our results show that the nerve lesion caused a disruption in WM and prelimbic spike activity and that this disruption was reversed by the selective inhibition of prelimbic glutamatergic pyramidal neurons during the delay period of the WM task. In spared nerve injury animals, photoinhibition of excitatory neurons improved the performance level and restored neural activity to a similar profile observed in the control animals. In addition, we found that selective inhibition of excitatory neurons does not produce antinociceptive effects. Together, our findings suggest that disruption of balance in local prelimbic networks may be crucial for the neurological and cognitive deficits observed during painful syndromes.
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Effects of Electroacupuncture on Pain Memory-Related Behaviors and Synchronous Neural Oscillations in the Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Freely Moving Rats. Neural Plast 2019; 2019:2057308. [PMID: 31223307 PMCID: PMC6541966 DOI: 10.1155/2019/2057308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Our previous studies have confirmed that electroacupuncture (EA) can effectively intervene in pain memory, but the neural mechanism involved remains unclear. In this study, we observed the effects of EA in regulating pain memory-related behaviors and synchronous neural oscillations in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). During nociceptive behavioral testing, pain memory induced a nonpain stimulus that spurred a neural oscillatory reaction similar to that caused by pain stimuli in the rACC. After EA, nonpain stimuli did not induce decreased neural oscillatory activity in the rACC until the presentation of pain stimuli. During aversive behavioral testing, EA, through the downregulation of theta power, inhibited the retrieval of aversive memory and relieved pain memory-induced aversive behaviors. These changes of oscillatory activity may be the hallmarks of EA therapy for pain memory.
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Shu SY, Jiang G, Zheng Z, Ma L, Wang B, Zeng Q, Li H, Tan S, Liu B, Chan WY, Wu S, Zhu C, Li C, Wang P, Wu JY. A New Neural Pathway from the Ventral Striatum to the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert with Functional Implication to Learning and Memory. Mol Neurobiol 2019; 56:7222-7233. [PMID: 31001802 PMCID: PMC6728281 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-019-1588-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM) are among the first group of neurons known to become degenerated in Alzheimer’s disease, and thus the NBM is proposed to be involved in learning and memory. The marginal division (MrD) of the striatum is a newly discovered subdivision at the ventromedial border of the mammalian striatum and is considered to be one part of the ventral striatum involved in learning and memory. The present study provided evidence to support the hypothesis that the MrD and the NBM were structurally connected at cellular and subcellular levels with functional implications in learning and memory. First, when wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) was stereotaxically injected into the NBM, fusiform neurons in the MrD were retrogradely labeled with WGA-HRP gray-blue particles and some of them were double stained in brown color by AchE staining method. Thus, cholinergic neurons of the MrD were shown to project to the neurons in the NBM. Second, in anterograde tract-tracing experiments where WGA-HRP was injected to the MrD, the labeled WGA-HRP was found to be anterogradely transported in axons from the MrD to the synaptic terminals with dendrites, axons, and perikaryons of the cholinergic neurons in the NBM when observed under an electronic microscope, indicating reciprocal structural connections between the MrD and the NBM. Third, when bilateral lesions of the MrD were injured with kainic acid in rats, degenerative terminals were observed in synapses of the NBM by an electronic microscope and severe learning and memory deficiency was found in these rats by the Y-maze behavioral test. Our results suggest reciprocal cholinergic connections between the MrD of the ventral striatum and the NBM, and implicate a role of the MrD-NBM pathway in learning and memory. The efferent fibers of cholinergic neurons in the NBM mainly project to the cortex, and severe reduction of the cholinergic innervation in the cortex is the common feature of Alzheimer’s patients. The newly discovered cholinergic neural pathway between the MrD of the ventral striatum and the NBM is supposed involved in the memory circuitries of the brain and probably might play a role in the pathogenesis of the Alzheimer’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si Yun Shu
- Pediatric Center, Zhujiang Hospital of the Southern Medical University, A- 3103, Building 39, No. 253 Gong-ye Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510280 Guangdong China
| | - Gang Jiang
- Department of Ear, Nose and Throat, Zhujiang Hospital of the Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282 Guangdong China
| | - Zhaocong Zheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, Fuzhou Central Hospital of Nanjing Military Region, Fuzhou, 350025 Fujian China
| | - Lin Ma
- Department of Radiology, General Hospital of People’s Liberation Army, Beijing, 100853 China
| | - Bin Wang
- Pediatric Center, Zhujiang Hospital of the Southern Medical University, A- 3103, Building 39, No. 253 Gong-ye Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510280 Guangdong China
| | - Qiyi Zeng
- Pediatric Center, Zhujiang Hospital of the Southern Medical University, A- 3103, Building 39, No. 253 Gong-ye Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510280 Guangdong China
| | - Hong Li
- Pediatric Center, Zhujiang Hospital of the Southern Medical University, A- 3103, Building 39, No. 253 Gong-ye Road, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510280 Guangdong China
| | - Shen Tan
- Department of Neurology, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282 Guangdong China
| | - Bin Liu
- Emergency Department, Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510282 Guangdong China
| | - Wood Yee Chan
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
| | - Sheng Wu
- Nanjing Junqu Hangzhou Sanatorium, 5 Long-jin Road, Hangzhou, 310007 China
| | - Chunhua Zhu
- Nanjing Junqu Hangzhou Sanatorium, 5 Long-jin Road, Hangzhou, 310007 China
| | - Changke Li
- Anesthesia Department of Yue-Bei People Hospital, Shaoguan City, 512026 Guangdong China
| | - Peng Wang
- The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510900 China
| | - Jang-Yen Wu
- Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 USA
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Liu LY, Zhang RL, Chen L, Zhao HY, Cai J, Wang JK, Guo DQ, Cui YJ, Xing GG. Chronic stress increases pain sensitivity via activation of the rACC-BLA pathway in rats. Exp Neurol 2018; 313:109-123. [PMID: 30586593 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2018.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to chronic stress can produce maladaptive neurobiological changes in pathways associated with pain processing, which may cause stress-induced hyperalgesia (SIH). However, the underlying mechanisms still remain largely unknown. In previous studies, we have reported that the amygdala is involved in chronic forced swim (FS) stress-induced depressive-like behaviors and the exacerbation of neuropathic pain in rats, of which, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are shown to play important roles in the integration of affective and sensory information including nociception. Here, using in vivo multichannel recording from rostal anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and BLA, we found that chronic FS stress (CFSS) could increase the pain sensitivity of rats in response to low intensity innoxious stimuli (LIS) and high intensity noxious stimuli (HNS) imposed upon the hindpaw, validating the occurrence of SIH in stressed rats. Moreover, we discovered that CFSS not only induced an increased activity of rACC neuronal population but also produced an augmented field potential power (FPP) of rACC local field potential (LFP), especially in low frequency theta band as well as in high frequency low gamma band ranges, both at the baseline state and under LIS and HNS conditions. In addition, by using a cross-correlation method and a partial directed coherence (PDC) algorithm to analyze the LFP oscillating activity in rACC and BLA, we demonstrated that CFSS could substantially promote the synchronization between rACC and BLA regions, and also enhanced the neural information flow from rACC to BLA. We conclude that exposure of chronic FS stress to rats could result in an increased activity of rACC neuronal population and promote the functional connectivity and the synchronization between rACC and BLA regions, and also enhance the pain-related neural information flow from rACC to BLA, which likely underlie the pathogenesis of SIH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Yu Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Rui-Ling Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, Xinxiang 453002, China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hong-Yan Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jie Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Jia-Kang Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Da-Qing Guo
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Yan-Jun Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Peking University Hospital, Beijing 100871, China.
| | - Guo-Gang Xing
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University, Henan, Xinxiang 453002, China; Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Beijing 100083, China.
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34
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Electroacupuncture Treatment Alleviates the Remifentanil-Induced Hyperalgesia by Regulating the Activities of the Ventral Posterior Lateral Nucleus of the Thalamus Neurons in Rats. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:6109723. [PMID: 30534151 PMCID: PMC6252233 DOI: 10.1155/2018/6109723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms underlying remifentanil- (RF-) induced hyperalgesia, a phenomenon that is generally named as opioid-induced hyperalgesia (OIH), still remain elusive. The ventral posterior lateral nucleus (VPL) of the thalamus, a key relay station for the transmission of nociceptive information to the cerebral cortex, is activated by RF infusion. Electroacupuncture (EA) is an effective method for the treatment of pain. This study aimed to explore the role of VPL in the development of OIH and the effect of EA treatment on OIH in rats. RF was administered to rats via the tail vein for OIH induction. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) in response to mechanical stimuli and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) to thermal stimulation were tested in rats for the assessment of mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively. Spontaneous neuronal activity and local field potential (LFP) in VPL were recorded in freely moving rats using the in vivo multichannel recording technique. EA at 2 Hz frequency (pulse width 0.6 ms, 1-3 mA) was applied to the bilateral acupoints "Zusanli" (ST.36) and "Sanyinjiao" (SP.6) in rats. The results showed that both the PWT and PWL were significantly decreased after RF infusion to rats. Meanwhile, both the spontaneous neuronal firing rate and the theta band oscillation in VPL LFP were increased on day 3 post-RF infusion, indicating that the VPL may promote the development of RF-induced hyperalgesia by regulating the pain-related cortical activity. Moreover, 2 Hz-EA reversed the RF-induced decrease both in PWT and PWL of rats and also abrogated the RF-induced augmentation of the spontaneous neuronal activity and the power spectral density (PSD) of the theta band oscillation in VPL LFP. These results suggested that 2 Hz-EA attenuates the remifentanil-induced hyperalgesia via reducing the excitability of VPL neurons and the low-frequency (theta band) oscillation in VPL LFP.
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Zhou H, Martinez E, Lin HH, Yang R, Dale JA, Liu K, Huang D, Wang J. Inhibition of the Prefrontal Projection to the Nucleus Accumbens Enhances Pain Sensitivity and Affect. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:240. [PMID: 30150924 PMCID: PMC6099095 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cortical mechanisms that regulate acute or chronic pain remain poorly understood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) exerts crucial control of sensory and affective behaviors. Recent studies show that activation of the projections from the PFC to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), an important pathway in the brain's reward circuitry, can produce inhibition of both sensory and affective components of pain. However, it is unclear whether this circuit is endogenously engaged in pain regulation. To answer this question, we disrupted this circuit using an optogenetic strategy. We expressed halorhodopsin in pyramidal neurons from the PFC, and then selectively inhibited the axonal projection from these neurons to neurons in the NAc core. Our results reveal that inhibition of the PFC or its projection to the NAc, heightens both sensory and affective symptoms of acute pain in naïve rats. Inhibition of this corticostriatal pathway also increased nociceptive sensitivity and the aversive response in a chronic neuropathic pain model. Finally, corticostriatal inhibition resulted in a similar aversive phenotype as chronic pain. These results strongly suggest that the projection from the PFC to the NAc plays an important role in endogenous pain regulation, and its impairment contributes to the pathology of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haocheng Zhou
- Department of Pain, The Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Erik Martinez
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Harvey H Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Runtao Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jahrane Antonio Dale
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kevin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Dong Huang
- Department of Pain, The Third Xiangya Hospital and Institute of Pain Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, Langone Medical Center, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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36
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Allen PA, Delahanty D, Kaut KP, Li X, Garcia M, Houston JR, Tokar DM, Loth F, Maleki J, Vorster S, Luciano MG. Chiari 1000 Registry Project: assessment of surgical outcome on self-focused attention, pain, and delayed recall. Psychol Med 2018; 48:1634-1643. [PMID: 29048273 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291717003117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior research has typically found a negative relationship between chronic pain and memory, and we examined whether cognitive control processes (e.g. reflection and rumination) moderated this relationship in individuals with Chiari malformation Type I (CM). CM is a neurological condition in which the cerebellar tonsils descend into the medullary and upper cervical spine regions potentially resulting in severe headaches and neck pain. METHODS CM patients who had (n = 341) and had not (n = 297) undergone decompression surgery completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form-Revised (SF-MPQ-2), the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), and the Rumination-Reflection Questionnaire (RRQ). Immediate recall scores were compared to those of 102 healthy controls, and delayed recall performance was compared across other variables within the CM group. RESULTS CM patients performed more poorly on immediate recall than did controls. Within CM patients, we observed main effects for reflection and age, and a pain x reflection x surgical status (surgery v. no surgery) interaction in which non-decompressed individuals with low levels of pain and high levels of reflection showed superior delayed recall relative to non-decompressed individuals with higher pain and all decompressed individuals. CONCLUSIONS CM patients show an immediate recall deficit relative to controls, regardless of surgical status. High levels of reflection were associated with better delayed recall performance in non-decompressed CM patients with lower pain levels. High levels of chronic pain may overwhelm increased focused attention abilities, but higher levels of reflection partially overcome the distracting effects of pain and this may represent a type of resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Allen
- Department of Psychology,University of Akron,Akron, OH,USA
| | - D Delahanty
- Department of Psychological Sciences,Kent State University,Kent, OH,USA
| | - K P Kaut
- Department of Psychology,University of Akron,Akron, OH,USA
| | - X Li
- Department of Psychology,University of Akron,Akron, OH,USA
| | - M Garcia
- Department of Psychological Sciences,Kent State University,Kent, OH,USA
| | - J R Houston
- Department of Psychology,University of Akron,Akron, OH,USA
| | - D M Tokar
- Department of Psychology,University of Akron,Akron, OH,USA
| | - F Loth
- Department of Mechanical Engineering,University of Akron,Akron, OH,USA
| | - J Maleki
- Department of Neurology,Cleveland Clinic Foundation,Cleveland, OH,USA
| | - S Vorster
- Department of Neurological Surgery,Cleveland Clinic Foundation,Cleveland, OH,USA
| | - M G Luciano
- Department of Neurosurgery,Johns Hopkins Medical Center,USA
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37
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Ong WY, Stohler CS, Herr DR. Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Pain Processing. Mol Neurobiol 2018; 56:1137-1166. [PMID: 29876878 PMCID: PMC6400876 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-018-1130-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 350] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is not only important in executive functions, but also pain processing. The latter is dependent on its connections to other areas of the cerebral neocortex, hippocampus, periaqueductal gray (PAG), thalamus, amygdala, and basal nuclei. Changes in neurotransmitters, gene expression, glial cells, and neuroinflammation occur in the PFC during acute and chronic pain, that result in alterations to its structure, activity, and connectivity. The medial PFC (mPFC) could serve dual, opposing roles in pain: (1) it mediates antinociceptive effects, due to its connections with other cortical areas, and as the main source of cortical afferents to the PAG for modulation of pain. This is a ‘loop’ where, on one side, a sensory stimulus is transformed into a perceptual signal through high brain processing activity, and perceptual activity is then utilized to control the flow of afferent sensory stimuli at their entrance (dorsal horn) to the CNS. (2) It could induce pain chronification via its corticostriatal projection, possibly depending on the level of dopamine receptor activation (or lack of) in the ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens reward pathway. The PFC is involved in biopsychosocial pain management. This includes repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, transcranial direct current stimulation, antidepressants, acupuncture, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, music, exercise, partner support, empathy, meditation, and prayer. Studies demonstrate the role of the PFC during placebo analgesia, and in establishing links between pain and depression, anxiety, and loss of cognition. In particular, losses in PFC grey matter are often reversible after successful treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Yi Ong
- Department of Anatomy, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Singapore.
- Neurobiology and Ageing Research Programme, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Singapore.
| | | | - Deron R Herr
- Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119260, Singapore.
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38
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Kelly CJ, Martina M. Circuit-selective properties of glutamatergic inputs to the rat prelimbic cortex and their alterations in neuropathic pain. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2627-2639. [PMID: 29550939 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1648-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Functional deactivation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a critical step in the neuropathic pain phenotype. We performed optogenetic circuit dissection to study the properties of ventral hippocampal (vHipp) and thalamic (MDTh) inputs to L5 pyramidal cells in acute mPFC slices and to test whether alterations in these inputs contribute to mPFC deactivation in neuropathic pain. We found that: (1) both the vHipp and MDTh inputs elicit monosynaptic excitatory and polysynaptic inhibitory currents. (2) The strength of the excitatory MDTh input is uniform, while the vHipp input becomes progressively stronger along the dorsal-ventral axis. (3) Synaptic current kinetics suggests that the MDTh inputs contact distal, while the vHipp inputs contact proximal dendritic sections. (4) The longer delay of inhibitory currents in response to vHipp compared to MDTh inputs suggests that they are activated by feedback and feed-forward circuitries, respectively. (5) One week after a peripheral neuropathic injury, both glutamatergic inputs are modified: MDTh responses are smaller, without evidence of presynaptic changes, while the probability of release at vHipp-mPFC synapses becomes lower, without significant change in current amplitude. Thus, dysregulation of both these inputs likely contributes to the mPFC deactivation in neuropathic pain and may impair PFC-dependent cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crystle J Kelly
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Marco Martina
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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39
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Abstract
Chronic pain is frequently associated with anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. This review discusses recent work in rodents that contributes to the understanding of their neurobiological links. Brain regions that contain circuits that mediate persistent changes in behavior that are caused by nerve injury or joint inflammation include the rostral anterior cingulate and other parts of the medial prefrontal cortex, the basolateral and central nucleus of the amygdala, and the nucleus accumbens. Functional changes, including increases in the activity within specific neuronal pathways and in the levels of specific synaptic components, that are associated with the behavior changes, or are in some cases necessary for them, have recently been identified. Broadly projecting modulatory systems and widely expressed factors such as cytokines and growth factors also contribute to pain-associated behavior. Integrating these observations and determining their causal relationships is now critical for the identification of therapeutic targets and the design of appropriate interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted B Usdin
- Section on Fundamental Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eugene L Dimitrov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
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40
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Li Y. Synaptic Plasticity and Synchrony in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Circuitry: A Neural Network Approach to Causality of Chronic Visceral Pain and Associated Cognitive Deficits. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 21:219-245. [PMID: 30334224 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-94593-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Human brain imaging studies have demonstrated the importance of cortical neuronal networks in the perception of pain in patients with functional bowel disease such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).Studies have identified an enhanced response in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to colorectal distension in viscerally hypersensitive (VH) rats. Electrophysiological recordings show long-lasting potentiation of local field potential (LFP) in the medial thalamus (MT)-ACC synapses in VH rats. Theta burst stimulation in the MT reliably induced long-term potentiation (LTP) in the MT-ACC pathway in normal rats, but was occluded in the VH state. Further, repeated tetanization of MT increased ACC neuronal activity and visceral pain responses of normal rats, mimicking VH rats. These data provide conclusive evidence that chronic visceral pain is associated with alterations of synaptic plasticity in the ACC circuitry. The ACC synaptic strengthening may engage signal transduction pathways that are in common with those activated by electrical stimulation, and serve as an attractive cellular model of functional visceral pain.Evidences have shown that most patients with IBS have psychiatric comorbidity. Using rat gambling task (RGT), we discovered an impairment of decision-making behavior in VH rats. Electrophysiological study showed a reduction of LTP in the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-ACC synapses in VH rats. Multiple-electrode array recordings of local field potential (LFP) in freely behaving rats revealed that chronic visceral pain led to disruption of ACC spike timing and BLA local theta oscillation. Finally, cross-correlation analysis revealed that VH was associated with suppressed synchronization of theta oscillation between the BLA and ACC, indicating reduced neuronal communications between these two regions. These data suggest that functional disturbances in BLA-ACC neural circuitry may be relevant causes for the deficits in decision-making in chronic pain state.The viscero-sensation is a faculty of perception that does not depend upon any outward sense, but acts to influence the elicited behavioral response. Clinically, vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has shown several beneficial effects for mood enhancement. Our recent study characterized that VNS facilitates decision-making and unveiled several important roles for VNS in regulating LFP and spike phases, as well as enhancing spike-phase coherence between key brain areas involved in cognitive performance.It is conceivable that the visceral pain experience may be better explained as a biopsychosocial model of pain and reflected in a matrix of neuronal structures. Understanding of desynchrony in the ACC network and cognitive deficits is likely to provide exciting and powerful future treatment for chronic visceral pain related debilitating mood, anxiety, and cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong. .,School of Veterinary Medicine, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
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41
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Abstract
Pain is a complex neural function involving cognition, sensory, emotion, and memory. Imaging studies have shown that multiple brain regions are actively engaged in the processing of pain. However, roles of each brain regions and their contribution to pain are still largely unknown. Recent studies with electrophysiology especially high-density electroencephalogram (EEG) or multichannel recordings techniques have provided more insights into the dynamics of pain signature. The accumulations of the evidence could facilitate our understanding of pain and provide potential methods for objective pain evaluation and treatment of chronic pain.
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42
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Abstract
The amygdala is a limbic brain region that plays a key role in emotional processing, neuropsychiatric disorders, and the emotional-affective dimension of pain. Preclinical and clinical studies have identified amygdala hyperactivity as well as impairment of cortical control mechanisms in pain states. Hyperactivity of basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons generates enhanced feedforward inhibition and deactivation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), resulting in pain-related cognitive deficits. The mPFC sends excitatory projections to GABAergic neurons in the intercalated cell mass (ITC) in the amygdala, which project to the laterocapsular division of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeLC; output nucleus) and serve gating functions for amygdala output. Impairment of these cortical control mechanisms allows the development of amygdala pain plasticity. Mechanisms of abnormal amygdala activity in pain with particular focus on loss of cortical control mechanisms as well as new strategies to correct pain-related amygdala dysfunction will be discussed in the present review.
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43
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Woodhams SG, Chapman V, Finn DP, Hohmann AG, Neugebauer V. The cannabinoid system and pain. Neuropharmacology 2017; 124:105-120. [PMID: 28625720 PMCID: PMC5785108 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain states are highly prevalent and yet poorly controlled by currently available analgesics, representing an enormous clinical, societal, and economic burden. Existing pain medications have significant limitations and adverse effects including tolerance, dependence, gastrointestinal dysfunction, cognitive impairment, and a narrow therapeutic window, making the search for novel analgesics ever more important. In this article, we review the role of an important endogenous pain control system, the endocannabinoid (EC) system, in the sensory, emotional, and cognitive aspects of pain. Herein, we briefly cover the discovery of the EC system and its role in pain processing pathways, before concentrating on three areas of current major interest in EC pain research; 1. Pharmacological enhancement of endocannabinoid activity (via blockade of EC metabolism or allosteric modulation of CB1receptors); 2. The EC System and stress-induced modulation of pain; and 3. The EC system & medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) dysfunction in pain states. Whilst we focus predominantly on the preclinical data, we also include extensive discussion of recent clinical failures of endocannabinoid-related therapies, the future potential of these approaches, and important directions for future research on the EC system and pain. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "A New Dawn in Cannabinoid Neurobiology".
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen G Woodhams
- Arthritis UK Pain Centre, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
| | - Victoria Chapman
- Arthritis UK Pain Centre, School of Life Sciences, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - David P Finn
- Pharmacology & Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Galway Neuroscience Centre and Centre for Pain Research, NCBES, National University of Ireland Galway, University Road, Galway, Ireland
| | - Andrea G Hohmann
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Interdisciplinary Biochemistry Graduate Program, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Gill Center for Biomolecular Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA
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44
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In vivo evaluation of the hippocampal glutamate, GABA and the BDNF levels associated with spatial memory performance in a rodent model of neuropathic pain. Physiol Behav 2017; 175:97-103. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2016] [Revised: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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45
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Martinez E, Lin HH, Zhou H, Dale J, Liu K, Wang J. Corticostriatal Regulation of Acute Pain. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:146. [PMID: 28603489 PMCID: PMC5445115 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms for acute pain regulation in the brain are not well understood. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) provides top-down control of emotional processes, and it projects to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). This corticostriatal projection forms an important regulatory pathway within the brain’s reward system. Recently, this projection has been suggested to control both sensory and affective phenotypes specifically associated with chronic pain. As this projection is also known to play a role in the transition from acute to chronic pain, we hypothesized that this corticostriatal circuit can also exert a modulatory function in the acute pain state. Here, we used optogenetics to specifically target the projection from the PFC to the NAc. We tested sensory pain behaviors with Hargreaves’ test and mechanical allodynia, and aversive pain behaviors with conditioned place preference (CPP) test. We found that the activation of this corticostriatal circuit gave rise to bilateral relief from peripheral nociceptive inputs. Activation of this circuit also provided important control for the aversive response to transient noxious stimulations. Hence, our results support a novel role for corticostriatal circuitry in acute pain regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Martinez
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States
| | - Harvey H Lin
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States
| | - Haocheng Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States
| | - Jahrane Dale
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States
| | - Kevin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of MedicineNew York, NY, United States
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46
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47
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Asano N, Maeshima S, Okamoto S, Okazaki H, Sonoda S. Thalamic Amnesia Accompanying Disruption of Pain Memory: A Case of Right Anterior Thalamic Infarction and a Subsequent Vertebral Compression Fracture. PAIN MEDICINE 2017; 18:997-1000. [PMID: 28339538 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnw277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Asano
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nanakuri memorial hospital, Fujita Health University, Mie, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Maeshima
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nanakuri memorial hospital, Fujita Health University, Mie, Japan
| | - Sayaka Okamoto
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nanakuri memorial hospital, Fujita Health University, Mie, Japan
| | - Hideto Okazaki
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nanakuri memorial hospital, Fujita Health University, Mie, Japan
| | - Shigeru Sonoda
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nanakuri memorial hospital, Fujita Health University, Mie, Japan
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48
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Boadas-Vaello P, Homs J, Reina F, Carrera A, Verdú E. Neuroplasticity of Supraspinal Structures Associated with Pathological Pain. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2017; 300:1481-1501. [PMID: 28263454 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2016] [Revised: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Peripheral nerve and spinal cord injuries, along with other painful syndromes such as fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapeutic neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia, complex regional pain syndrome, and/or irritable bowel syndrome, cause several neuroplasticity changes in the nervous system along its entire axis affecting the different neuronal nuclei. This paper reviews these changes, focusing on the supraspinal structures that are involved in the modulation and processing of pain, including the periaqueductal gray matter, red nucleus, locus coeruleus, rostral ventromedial medulla, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, habenula, primary, and secondary somatosensory cortex, motor cortex, mammillary bodies, hippocampus, septum, amygdala, cingulated, and prefrontal cortex. Hyperexcitability caused by the modification of postsynaptic receptor expression, central sensitization, and potentiation of presynaptic delivery of neurotransmitters, as well as the reduction of inhibitory inputs, changes in dendritic spine, neural circuit remodeling, alteration of gray matter, and upregulation of proinflammatory mediators (e.g., cytokines) by reactivation of astrocytes and microglial cells are the main functional, structural, and molecular neuroplasticity changes observed in the above supraspinal structures, associated with pathological pain. Studying these changes in greater depth may lead to the implementation and improvement of new therapeutic strategies against pathological pain. Anat Rec, 300:1481-1501, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pere Boadas-Vaello
- Research Group of Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience (NEOMA), Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Catalonia, 17003, Spain
| | - Judit Homs
- Research Group of Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience (NEOMA), Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Catalonia, 17003, Spain.,Department of Physical Therapy EUSES-Universitat of Girona, Salt (Girona), Catalonia, 17190, Spain
| | - Francisco Reina
- Research Group of Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience (NEOMA), Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Catalonia, 17003, Spain
| | - Ana Carrera
- Research Group of Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience (NEOMA), Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Catalonia, 17003, Spain
| | - Enrique Verdú
- Research Group of Clinical Anatomy, Embryology and Neuroscience (NEOMA), Department of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Catalonia, 17003, Spain
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49
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Monteiro C, Cardoso-Cruz H, Matos M, Dourado M, Lima D, Galhardo V. Increased fronto-hippocampal connectivity in the Prrxl1 knockout mouse model of congenital hypoalgesia. Pain 2017; 157:2045-2056. [PMID: 27168359 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Despite the large number of studies addressing how prolonged painful stimulation affects brain functioning, there are only a handful of studies aimed at uncovering if persistent conditions of reduced pain perception would also result in brain plasticity. Permanent hypoalgesia induced by neonatal injection of capsaicin or carrageenan has already been shown to affect learning and memory and to induce alterations in brain gene expression. In this study, we used the Prrxl1 model of congenital mild hypoalgesia to conduct a detailed study of the neurophysiological and behavioral consequences of reduced pain experience. Prrxl1 knockout animals are characterized by selective depletion of small diameter primary afferents and abnormal development of the superficial dorsal laminae of the spinal cord, resulting in diminished pain perception but normal tactile and motor behaviour. Behavioral testing of Prrxl1 mice revealed that these animals have reduced anxiety levels, enhanced memory performance, and improved fear extinction. Neurophysiological recordings from awake behaving Prrxl1 mice show enhanced altered fronto-hippocampal connectivity in the theta- and gamma-bands. Importantly, although inflammatory pain by Complete Freund Adjuvant injection caused a decrease in fronto-hippocampal connectivity in the wild-type animals, Prrxl1 mice maintained the baseline levels. The onset of inflammatory pain also reverted the differences in forebrain expression of stress- and monoamine-related genes in Prrxl1 mice. Altogether our results suggest that congenital hypoalgesia may have an effect on brain plasticity that is the inverse of what is usually observed in animal models of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Monteiro
- Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Matos
- Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Margarida Dourado
- Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Deolinda Lima
- Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular-IBMC, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde-i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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50
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Shen Z, Sun J, Liu B, Jiang Y, Wu Y, Wang J, Shao X, Fang J. Mechanical Stimulus-Induced Wthdrawal Behavior Increases Subsequent Pre-Stimulus Local Field Potential Power in the Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Unanesthetized Rats. Med Sci Monit 2017; 23:1099-1105. [PMID: 28250407 PMCID: PMC5345699 DOI: 10.12659/msm.903292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) is important in pain expectation. Previous studies demonstrated that mechanical stimulus-induced withdrawal behaviors are spinally-mediated nocifensive reflexes in rats, but it is not known whether pain expectation is influenced by withdrawal behaviors. MATERIAL AND METHODS We reanalyzed previous mechanosensitivity measurements of 244 rats measured 5 times in succession. To study neural oscillation in the rACC, 1 recording microwire array was surgically implanted. Then, we simultaneously recorded the local field potential (LFP) of the rACC over the course of multiple withdrawal behaviors in unanesthetized rats. RESULTS From our previous withdrawal behavioral data in 244 rats, we observed that the distributions of paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were denser and more concentrated after the first withdrawal behavior. Compared to the first mechanical stimulus, increased neuronal synchrony and a stronger delta band component existed in each pre-stimulus LFP in the rACC during subsequent stimuli. CONCLUSIONS Pain expectation could be involved in withdrawal behaviors, which is related to increased total power and delta band power of the subsequent pre-stimulus LFPs in the rACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zui Shen
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Boyi Liu
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Yongliang Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Jialing Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Xiaomei Shao
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
| | - Jianqiao Fang
- Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, The 3rd Clinical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China (mainland)
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