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Huerta MÁ, Cisneros E, Alique M, Roza C. Strategies for measuring non-evoked pain in preclinical models of neuropathic pain: Systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105761. [PMID: 38852847 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The development of new analgesics for neuropathic pain treatment is crucial. The failure of promising drugs in clinical trials may be related to the over-reliance on reflex-based responses (evoked pain) in preclinical drug testing, which may not fully represent clinical neuropathic pain, characterized by spontaneous non-evoked pain (NEP). Hence, strategies for assessing NEP in preclinical studies emerged. This systematic review identified 443 articles evaluating NEP in neuropathic pain models (mainly traumatic nerve injuries in male rodents). An exponential growth in NEP evaluation was observed, which was assessed using 48 different tests classified in 12 NEP-related outcomes: anxiety, exploration/locomotion, paw lifting, depression, conditioned place preference, gait, autotomy, wellbeing, facial grooming, cognitive impairment, facial pain expressions and vocalizations. Although most of these outcomes showed clear limitations, our analysis suggests that conditioning-associated outcomes, pain-related comorbidities, and gait evaluation may be the most effective strategies. Moreover, a minimal part of the studies evaluated standard analgesics. The greater emphasis on evaluating NEP aligning with clinical pain symptoms may enhance analgesic drug development, improving clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á Huerta
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada 18016, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, 18100 Armilla, Granada, Spain; Biosanitary Research Institute ibs.GRANADA, Granada 18012, Spain
| | - Elsa Cisneros
- Health Sciences School, Centro Universitario Internacional de Madrid (CUNIMAD), Madrid, Spain; Health Sciences School, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Matilde Alique
- Department of System's Biology, Medical School, University of Alcala de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Spain; Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Madrid 28034, Spain
| | - Carolina Roza
- Department of System's Biology, Medical School, University of Alcala de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
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2
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Onuma K, Watanabe M, Sasaki N. The grimace scale: a useful tool for assessing pain in laboratory animals. Exp Anim 2024; 73:234-245. [PMID: 38382945 PMCID: PMC11254488 DOI: 10.1538/expanim.24-0010] [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: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Accurately and promptly assessing pain in experimental animals is extremely important to avoid unnecessary suffering of the animals and to enhance the reproducibility of experiments. This is a key concern for veterinarians, animal caretakers, and researchers from the perspectives of veterinary care and animal welfare. Various methods including ethology, immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and molecular biology are used for pain assessment. However, the grimace scale, which was developed by taking cues from interpreting pain through facial expressions of non-verbal infants, has become recognized as a very simple and practical method for objectively evaluating pain levels by scoring changes in an animal's expressions. This method, which was first implemented with mice approximately 10 years ago, is now being applied to various experimental animals and is widely used in research settings. This review focuses on the usability of the grimace scale from the "cage-side" perspective, aiming to make it a more user-friendly tool for those involved in animal experiments. Differences in facial expressions in response to pain in various animals, examples of applying the grimace scale, current automated analytical methods, and future prospects are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Onuma
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi-23, Towada, Aomori 034-0021, Japan
| | - Masaki Watanabe
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi-23, Towada, Aomori 034-0021, Japan
| | - Nobuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science and Medicine, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, 35-1 Higashi-23, Towada, Aomori 034-0021, Japan
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3
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Gupta S, Yamada A, Ling J, Gu JG. Quantitative orbital tightening for pain assessment using machine learning with DeepLabCut. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2024; 16:100164. [PMID: 39286765 PMCID: PMC11404079 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2024.100164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2024] [Revised: 08/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
Pain assessment in animal models is essential for understanding mechanisms underlying pathological pain and developing effective pain medicine. The grimace scale (GS), facial expression features in pain such as orbital tightening (OT), is a valuable measure for assessing pain in animal models. However, the classical grimace scale for pain assessment is labor-intensive, subject to subjectivity and inconsistency, and is not a quantitative measure. In the present study, we utilized machine learning with DeepLabCut to annotate the superior and inferior eyelid margins and the medial and lateral canthus of the eyes in animals' video images. Based on the annotation, we quantified the eyelid distance and palpebral fissure width of the animals' eyes so that the degree of OT in animals with pain could be measured and described quantitatively. We established criteria for the inclusion and exclusion of the annotated images for quantifying OT, and validated our quantitative grimace scale (qGS) in the mice with pain caused by capsaicin injections in the orofacial or hindpaw regions, the Nav1.8-ChR2 mice following orofacial noxious stimulation with laser light, and the oxaliplatin-treated mice following tactile stimulation with a von Frey filament. We showed that both the eyelid distance and the palpebral fissure width were shortened significantly in the animals in pain compared to the control animals without nociceptive stimulation. Collectively, the present study has established a quantitative orbital tightening for pain assessment in mice using DeepLabCut, providing a new tool for pain assessment in preclinical studies with mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Gupta
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Akihiro Yamada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Jennifer Ling
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
| | - Jianguo G Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States
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4
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Rodrigues Tavares LR, Petrilli LA, Baptista-de-Souza D, Canto-de-Souza L, Planeta CDS, Guimarães FS, Nunes-de-Souza RL, Canto-de-Souza A. Cannabidiol Treatment Shows Therapeutic Efficacy in a Rodent Model of Social Transfer of Pain in Pair-Housed Male Mice. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2024; 9:699-713. [PMID: 37074109 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0300] [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] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Prosocial behavior refers to sharing emotions and sensations such as pain. Accumulated data indicate that cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychotomimetic component of the Cannabis sativa plant, attenuates hyperalgesia, anxiety, and anhedonic-like behavior. Nevertheless, the role of CBD in the social transfer of pain has never been evaluated. In this study, we investigated the effects of acute systemic administration of CBD in mice that cohabited with a conspecific animal suffering from chronic constriction injury. Furthermore, we assessed whether repeated CBD treatment decreases hypernociception, anxiety-like behavior, and anhedonic-like responses in mice undergoing chronic constriction injury and whether this attenuation would be socially transferred to the partner. Materials and Methods: Male Swiss mice were Housed in pairs for 28 days. On the 14th day of living together, animals were then divided into two groups: cagemate nerve constriction (CNC), in which one animal of each partner was subjected to sciatic nerve constriction; and cagemate sham (CS), subjected to the same surgical procedure but without suffering nerve constriction. In Experiments 1, 2, and 3 on day 28 of living together, the cagemates (CNC and CS) animals received a single systemic injection (intraperitoneally) of vehicle or CBD (0.3, 1, 10, or 30 mg/kg). After 30 min, the cagemates were subjected to the elevated plusmaze followed by exposure to the writhing and sucrose splash tests. For chronic treatment (Exp. 4), sham and chronic constriction injury animals received a repeated systemic injection (subcutaneous) of vehicle or CBD (10 mg/kg) for 14 days after the sciatic nerve constriction procedure. On days 28 and 29 sham and chronic constriction injury animals and their cagemates were behaviorally tested. Results and Conclusion: Acute CBD administration attenuated anxiety-like behavior, pain hypersensitivity, and anhedonic-like behavior in cagemates that cohabited with a pair in chronic pain. In addition, repeated CBD treatment reversed the anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic pain and enhanced the mechanical withdrawal thresholds in Von Frey filaments and the grooming time in the sucrose splash test. Moreover, repeated CBD treatment effects were socially transferred to the chronic constriction injury cagemates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lígia Renata Rodrigues Tavares
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology, CECH-Universidade Federal de São Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Abdelnur Petrilli
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology, CECH-Universidade Federal de São Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Daniela Baptista-de-Souza
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology, CECH-Universidade Federal de São Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Neuroscience and Behavior Institute-IneC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Canto-de-Souza
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Neuroscience and Behavior Institute-IneC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Cleopatra da Silva Planeta
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
| | - Francisco Silveira Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Luiz Nunes-de-Souza
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Araraquara, Brazil
- Neuroscience and Behavior Institute-IneC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Azair Canto-de-Souza
- Psychobiology Group, Department of Psychology, CECH-Universidade Federal de São Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
- Joint Graduate Program in Physiological Sciences UFSCar/UNESP, São Carlos, Brazil
- Neuroscience and Behavior Institute-IneC, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Program in Psychology UFSCar, São Carlos, Brazil
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5
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Seyed-Razavi Y, Kenyon BM, Qiu F, Harris DL, Hamrah P. A novel animal model of neuropathic corneal pain-the ciliary nerve constriction model. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1265708. [PMID: 38144209 PMCID: PMC10749205 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1265708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Neuropathic pain arises as a result of peripheral nerve injury or altered pain processing within the central nervous system. When this phenomenon affects the cornea, it is referred to as neuropathic corneal pain (NCP), resulting in pain, hyperalgesia, burning, and photoallodynia, severely affecting patients' quality of life. To date there is no suitable animal model for the study of NCP. Herein, we developed an NCP model by constriction of the long ciliary nerves innervating the eye. Methods Mice underwent ciliary nerve constriction (CNC) or sham procedures. Safety was determined by corneal fluorescein staining to assess ocular surface damage, whereas Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometry and confocal microscopy assessed the function and structure of corneal nerves, respectively. Efficacy was assessed by paw wipe responses within 30 seconds of applying hyperosmolar (5M) saline at Days 3, 7, 10, and 14 post-constriction. Additionally, behavior was assessed in an open field test (OFT) at Days 7, 14, and 21. Results CNC resulted in significantly increased response to hyperosmolar saline between groups (p < 0.0001), demonstrating hyperalgesia and induction of neuropathic pain. Further, animals that underwent CNC had increased anxiety-like behavior in an open field test compared to controls at the 14- and 21-Day time-points (p < 0.05). In contrast, CNC did not result in increased corneal fluorescein staining or decreased sensation as compared to sham controls (p > 0.05). Additionally, confocal microscopy of corneal whole-mounts revealed that constriction resulted in only a slight reduction in corneal nerve density (p < 0.05), compared to naïve and sham groups. Discussion The CNC model induces a pure NCP phenotype and may be a useful model for the study of NCP, recapitulating features of NCP, including hyperalgesia in the absence of ocular surface damage, and anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashar Seyed-Razavi
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brendan M. Kenyon
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Fangfang Qiu
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Deshea L. Harris
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Pedram Hamrah
- Center for Translational Ocular Immunology, Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tufts Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States
- Departments of Neuroscience and Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
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6
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Cramer N, Ji Y, Kane MA, Pilli NR, Castro A, Posa L, Van Patten G, Masri R, Keller A. Elevated Serotonin in Mouse Spinal Dorsal Horn Is Pronociceptive. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0293-23.2023. [PMID: 37945351 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0293-23.2023] [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: 08/05/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Serotonergic neurons in the rostral ventral medulla (RVM) contribute to bidirectional control of pain through modulation of spinal and trigeminal nociceptive networks. Deficits in this pathway are believed to contribute to pathologic pain states, but whether changes in serotonergic mechanisms are pro- or antinociceptive is debated. We used a combination of optogenetics and fiber photometry to examine these mechanisms more closely. We find that optogenetic activation of RVM serotonergic afferents in the spinal cord of naive mice produces mechanical hypersensitivity and conditioned place aversion (CPA). Neuropathic pain, produced by chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve (CCI-ION), evoked a tonic increase in serotonin (5HT) concentrations within the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis (SpVc), measured with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-MS/MS). By contract, CCI-ION had no effect on the phasic serotonin transients in SpVc, evoked by noxious pinch, and measured with fiber photometry of a serotonin sensor. These findings suggest that serotonin release in the spinal cord is pronociceptive and that an increase in sustained serotonin signaling, rather than phasic or event driven increases, potentiate nociception in models of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Cramer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- University of Maryland - Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Yadong Ji
- Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Maureen A Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Nageswara R Pilli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Alberto Castro
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Luca Posa
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Gabrielle Van Patten
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Radi Masri
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, MD 21201
- University of Maryland - Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
| | - Asaf Keller
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- University of Maryland - Medicine Institute for Neuroscience Discovery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201
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7
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Kume M, Ahmad A, DeFea KA, Vagner J, Dussor G, Boitano S, Price TJ. Protease-Activated Receptor 2 (PAR2) Expressed in Sensory Neurons Contributes to Signs of Pain and Neuropathy in Paclitaxel Treated Mice. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:1980-1993. [PMID: 37315729 PMCID: PMC10615692 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, dose-limiting side effect of cancer therapy. Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) is implicated in a variety of pathologies, including CIPN. In this study, we demonstrate the role of PAR2 expressed in sensory neurons in a paclitaxel (PTX)-induced model of CIPN in mice. PAR2 knockout/wildtype (WT) mice and mice with PAR2 ablated in sensory neurons were treated with PTX administered via intraperitoneal injection. In vivo behavioral studies were done in mice using von Frey filaments and the Mouse Grimace Scale. We then examined immunohistochemical staining of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and hind paw skin samples from CIPN mice to measure satellite cell gliosis and intra-epidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density. The pharmacological reversal of CIPN pain was tested with the PAR2 antagonist C781. Mechanical allodynia caused by PTX treatment was alleviated in PAR2 knockout mice of both sexes. In the PAR2 sensory neuronal conditional knockout (cKO) mice, both mechanical allodynia and facial grimacing were attenuated in mice of both sexes. In the DRG of the PTX-treated PAR2 cKO mice, satellite glial cell activation was reduced compared to control mice. IENF density analysis of the skin showed that the PTX-treated control mice had a reduction in nerve fiber density while the PAR2 cKO mice had a comparable skin innervation as the vehicle-treated animals. Similar results were seen with satellite cell gliosis in the DRG, where gliosis induced by PTX was absent in PAR cKO mice. Finally, C781 was able to transiently reverse established PTX-evoked mechanical allodynia. PERSPECTIVE: Our work demonstrates that PAR2 expressed in sensory neurons plays a key role in PTX-induced mechanical allodynia, spontaneous pain, and signs of neuropathy, suggesting PAR2 as a possible therapeutic target in multiple aspects of PTX CIPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moeno Kume
- University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Ayesha Ahmad
- University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | | | | | - Gregory Dussor
- University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies
| | - Scott Boitano
- University of Arizona Bio5 Research Institute
- University of Arizona Heath Sciences, Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center
- University of Arizona Heath Sciences, Department of Physiology
| | - Theodore J. Price
- University of Texas at Dallas, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies
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8
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Arnold B, Ramakrishnan R, Wright A, Wilson K, VandeVord PJ. An automated rat grimace scale for the assessment of pain. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18859. [PMID: 37914795 PMCID: PMC10620195 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46123-x] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a complex neuro-psychosocial experience that is internal and private, making it difficult to assess in both humans and animals. In pain research, animal models are prominently used, with rats among the most commonly studied. The rat grimace scale (RGS) measures four facial action units to quantify the pain behaviors of rats. However, manual recording of RGS scores is a time-consuming process that requires training. While computer vision models have been developed and utilized for various grimace scales, there are currently no models for RGS. To address this gap, this study worked to develop an automated RGS system which can detect facial action units in rat images and predict RGS scores. The automated system achieved an action unit detection precision and recall of 97%. Furthermore, the action unit RGS classifiers achieved a weighted accuracy of 81-93%. The system's performance was evaluated using a blast traumatic brain injury study, where it was compared to trained human graders. The results showed an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.82 for the total RGS score, indicating that the system was comparable to human graders. The automated tool could enhance pain research by providing a standardized and efficient method for the assessment of RGS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendan Arnold
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Amirah Wright
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Kelsey Wilson
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Pamela J VandeVord
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
- Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Salem, VA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, 440 Kelly Hall, 325 Stanger St., Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
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Domínguez-Oliva A, Olmos-Hernández A, Hernández-Ávalos I, Lecona-Butrón H, Mora-Medina P, Mota-Rojas D. Rat Grimace Scale as a Method to Evaluate Animal Welfare, Nociception, and Quality of the Euthanasia Method of Wistar Rats. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3161. [PMID: 37893885 PMCID: PMC10603718 DOI: 10.3390/ani13203161] [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: 09/02/2023] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Refinement of experimental procedures in animal research has the objective of preventing and minimizing pain/distress in animals, including the euthanasia period. This study aimed to evaluate pain associated with six methods of euthanasia in Wistar rats (injectable, inhalational, and physical), by applying the Rat Grimace Scale (RGS), comparing the scores, and determining the method with the highest score that might indicate pain for laboratory rodents. Sixty adult male and female Wistar rats were used and assigned to six treatments: pentobarbital, CO2, decapitation, isoflurane, ketamine + xylazine, and ketamine + CO2. Video recording to assess the RGS scores was performed in four events: basal: 24 h before the procedure; Ti1: three minutes before the procedure; Ti2: during the application of the euthanasia method; and Ti3: immediately after the application until LORR. The main findings of this study showed that, during Ti2, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine had the highest scores (0.6 ± 0.26 and 0.6 ± 0.16, respectively) (p < 0.0001), while at Ti3, CO2 (0.9 ± 0.18) and isoflurane (1.2 ± 0.20) recorded the highest scores (p < 0.0001). According to the present results, decapitation and ketamine + xylazine elicited short-term acute pain, possibly due to tissue damage caused by both methods (injection and guillotine). In contrast, isoflurane's RGS scores recorded during Ti3 might be associated with nociception/pain due to the pungency of the drug or to the pharmacological muscle relaxant effect of isoflurane. Further research is needed to establish a comprehensive study of pain during euthanasia, where RGS could be used minding the limitations that anesthetics might have on facial expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Master in Science Program “Maestría en Ciencias Agropecuarias”, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Mexico City 04960, Mexico
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Ismael Hernández-Ávalos
- Clinical Pharmacology and Veterinary Anesthesia, Biological Sciences Department, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Mexico
| | - Hugo Lecona-Butrón
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Mexico City 14389, Mexico
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology of Pain, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City 04960, Mexico
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10
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Ma X, Zhu T, Ke J. Progress in animal models of trigeminal neuralgia. Arch Oral Biol 2023; 154:105765. [PMID: 37480619 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2023.105765] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This review aims to systematically summarize the methods of establishing various models of trigeminal neuralgia (TN), the scope of application, and current animals used in TN research and the corresponding pain measurements, hoping to provide valuable reference for researchers to select appropriate TN animal models and make contributions to the research of pathophysiology and management of the disease. DESIGN The related literatures of TN were searched through PubMed database using different combinations of the following terms and keywords including but not limited: animal models, trigeminal neuralgia, orofacial neuropathic pain. To find the maximum number of eligible articles, no filters were used in the search. The references of eligible studies were analyzed and reviewed comprehensively. RESULTS This study summarized the current animal models of TN, categorized them into the following groups: chemical induction, photochemical induction, surgery and genetic engineering, and introduced various measurement methods to evaluate animal pain behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Although a variety of methods are used to establish disease models, there is no ideal TN model that can reflect all the characteristics of the disease. Therefore, there is still a need to develop more novel animal models in order to further study the etiology, pathological mechanism and potential treatment of TN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Ma
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma and Temporomandibular Joint Surgery, Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China
| | - Taomin Zhu
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma and Temporomandibular Joint Surgery, Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China
| | - Jin Ke
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Trauma and Temporomandibular Joint Surgery, Hubei-MOST KLOS & KLOBM, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, China.
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11
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Smith JA, Ji Y, Lorsung R, Breault MS, Koenig J, Cramer N, Masri R, Keller A. Parabrachial Nucleus Activity in Nociception and Pain in Awake Mice. J Neurosci 2023; 43:5656-5667. [PMID: 37451980 PMCID: PMC10401640 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0587-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The parabrachial nuclear complex (PBN) is a nexus for aversion and for the sensory and affective components of pain perception. We have previously shown that during chronic pain PBN neurons in anesthetized rodents have amplified activity. We report a method to record from PBN neurons of behaving, head-restrained mice while applying reproducible noxious stimuli. We find that both spontaneous and evoked activity are higher in awake animals compared with urethane anesthetized mice. Fiber photometry of calcium responses from calcitonin-gene-related peptide-expressing PBN neurons demonstrates that these neurons respond to noxious stimuli. In both males and females with neuropathic or inflammatory pain, responses of PBN neurons remain amplified for at least 5 weeks, in parallel with increased pain metrics. We also show that PBN neurons can be rapidly conditioned to respond to innocuous stimuli after pairing with noxious stimuli. Finally, we demonstrate that changes in PBN neuronal activity are correlated with changes in arousal, measured as changes in pupil area.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The parabrachial complex is a nexus of aversion, including pain. We report a method to record from parabrachial nucleus neurons of behaving mice while applying reproducible noxious stimuli. This allowed us to track parabrachial activity over time in animals with neuropathic or inflammatory pain. It also allowed us to show that the activity of these neurons correlates with arousal states and that these neurons can be conditioned to respond to innocuous stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesse A Smith
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Yadong Ji
- Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1786
| | - Rebecca Lorsung
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Macauley S Breault
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Jeffrey Koenig
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Nathan Cramer
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Radi Masri
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-1786
| | - Asaf Keller
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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Dehghani A, Schenke M, van Heiningen SH, Karatas H, Tolner EA, van den Maagdenberg AMJM. Optogenetic cortical spreading depolarization induces headache-related behaviour and neuroinflammatory responses some prolonged in familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 mice. J Headache Pain 2023; 24:96. [PMID: 37495957 PMCID: PMC10373261 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-023-01628-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cortical spreading depolarization (CSD), the neurophysiological correlate of the migraine aura, can activate trigeminal pain pathways, but the neurobiological mechanisms and behavioural consequences remain unclear. Here we investigated effects of optogenetically-induced CSDs on headache-related behaviour and neuroinflammatory responses in transgenic mice carrying a familial hemiplegic migraine type 1 (FHM1) mutation. METHODS CSD events (3 in total) were evoked in a minimally invasive manner by optogenetic stimulation through the intact skull in freely behaving wildtype (WT) and FHM1 mutant mice. Related behaviours were analysed using mouse grimace scale (MGS) scoring, head grooming, and nest building behaviour. Neuroinflammatory changes were investigated by assessing HMGB1 release with immunohistochemistry and by pre-treating mice with a selective Pannexin-1 channel inhibitor. RESULTS In both WT and FHM1 mutant mice, CSDs induced headache-related behaviour, as evidenced by increased MGS scores and the occurrence of oculotemporal strokes, at 30 min. Mice of both genotypes also showed decreased nest building behaviour after CSD. Whereas in WT mice MGS scores had normalized at 24 h after CSD, in FHM1 mutant mice scores were normalized only at 48 h. Of note, oculotemporal stroke behaviour already normalized 5 h after CSD, whereas nest building behaviour remained impaired at 72 h; no genotype differences were observed for either readout. Nuclear HMGB1 release in the cortex of FHM1 mutant mice, at 30 min after CSD, was increased bilaterally in both WT and FHM1 mutant mice, albeit that contralateral release was more pronounced in the mutant mice. Only in FHM1 mutant mice, contralateral release remained higher at 24 h after CSD, but at 48 h had returned to abnormal, elevated, baseline values, when compared to WT mice. Blocking Panx1 channels by TAT-Panx308 inhibited CSD-induced headache related behaviour and HMGB1 release. CONCLUSIONS CSDs, induced in a minimally invasive manner by optogenetics, investigated in freely behaving mice, cause various migraine relevant behavioural and neuroinflammatory phenotypes that are more pronounced and longer-lasting in FHM1 mutant compared to WT mice. Prevention of CSD-related neuroinflammatory changes may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisa Dehghani
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands.
- Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Maarten Schenke
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra H van Heiningen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands
| | - Hulya Karatas
- Institute of Neurological Sciences and Psychiatry, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Else A Tolner
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands
| | - Arn M J M van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands.
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, RC, 2300, The Netherlands.
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13
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Ding W, Yang L, Chen Q, Hu K, Liu Y, Bao E, Wang C, Mao J, Shen S. Foramen lacerum impingement of trigeminal nerve root as a rodent model for trigeminal neuralgia. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e168046. [PMID: 37159265 PMCID: PMC10393239 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.168046] [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: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a classic neuralgic pain condition with distinct clinical characteristics. Modeling TN in rodents is challenging. Recently, we found that a foramen in the rodent skull base, the foramen lacerum, provides direct access to the trigeminal nerve root. Using this access, we developed a foramen lacerum impingement of trigeminal nerve root (FLIT) model and observed distinct pain-like behaviors in rodents, including paroxysmal asymmetric facial grimaces, head tilt when eating, avoidance of solid chow, and lack of wood chewing. The FLIT model recapitulated key clinical features of TN, including lancinating pain-like behavior and dental pain-like behavior. Importantly, when compared with a trigeminal neuropathic pain model (infraorbital nerve chronic constriction injury [IoN-CCI]), the FLIT model was associated with significantly higher numbers of c-Fos-positive cells in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), unraveling robust cortical activation in the FLIT model. On intravital 2-photon calcium imaging, synchronized S1 neural dynamics were present in the FLIT but not the IoN-CCI model, revealing differential implication of cortical activation in different pain models. Taken together, our results indicate that FLIT is a clinically relevant rodent model of TN that could facilitate pain research and therapeutics development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Ding
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liuyue Yang
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Qian Chen
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kun Hu
- Department of Pathology, Tuft University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yan Liu
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric Bao
- Brooks School, North Andover, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Changning Wang
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jianren Mao
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shiqian Shen
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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14
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Peppermüller PP, Gehring J, Zentrich E, Bleich A, Häger C, Buettner M. Grimace scale assessment during Citrobacter rodentium inflammation and colitis development in laboratory mice. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1173446. [PMID: 37342621 PMCID: PMC10277495 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1173446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Bacterial infections and chronic intestinal inflammations triggered by genetic susceptibility, environment or an imbalance in the intestinal microbiome are usually long-lasting and painful diseases in which the development and maintenance of these various intestinal inflammations is not yet fully understood, research is still needed. This still requires the use of animal models and is subject to the refinement principle of the 3Rs, to minimize suffering or pain perceived by the animals. With regard to this, the present study aimed at the recognition of pain using the mouse grimace scale (MGS) during chronic intestinal colitis due to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) treatment or after infection with Citrobacter rodentium. Methods In this study 56 animals were included which were divided into 2 experimental groups: 1. chronic intestinal inflammation (n = 9) and 2. acute intestinal inflammation (with (n = 23) and without (n = 24) C. rodentium infection). Before the induction of intestinal inflammation in one of the animal models, mice underwent an abdominal surgery and the live MGS from the cage side and a clinical score were assessed before (bsl) and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48 hours. Results The highest clinical score as well as the highest live MGS was detected 2 hours after surgery and almost no sign of pain or severity were detected after 24 and 48 hours. Eight weeks after abdominal surgery B6-Il4/Il10-/- mice were treated with DSS to trigger chronic intestinal colitis. During the acute phase as well as the chronic phase of the experiment, the live MGS and a clinical score were evaluated. The clinical score increased after DSS administration due to weight loss of the animals but no change of the live MGS was observed. In the second C57BL/6J mouse model, after infection with C. rodentium the clinical score increased but again, no increased score values in the live MGS was detectable. Discussion In conclusion, the live MGS detected post-operative pain, but indicated no pain during DSS-induced colitis or C. rodentium infection. In contrast, clinical scoring and here especially the weight loss revealed a decreased wellbeing due to surgery and intestinal inflammation.
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15
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Kume M, Ahmad A, Shiers S, Burton MD, DeFea KA, Vagner J, Dussor G, Boitano S, Price TJ. C781, a β-Arrestin Biased Antagonist at Protease-Activated Receptor-2 (PAR2), Displays in vivo Efficacy Against Protease-Induced Pain in Mice. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:605-616. [PMID: 36417966 PMCID: PMC10079573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Given the limited options and often harmful side effects of current analgesics and the suffering caused by the opioid crisis, new classes of pain therapeutics are needed. Protease-activated receptors (PARs), particularly PAR2, are implicated in a variety of pathologies, including pain. Since the discovery of the role of PAR2 in pain, development of potent and specific antagonists has been slow. In this study, we describe the in vivo characterization of a novel small molecule/peptidomimetic hybrid compound, C781, as a β-arrestin-biased PAR2 antagonist. In vivo behavioral studies were done in mice using von Frey filaments and the Mouse Grimace Scale. Pharmacokinetic studies were done to assess pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship in vivo. We used both prevention and reversal paradigms with protease treatment to determine whether C781 could attenuate protease-evoked pain. C781 effectively prevented and reversed mechanical and spontaneous nociceptive behaviors in response to small molecule PAR2 agonists, mast cell activators, and neutrophil elastase. The ED50 of C781 (intraperitoneal dosing) for inhibition of PAR2 agonist (20.9 ng 2-AT)-evoked nociception was 6.3 mg/kg. C781 was not efficacious in the carrageenan inflammation model. Pharmacokinetic studies indicated limited long-term systemic bioavailability for C781 suggesting that optimizing pharmacokinetic properties could improve in vivo efficacy. Our work demonstrates in vivo efficacy of a biased PAR2 antagonist that selectively inhibits β-arrestin/MAPK signaling downstream of PAR2. Given the importance of this signaling pathway in PAR2-evoked nociception, C781 exemplifies a key pharmacophore for PAR2 that can be optimized for clinical development. PERSPECTIVE: Our work provides evidence that PAR2 antagonists that only block certain aspects of signaling by the receptor can be effective for blocking protease-evoked pain in mice. This is important because it creates a rationale for developing safer PAR2-targeting approaches for pain treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moeno Kume
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
| | - Ayesha Ahmad
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
| | - Stephanie Shiers
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
| | - Michael D Burton
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
| | | | - Josef Vagner
- University of Arizona Bio5 Institute, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Gregory Dussor
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas
| | - Scott Boitano
- University of Arizona Bio5 Institute, Tucson, Arizona; Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona Heath Sciences, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Physiology, University of Arizona Heath Sciences, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Theodore J Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas.
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16
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Smith JA, Ji Y, Lorsung R, Breault MS, Koenig J, Cramer N, Masri R, Keller A. Sex differences in the role of parabrachial in nociception and pain in awake mice.. [PMID: 36993729 PMCID: PMC10055376 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.22.533230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
SummaryThe parabrachial nucleus is a nexus for aversion, and for the sensory and affective components of pain. In anesthetized rodents with chronic pain, parabrachial neurons have amplified activity. Both spontaneous and evoked activity are considerably higher in awake, compared to anesthetized animals. Parabrachial neurons are rapidly conditioned to respond to innocuous stimuli, after pairing with nociceptive stimuli. In neuropathic or inflammatory pain, parabrachial responses remain amplified for at least 6 weeks, in parallel with increased pain metrics. Calcium responses from CGRP- expressing parabrachial neurons in males demonstrate responses to nociceptive stimuli, and amplified activity in inflammatory pain. In females these neurons evoke smaller responses at baseline, and only small increases in neuropathic pain. This sex difference may relate to our finding that, in females, a small percentage of neurons expresses CGRP RNA. Finally, we show that changes in parabrachial activity are correlated with in arousal, measured as changes in pupil size.
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17
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Liu S, Crawford J, Tao F. Assessing Orofacial Pain Behaviors in Animal Models: A Review. Brain Sci 2023; 13:390. [PMID: 36979200 PMCID: PMC10046781 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13030390] [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: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Orofacial pain refers to pain occurring in the head and face, which is highly prevalent and represents a challenge to clinicians, but its underlying mechanisms are not fully understood, and more studies using animal models are urgently needed. Currently, there are different assessment methods for analyzing orofacial pain behaviors in animal models. In order to minimize the number of animals used and maximize animal welfare, selecting appropriate assessment methods can avoid repeated testing and improve the reliability and accuracy of research data. Here, we summarize different methods for assessing spontaneous pain, evoked pain, and relevant accompanying dysfunction, and discuss their advantages and disadvantages. While the behaviors of orofacial pain in rodents are not exactly equivalent to the symptoms displayed in patients with orofacial pain, animal models and pain behavioral assessments have advanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of such pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Feng Tao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA
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18
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Tanaka M, Zhang Y. Preclinical Studies of Posttraumatic Headache and the Potential Therapeutics. Cells 2022; 12:cells12010155. [PMID: 36611947 PMCID: PMC9818317 DOI: 10.3390/cells12010155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic headache (PTH) attributed to traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a secondary headache developed within 7 days after head injury, and in a substantial number of patients PTH becomes chronic and lasts for more than 3 months. Current medications are almost entirely relied on the treatment of primary headache such as migraine, due to its migraine-like phenotype and the limited understanding on the PTH pathogenic mechanisms. To this end, increasing preclinical studies have been conducted in the last decade. We focus in this review on the trigeminovascular system from the animal studies since it provides the primary nociceptive sensory afferents innervating the head and face region, and the pathological changes in the trigeminal pathway are thought to play a key role in the development of PTH. In addition to the pathologies, PTH-like behaviors induced by TBI and further exacerbated by nitroglycerin, a general headache inducer through vasodilation are reviewed. We will overview the current pharmacotherapies including calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) monoclonal antibody and sumatriptan in the PTH animal models. Given that modulation of the endocannabinoid (eCB) system has been well-documented in the treatment of migraine and TBI, the therapeutic potential of eCB in PTH will also be discussed.
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19
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Aulehner K, Leenaars C, Buchecker V, Stirling H, Schönhoff K, King H, Häger C, Koska I, Jirkof P, Bleich A, Bankstahl M, Potschka H. Grimace scale, burrowing, and nest building for the assessment of post-surgical pain in mice and rats-A systematic review. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:930005. [PMID: 36277074 PMCID: PMC9583882 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.930005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Several studies suggested an informative value of behavioral and grimace scale parameters for the detection of pain. However, the robustness and reliability of the parameters as well as the current extent of implementation are still largely unknown. In this study, we aimed to systematically analyze the current evidence-base of grimace scale, burrowing, and nest building for the assessment of post-surgical pain in mice and rats. The following platforms were searched for relevant articles: PubMed, Embase via Ovid, and Web of Science. Only full peer-reviewed studies that describe the grimace scale, burrowing, and/or nest building as pain parameters in the post-surgical phase in mice and/or rats were included. Information about the study design, animal characteristics, intervention characteristics, and outcome measures was extracted from identified publications. In total, 74 papers were included in this review. The majority of studies have been conducted in young adult C57BL/6J mice and Sprague Dawley and Wistar rats. While there is an apparent lack of information about young animals, some studies that analyzed the grimace scale in aged rats were identified. The majority of studies focused on laparotomy-associated pain. Only limited information is available about other types of surgical interventions. While an impact of surgery and an influence of analgesia were rather consistently reported in studies focusing on grimace scales, the number of studies that assessed respective effects was rather low for nest building and burrowing. Moreover, controversial findings were evident for the impact of analgesics on post-surgical nest building activity. Regarding analgesia, a monotherapeutic approach was identified in the vast majority of studies with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs and opioids being most commonly used. In conclusion, most evidence exists for grimace scales, which were more frequently used to assess post-surgical pain in rodents than the other behavioral parameters. However, our findings also point to relevant knowledge gaps concerning the post-surgical application in different strains, age levels, and following different surgical procedures. Future efforts are also necessary to directly compare the sensitivity and robustness of different readout parameters applied for the assessment of nest building and burrowing activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Aulehner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Cathalijn Leenaars
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Verena Buchecker
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Helen Stirling
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Katharina Schönhoff
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Hannah King
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Häger
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Ines Koska
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Paulin Jirkof
- Office for Animal Welfare and 3Rs, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - André Bleich
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Marion Bankstahl
- Institute for Laboratory Animal Science, Hannover Medical School, Hanover, Germany
| | - Heidrun Potschka
- Institute of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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20
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Domínguez-Oliva A, Mota-Rojas D, Hernández-Avalos I, Mora-Medina P, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Casas-Alvarado A, Whittaker AL. The neurobiology of pain and facial movements in rodents: Clinical applications and current research. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:1016720. [PMID: 36246319 PMCID: PMC9556725 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.1016720] [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: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the most controversial aspects of the use of animals in science is the production of pain. Pain is a central ethical concern. The activation of neural pathways involved in the pain response has physiological, endocrine, and behavioral consequences, that can affect both the health and welfare of the animals, as well as the validity of research. The strategy to prevent these consequences requires understanding of the nociception process, pain itself, and how assessment can be performed using validated, non-invasive methods. The study of facial expressions related to pain has undergone considerable study with the finding that certain movements of the facial muscles (called facial action units) are associated with the presence and intensity of pain. This review, focused on rodents, discusses the neurobiology of facial expressions, clinical applications, and current research designed to better understand pain and the nociceptive pathway as a strategy for implementing refinement in biomedical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Domínguez-Oliva
- Master in Science Program “Maestría en Ciencias Agropecuarias”, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assesment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
- *Correspondence: Daniel Mota-Rojas
| | - Ismael Hernández-Avalos
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico
| | - Patricia Mora-Medina
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautitlán, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology-Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology-Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alejandro Casas-Alvarado
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assesment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Alexandra L. Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA, Australia
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21
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A model-specific simplification of the Mouse Grimace Scale based on the pain response of intraperitoneal CCl 4 injections. Sci Rep 2022; 12:10910. [PMID: 35764784 PMCID: PMC9240072 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14852-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite its long establishment and applicability in mice pain detection, the Mouse Grimace Scale still seems to be underused in acute pain detection during chronic experiments. However, broadening its applicability can identify possible refinement approaches such as cumulative severity and habituation to painful stimuli. Therefore, this study focuses on two main aspects: First, five composite MGS criteria were evaluated with two independent methods (the MoBPs algorithm and a penalized least squares regression) and ranked for their relative importance. The most important variable was used in a second analysis to specifically evaluate the context of pain after an i.p. injection (intervention) in two treatment groups (CCl4 and oil (control)) at fixed times throughout four weeks in 24 male C57BL/6 N mice. One hour before and after each intervention, video recordings were taken, and the MGS assessment was performed. In this study, the results indicate orbital tightening as the most important criterion. In this experimental setup, a highly significant difference after treatment between week 0 and 1 was found in the CCl4 group, resulting in a medium-sized effect (W = 62.5, p value < 0.0001, rCCl4 = 0.64). The oil group showed no significant difference (week 0 vs 1, W = 291.5, p value = 0.7875, rcontrol = 0.04). Therefore, the study showed that the pain caused by i.p. injections was only dependent on the applied substance, and no significant cumulation or habituation occurred due to the intervention. Further, the results indicated that the MGS system can be simplified.
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Evaluation of renal injury and function biomarkers, including symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), in the rat passive Heymann nephritis (PHN) model. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269085. [PMID: 35622875 PMCID: PMC9140233 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) is a serum biomarker of excretory renal function which consistently correlates with glomerular filtration rate (GFR) across multiple species including rats, dogs, and humans. In human and veterinary clinical settings SDMA demonstrates enhanced sensitivity for detection of declining renal function as compared to other serum biomarkers, but application in preclinical study designs thus far has been limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the performance of serum SDMA in a rat passive Heyman nephritis model of glomerulopathy. In addition to SDMA other biomarkers of excretory renal function were measured including serum creatinine (sCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and cystatin C along with creatinine clearance. Urinary renal biomarkers including microalbumin (μALB), clusterin (CLU), cystatin C, kidney injury marker-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), and osteopontin (OPN) were also measured. PHN was induced using commercial sheep anti-Fx1A serum. Tissue, serum, and urine were collected from groups of control and anti-Fx1A-treated animals for biomarker evaluation, hematology, urinalysis, serum biochemistry, and histologic examination of kidney. Over the course of a 28-day study, concentrations of the urinary biomarkers μALB, CLU, cystatin C, NGAL, KIM-1 and the serum biomarker cystatin C increased significantly in anti-Fx1A-treated rats as compared to controls but no significant increase in serum SDMA, sCr, BUN, or creatinine clearance were noted in anti-Fx1A-treated rats. Given lack of direct GFR measurement or significant change in the renal function biomarkers sCr, BUN, and creatinine clearance, it is unclear if GFR differed significantly between control and anti-Fx1A-treated rats in this study, though urinary biomarkers and histopathologic findings supported renal injury in anti-Fx1A-treated rats over the time course investigated. This study is among the first to investigate serum SDMA in a rat model relevant to preclinical safety assessment and serves to inform future experimental designs and biomarker selection when evaluation of glomerular injury is of priority.
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Abdus-Saboor I, Luo W. Measuring Mouse Somatosensory Reflexive Behaviors with High-speed Videography, Statistical Modeling, and Machine Learning. NEUROMETHODS 2022; 178:441-456. [PMID: 35783537 PMCID: PMC9249079 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2039-7_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Objectively measuring and interpreting an animal's sensory experience remains a challenging task. This is particularly true when using preclinical rodent models to study pain mechanisms and screen for potential new pain treatment reagents. How to determine their pain states in a precise and unbiased manner is a hurdle that the field will need to overcome. Here, we describe our efforts to measure mouse somatosensory reflexive behaviors with greatly improved precision by high-speed video imaging. We describe how coupling sub-second ethograms of reflexive behaviors with a statistical reduction method and supervised machine learning can be used to create a more objective quantitative mouse "pain scale." Our goal is to provide the readers with a protocol of how to integrate some of the new tools described here with currently used mechanical somatosensory assays, while discussing the advantages and limitations of this new approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishmail Abdus-Saboor
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 3740 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Wenqin Luo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Hazani HM, Naina Mohamed I, Muzaimi M, Mohamed W, Yahaya MF, Teoh SL, Pakri Mohamed RM, Mohamad Isa MF, Abdulrahman SM, Ramadah R, Kamaluddin MR, Kumar J. Goofballing of Opioid and Methamphetamine: The Science Behind the Deadly Cocktail. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:859563. [PMID: 35462918 PMCID: PMC9021401 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.859563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, millions of people suffer from various substance use disorders (SUD), including mono-and polydrug use of opioids and methamphetamine. Brain regions such as the cingulate cortex, infralimbic cortex, dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, basolateral and central amygdala have been shown to play important roles in addiction-related behavioral changes. Clinical and pre-clinical studies have characterized these brain regions and their corresponding neurochemical changes in numerous phases of drug dependence such as acute drug use, intoxication, craving, withdrawal, and relapse. At present, many studies have reported the individual effects of opioids and methamphetamine. However, little is known about their combined effects. Co-use of these drugs produces effects greater than either drug alone, where one decreases the side effects of the other, and the combination produces a prolonged intoxication period or a more desirable intoxication effect. An increasing number of studies have associated polydrug abuse with poorer treatment outcomes, drug-related deaths, and more severe psychopathologies. To date, the pharmacological treatment efficacy for polydrug abuse is vague, and still at the experimental stage. This present review discusses the human and animal behavioral, neuroanatomical, and neurochemical changes underlying both morphine and methamphetamine dependence separately, as well as its combination. This narrative review also delineates the recent advances in the pharmacotherapy of mono- and poly drug-use of opioids and methamphetamine at clinical and preclinical stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanis Mohammad Hazani
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia, Cheras, Malaysia
| | - Isa Naina Mohamed
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia, Cheras, Malaysia
| | - Mustapha Muzaimi
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kota Bharu, Malaysia
| | - Wael Mohamed
- Basic Medical Science Department, Kulliyyah of Medicine, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, Malaysia
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Menoufia University, Shebin El-Kom, Egypt
| | - Mohamad Fairuz Yahaya
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Cheras, Malaysia
| | - Seong Lin Teoh
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Cheras, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | - Ravi Ramadah
- National Anti-Drugs Agency Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin
- Centre for Research in Psychology and Human Well-Being, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, The National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Jaya Kumar
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia, Cheras, Malaysia
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Ma Q. A functional subdivision within the somatosensory system and its implications for pain research. Neuron 2022; 110:749-769. [PMID: 35016037 PMCID: PMC8897275 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Somatosensory afferents are traditionally classified by soma size, myelination, and their response specificity to external and internal stimuli. Here, we propose the functional subdivision of the nociceptive somatosensory system into two branches. The exteroceptive branch detects external threats and drives reflexive-defensive reactions to prevent or limit injury. The interoceptive branch senses the disruption of body integrity, produces tonic pain with strong aversive emotional components, and drives self-caring responses toward to the injured region to reduce suffering. The central thesis behind this functional subdivision comes from a reflection on the dilemma faced by the pain research field, namely, the use of reflexive-defensive behaviors as surrogate assays for interoceptive tonic pain. The interpretation of these assays is now being challenged by the discovery of distinct but interwoven circuits that drive exteroceptive versus interoceptive types of behaviors, with the conflation of these two components contributing partially to the poor translation of therapies from preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiufu Ma
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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26
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Ness TJ, DeWitte C, DeBerry JJ, Hart MP, Clodfelder-Miller B, Gu JG, Ling J, Randich A. A Model in Female Rats With Phenotypic Features Similar to Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2021; 2:791045. [PMID: 35295535 PMCID: PMC8915626 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2021.791045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This report describes methodological and exploratory investigations of the zymosan-induced neonatal bladder inflammation (NBI) model of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) in female rats. These results validate and extend the currently employed model by evaluating critical timepoints for obtaining treatment effects and identified that a second insult as an adult including repeat intravesical zymosan, intravesical lipopolysaccharide, acute footshock stress, neuropathic nociception (facial) or somatic inflammation (hindpaw) all resulted in magnified visceromotor responses to urinary bladder distension (UBD) in rats which had experienced NBI when compared with their controls. NBI also resulted in increased tone and reactivity of pelvic floor musculature to UBD, as well as increased responsiveness to intravesical potassium chloride solutions, abnormal anxiety measures (elevated plus maze) and an increased number of submucosal petechial hemorrhages following 30 min of hydrodistension of the bladder. These phenotypic findings have correlates to the clinical features of IC/BPS in humans and so support use of this model system to examine mechanisms of and treatments for IC/BPS.
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Measurement properties of grimace scales for pain assessment in non-human mammals: a systematic review. Pain 2021; 163:e697-e714. [PMID: 34510132 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Facial expressions of pain have been identified in several animal species. The aim of this systematic review was to provide evidence on the measurement properties of grimace scales for pain assessment. The protocol was registered (SyRF#21-Nov-2019) and the study is reported according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting the development, validation, and the assessment of measurement properties of grimace scales were included. Data extraction and assessment were performed by two investigators, following the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines. Six categories of measurement properties were assessed: internal consistency, reliability, measurement error, criterion and construct validity, and responsiveness. Overall strength of evidence (high, moderate, low) of each instrument was based on methodological quality, number of studies and studies' findings. Twelve scales for nine species were included (mice, rats, rabbits, horses, piglets, sheep/lamb, ferrets, cats and donkeys). Considerable variability regarding their development and measurement properties was observed. The Mouse, Rat, Horse and Feline Grimace Scales exhibited high level of evidence. The Rabbit, Lamb, Piglet and Ferret Grimace Scales and Sheep Pain Facial Expression Scale exhibited moderate level of evidence. The Sheep Grimace Scale, EQUUS-FAP and EQUUS-Donkey-FAP exhibited low level of evidence for measurement properties. Construct validity was the most reported measurement property. Reliability and other forms of validity have been understudied. This systematic review identified gaps in knowledge on the measurement properties of grimace scales. Further studies should focus on improving psychometric testing, instrument refinement and the use of grimace scales for pain assessment in non-human mammals.
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Uddin O, Arakawa K, Raver C, Garagusi B, Keller A. Patterns of cognitive decline and somatosensory processing in a mouse model of amyloid accumulation. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2021; 10:100076. [PMID: 34820549 PMCID: PMC8599510 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2021.100076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite copious amyloid plaques, 5XFAD mice show modest signs of cognitive decline. At ages 2 to 13 months old 5XFAD mice show no signs of sensory or pain dysfunctions. 5XFAD mice may not be a valid model for pain abnormalities in the context of AD.
Pain and cognitive decline increase with age. In particular, there is a troubling relationship between dementia and pain, with some studies showing higher prevalence and inadequate treatment of pain in this population. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is one of the most common causes of dementia in older adults. Amyloid plaques are a hallmark of AD. The downstream processes these plaques promote are believed to affect neuronal and glial health and activity. There is a need to better understand how the neuropathological changes of AD shape neural activity and pain sensitivity. Here, we use the 5XFAD mouse model, in which dense amyloid accumulations occur at early ages, and in which previous studies reported signs of cognitive decline. We hypothesized that 5XFAD mice develop sensory and pain processing dysfunctions. Although amyloid burden was high throughout the brain, including in regions involved with sensory processing, we identified no functionally significant differences in reflexive or spontaneous signs of pain. Furthermore, expected signs of cognitive decline were modest; a finding consistent with variable results in the literature. These data suggest that models recapitulating other pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease might be better suited to studying differences in pain perception in this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Uddin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Keiko Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Charles Raver
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Brendon Garagusi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
| | - Asaf Keller
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States
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Nagakura Y, Nagaoka S, Kurose T. Potential Molecular Targets for Treating Neuropathic Orofacial Pain Based on Current Findings in Animal Models. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22126406. [PMID: 34203854 PMCID: PMC8232571 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22126406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This review highlights potential molecular targets for treating neuropathic orofacial pain based on current findings in animal models. Preclinical research is currently elucidating the pathophysiology of the disease and identifying the molecular targets for better therapies using animal models that mimic this category of orofacial pain, especially post-traumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain (PTNP) and primary trigeminal neuralgia (PTN). Animal models of PTNP and PTN simulate their etiologies, that is, trauma to the trigeminal nerve branch and compression of the trigeminal root entry zone, respectively. Investigations in these animal models have suggested that biological processes, including inflammation, enhanced neuropeptide-mediated pain signal transmission, axonal ectopic discharges, and enhancement of interactions between neurons and glial cells in the trigeminal pathway, are underlying orofacial pain phenotypes. The molecules associated with biological processes, whose expressions are substantially altered following trigeminal nerve damage or compression of the trigeminal nerve root, are potentially involved in the generation and/or exacerbation of neuropathic orofacial pain and can be potential molecular targets for the discovery of better therapies. Application of therapeutic candidates, which act on the molecular targets and modulate biological processes, attenuates pain-associated behaviors in animal models. Such therapeutic candidates including calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonists that have a reasonable mechanism for ameliorating neuropathic orofacial pain and meet the requirements for safe administration to humans seem worth to be evaluated in clinical trials. Such prospective translation of the efficacy of therapeutic candidates from animal models to human patients would help develop better therapies for neuropathic orofacial pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukinori Nagakura
- School of Pharmacy at Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, 137-1 Enokizu, Okawa-city, Fukuoka 831-8501, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Shogo Nagaoka
- Basic Research Development Division, Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 6-5-4 Kunimidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0216, Japan; (S.N.); (T.K.)
| | - Takahiro Kurose
- Basic Research Development Division, Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 6-5-4 Kunimidai, Kizugawa, Kyoto 619-0216, Japan; (S.N.); (T.K.)
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Kankowski S, Grothe C, Haastert-Talini K. Neuropathic pain: Spotlighting anatomy, experimental models, mechanisms, and therapeutic aspects. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:4475-4496. [PMID: 33942412 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The International Association for the Study of Pain defines neuropathic pain as "pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system". The associated changes can be observed in the peripheral as well as the central nervous system. The available literature discusses a wide variety of causes as predisposing for the development and amplification of neuropathic pain. Further, key interactions within sensory pathways have been discovered, but no common molecular mechanism leading to neuropathic pain has been identified until now. In the first part of this review, the pain mediating lateral spinothalamic tract is described. Different in vivo models are presented that allow studying trauma-, chemotherapy-, virus-, and diabetes-induced neuropathic pain in rodents. We furthermore discuss approaches to assess neuropathic pain in these models. Second, the current knowledge about cellular and molecular mechanisms suggested to underlie the development of neuropathic pain is presented and discussed. A summary of established therapies that are already applied in the clinic and novel, promising approaches closes the paper. In conclusion, the established animal models are able to emulate the diversity of neuropathic pain observed in the clinics. However, the assessment of neuropathic pain in the presented in vivo models should be improved. The determination of common molecular markers with suitable in vitro models would simplify the assessment of neuropathic pain in vivo. This would furthermore provide insights into common molecular mechanisms of the disease and establish a basis to search for satisfying therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja Kankowski
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany
| | - Claudia Grothe
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZNS) Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kirsten Haastert-Talini
- Institute of Neuroanatomy and Cell Biology, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Hannover, Germany.,Center for Systems Neuroscience (ZNS) Hannover, Hannover, Germany
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31
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Repetitive stress in mice causes migraine-like behaviors and calcitonin gene-related peptide-dependent hyperalgesic priming to a migraine trigger. Pain 2021; 161:2539-2550. [PMID: 32541386 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Migraine is one of the most disabling disorders worldwide but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Stress is consistently reported as a common trigger of migraine attacks. Here, we show that repeated stress in mice causes migraine-like behaviors that are responsive to a migraine therapeutic. Adult female and male mice were exposed to 2 hours of restraint stress for 3 consecutive days, after which they demonstrated facial mechanical hypersensitivity and facial grimace responses that were resolved by 14 days after stress. Hypersensitivity or grimace was not observed in either control animals or those stressed for only 1 day. After return to baseline, the nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside (SNP; 0.1 mg/kg) elicited mechanical hypersensitivity in stressed but not in control animals, demonstrating the presence of hyperalgesic priming. This suggests the presence of a migraine-like state, because nitric oxide donors are reliable triggers of attacks in migraine patients but not controls. The stress paradigm also caused priming responses to dural pH 7.0 treatment. The presence of this primed state after stress is not permanent because it was no longer present at 35 days after stress. Finally, mice received either the calcitonin gene-related peptide monoclonal antibody ALD405 (10 mg/kg) 24 hours before SNP or a coinjection of sumatriptan (0.6 mg/kg). ALD405, but not sumatriptan, blocked the facial hypersensitivity due to SNP. This stress paradigm in mice and the subsequent primed state caused by stress allow further preclinical investigation of mechanisms contributing to migraine, particularly those caused by common triggers of attacks.
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Whittaker AL, Liu Y, Barker TH. Methods Used and Application of the Mouse Grimace Scale in Biomedical Research 10 Years on: A Scoping Review. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030673. [PMID: 33802463 PMCID: PMC7999303 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mouse Grimace Scale (MGS) was developed 10 years ago as a method for assessing pain through the characterisation of changes in five facial features or action units. The strength of the technique is that it is proposed to be a measure of spontaneous or non-evoked pain. The time is opportune to map all of the research into the MGS, with a particular focus on the methods used and the technique's utility across a range of mouse models. A comprehensive scoping review of the academic literature was performed. A total of 48 articles met our inclusion criteria and were included in this review. The MGS has been employed mainly in the evaluation of acute pain, particularly in the pain and neuroscience research fields. There has, however, been use of the technique in a wide range of fields, and based on limited study it does appear to have utility for pain assessment across a spectrum of animal models. Use of the method allows the detection of pain of a longer duration, up to a month post initial insult. There has been less use of the technique using real-time methods and this is an area in need of further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L. Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy 5371, Australia;
- Correspondence:
| | - Yifan Liu
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Roseworthy Campus, The University of Adelaide, Roseworthy 5371, Australia;
| | - Timothy H. Barker
- JBI, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia;
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Fisher AS, Lanigan MT, Upton N, Lione LA. Preclinical Neuropathic Pain Assessment; the Importance of Translatability and Bidirectional Research. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:614990. [PMID: 33628181 PMCID: PMC7897667 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.614990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
For patients suffering with chronic neuropathic pain the need for suitable novel therapies is imperative. Over recent years a contributing factor for the lack of development of new analgesics for neuropathic pain has been the mismatch of primary neuropathic pain assessment endpoints in preclinical vs. clinical trials. Despite continuous forward translation failures across diverse mechanisms, reflexive quantitative sensory testing remains the primary assessment endpoint for neuropathic pain and analgesia in animals. Restricting preclinical evaluation of pain and analgesia to exclusively reflexive outcomes is over simplified and can be argued not clinically relevant due to the continued lack of forward translation and failures in the clinic. The key to developing new analgesic treatments for neuropathic pain therefore lies in the development of clinically relevant endpoints that can translate preclinical animal results to human clinical trials. In this review we discuss this mismatch of primary neuropathic pain assessment endpoints, together with clinical and preclinical evidence that supports how bidirectional research is helping to validate new clinically relevant neuropathic pain assessment endpoints. Ethological behavioral endpoints such as burrowing and facial grimacing and objective measures such as electroencephalography provide improved translatability potential together with currently used quantitative sensory testing endpoints. By tailoring objective and subjective measures of neuropathic pain the translatability of new medicines for patients suffering with neuropathic pain will hopefully be improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S. Fisher
- Transpharmation Ltd., The London Bioscience Innovation Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Michael T. Lanigan
- Transpharmation Ltd., The London Bioscience Innovation Centre, London, United Kingdom
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Neil Upton
- Transpharmation Ltd., The London Bioscience Innovation Centre, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa A. Lione
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
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Uddin O, Jenne C, Fox ME, Arakawa K, Keller A, Cramer N. Divergent profiles of fentanyl withdrawal and associated pain in mice and rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 200:173077. [PMID: 33316293 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Opioid abuse has devastating effects on patients, their families, and society. Withdrawal symptoms are severely unpleasant, prolonged, and frequently hinder recovery or lead to relapse. The sharp increase in abuse and overdoses arising from the illicit use of potent and rapidly-acting synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, highlights the urgency of understanding the withdrawal mechanisms related to these drugs. Progress is impeded by inconsistent reports on opioid withdrawal in different preclinical models. Here, using rats and mice of both sexes, we quantified withdrawal behaviors during spontaneous and naloxone-precipitated withdrawal, following two weeks of intermittent fentanyl exposure. We found that both mice and rats lost weight during exposure and showed increased signs of distress during spontaneous and naloxone precipitated withdrawal. However, these species differed in their expression of withdrawal associated pain, a key contributor to relapse in humans. Spontaneous or ongoing pain was preferentially expressed in rats in both withdrawal conditions, while no change was observed in mice. In contrast, withdrawal associated thermal hyperalgesia was found only in mice. These data suggest that rats and mice diverge in how they experience withdrawal and which aspects of the human condition they most accurately model. These differences highlight each species' strengths as model systems and can inform experimental design in studies of opioid withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia Uddin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Carleigh Jenne
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Megan E Fox
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Keiko Arakawa
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Asaf Keller
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Nathan Cramer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 20 Penn Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America.
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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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Harriott AM, Chung DY, Uner A, Bozdayi RO, Morais A, Takizawa T, Qin T, Ayata C. Optogenetic Spreading Depression Elicits Trigeminal Pain and Anxiety Behavior. Ann Neurol 2020; 89:99-110. [PMID: 33016466 DOI: 10.1002/ana.25926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cortical spreading depression (SD) is an intense depolarization underlying migraine aura. Despite the weight of evidence linking SD to the pain phase of migraine, controversy remains over a causal role of SD in cephalgia because of the invasive nature of previous SD induction methods. To overcome this problem, we used a novel minimally invasive optogenetic SD induction method and examined the effect of SD on behavior. METHODS Optogenetic SD was induced as a single event or repeatedly every other day for 2 weeks. End points, including periorbital and hindpaw mechanical allodynia, mouse grimace, anxiety, and working memory, were examined in male and female mice. RESULTS A single SD produced bilateral periorbital mechanical allodynia that developed within 1 hour and resolved within 2 days. Sumatriptan prevented periorbital allodynia when administered immediately after SD. Repeated SDs also produced bilateral periorbital allodynia that lasted 4 days and resolved within 2 weeks after the last SD. In contrast, the hindpaw withdrawal thresholds did not change after repeated SDs suggesting that SD-induced allodynia was limited to the trigeminal region. Moreover, repeated SDs increased mouse grimace scores 2 days after the last SD, whereas a single SD did not. Repeated SDs also increased thigmotaxis scores as a measure of anxiety. In contrast, neither single nor repeated SDs affected visuospatial working memory. We did not detect sexual dimorphism in any end point. INTERPRETATION Altogether, these data show a clinically congruent causal relationship among SD, trigeminal pain, and anxiety behavior, possibly reflecting SD modulation of hypothalamic, thalamic, and limbic mechanisms. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:99-110.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea M Harriott
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Vascular Division, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Headache and Neuropathic Pain Division, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Y Chung
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Division of Neurocritical Care, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aylin Uner
- Baskent University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Andreia Morais
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Tsubasa Takizawa
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Department of Neurology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tao Qin
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Cenk Ayata
- Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA.,Vascular Division, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Lovrenčić L, Matak I, Lacković Z. Association of Intranasal and Neurogenic Dural Inflammation in Experimental Acute Rhinosinusitis. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:586037. [PMID: 33178025 PMCID: PMC7593566 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.586037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Nasal cavity and sinus disorders, such as allergic rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, or certain anatomical defects, are often associated with transient or ongoing headaches. On the other hand, migraine headache patients often exhibit pain referral over the area of nasal sinuses and typical nasal autonomic symptoms involving congestion and rhinorrhea. Mechanism for convergence of nasal or sinus disorders and headaches is unknown. Herein, we examined the association of sino-nasal inflammatory pain with common preclinical indicators of trigeminovascular system activation such as dural neurogenic inflammation (DNI) and neuronal activation in brainstem nociceptive nuclei. Methods Nasal and paranasal cavity inflammation and pain was induced by formalin (2.5%/10 μl) or capsaicin (0.1%/10 μl) instillation at the border of maxillary sinus and nasal cavity in rats. Quantification of inflammation of nasal mucosa and DNI was performed by spectrophotometric measurement of Evans blue - plasma protein complex extravasation. Pain behavior was quantified by rat grimace scale (RGS). Nociceptive neuronal activation in caudal part of spinal trigeminal nucleus (TNC) was assessed by c-Fos protein immunohistochemistry. Results Capsaicin and formalin administered into rat nasal cavity increased plasma protein extravasation in the nasal mucosa and dura mater. Intensity of plasma protein extravasation in nasal mucosa correlated with extravasation in dura. Similarly, facial pain intensity correlated with nociceptive neuronal c-Fos activation in the TNC. Conclusion Present data show that inflammatory stimuli in deep nasal and paranasal structures provoke distant intracranial changes related to trigeminovascular system activation. We hypothesize that this phenomenon could explain overlapping symptoms and comorbidity of nasal/paranasal inflammatory disorders with migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luka Lovrenčić
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ivica Matak
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Zdravko Lacković
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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Mota-Rojas D, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Hernández E, Martínez-Burnes J, Whittaker AL. The Utility of Grimace Scales for Practical Pain Assessment in Laboratory Animals. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101838. [PMID: 33050267 PMCID: PMC7600890 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Grimace scales for laboratory animals were first reported ten years ago. Yet, despite their promise as pain assessment tools it appears that they have not been implemented widely in animal research establishments for clinical pain assessment. We discuss potential reasons for this based on the knowledge gained to date on their use and suggest avenues for further research, which might improve uptake of their use in laboratory animal medicine. Abstract Animals’ facial expressions are widely used as a readout for emotion. Scientific interest in the facial expressions of laboratory animals has centered primarily on negative experiences, such as pain, experienced as a result of scientific research procedures. Recent attempts to standardize evaluation of facial expressions associated with pain in laboratory animals has culminated in the development of “grimace scales”. The prevention or relief of pain in laboratory animals is a fundamental requirement for in vivo research to satisfy community expectations. However, to date it appears that the grimace scales have not seen widespread implementation as clinical pain assessment techniques in biomedical research. In this review, we discuss some of the barriers to implementation of the scales in clinical laboratory animal medicine, progress made in automation of collection, and suggest avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mota-Rojas
- Neurophysiology, Behavior and Animal Welfare Assessment, DPAA, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco Campus, Ciudad de México 04960, CDMX, Mexico;
| | - Adriana Olmos-Hernández
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Tlalpan 14389, CDMX, Mexico; (A.O.-H.); (A.V.-M.)
| | - Antonio Verduzco-Mendoza
- Division of Biotechnology—Bioterio and Experimental Surgery, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación-Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra (INR-LGII), Tlalpan 14389, CDMX, Mexico; (A.O.-H.); (A.V.-M.)
| | - Elein Hernández
- Department of Clinical Studies and Surgery, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Cuautiltán UNAM, Cuautitlán Izcalli 54714, Estado de México, Mexico;
| | - Julio Martínez-Burnes
- Graduate and Research Department, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Cd Victoria 87000, Tamaulipas, Mexico;
| | - Alexandra L. Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy Campus, SA 5116, Australia
- Correspondence:
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Grimace Scores: Tools to Support the Identification of Pain in Mammals Used in Research. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101726. [PMID: 32977561 PMCID: PMC7598254 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The 3Rs, Replacement, Reduction and Refinement, is a framework to ensure the ethical and justified use of animals in research. The implementation of refinements is required to alleviate and minimise the pain and suffering of animals in research. Public acceptability of animal use in research is contingent on satisfying ethical and legal obligations to provide pain relief along with humane endpoints. To fulfil this obligation, staff, researchers, veterinarians, and technicians must rapidly, accurately, efficiently and consistently identify, assess and act on signs of pain. This ability is paramount to uphold animal welfare, prevent undue suffering and mitigate possible negative impacts on research. Identification of pain may be based on indicators such as physiological, behavioural, or physical ones. Each has been used to develop different pain scoring systems with potential benefits and limitations in identifying and assessing pain. Grimace scores are a promising adjunctive behavioural technique in some mammalian species to identify and assess pain in research animals. The use of this method can be beneficial to animal welfare and research outcomes by identifying animals that may require alleviation of pain or humane intervention. This paper highlights the benefits, caveats, and potential applications of grimace scales.
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Klune CB, Robbins HN, Leung VS, Pang DS. Hypothermia During General Anesthesia Interferes with Pain Assessment in Laboratory Rats ( Rattus norvegicus). JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL SCIENCE 2020; 59:719-725. [PMID: 32907696 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-jaalas-20-000018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Accurate pain assessment methods are necessary to ensure animal welfare and reliable data collection in animal research. The Rat Grimace Scale (RGS), a facial expression pain scale, allows effective identification of pain. However, the potential confounds of this method remain mostly unexplored. General anesthesia, which is used in many laboratory procedures, suppresses thermoregulation and results in hypothermia. We investigated the effects of isoflurane-induced hypothermia on RGS scores. Twenty (10 male and 10 female) Sprague-Dawley rats each received 30 min of anesthesia, followed by 30 min of observation after the return of sternal recumbency. Rats were randomized to receive warming with an electric heating pad or no warming during both periods. Unwarmed rats became hypothermic within 15 min after isoflurane exposure began and returned to normothermia within 15 min after returning to sternal recumbency. Warmed rats did not deviate from the normothermic range. The RGS scores of unwarmed rats were significantly higher than baseline levels for 3 h after anesthesia and were higher than those of warmed rats at 5 and 180 min after anesthesia. Hypothermia resulted in a larger proportion of rats crossing a predetermined analgesic intervention threshold. Our findings show that hypothermia induced by isoflurane anesthesia presents a confound to accurate RGS scoring. These results emphasize the importance of maintaining normothermia to avoid inflated pain scores and to obtain accurate pain assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra B Klune
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Hayley Nk Robbins
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Vivian Sy Leung
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Daniel Sj Pang
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec, Canada;,
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Abdus-Saboor I, Fried NT, Lay M, Burdge J, Swanson K, Fischer R, Jones J, Dong P, Cai W, Guo X, Tao YX, Bethea J, Ma M, Dong X, Ding L, Luo W. Development of a Mouse Pain Scale Using Sub-second Behavioral Mapping and Statistical Modeling. Cell Rep 2020; 28:1623-1634.e4. [PMID: 31390574 PMCID: PMC6724534 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodents are the main model systems for pain research, but determining their pain state is challenging. To develop an objective method to assess pain sensation in mice, we adopt high-speed videography to capture sub-second behavioral features following hind paw stimulation with both noxious and innocuous stimuli and identify several differentiating parameters indicating the affective and reflexive aspects of nociception. Using statistical modeling and machine learning, we integrate these parameters into a single index and create a "mouse pain scale," which allows us to assess pain sensation in a graded manner for each withdrawal. We demonstrate the utility of this method by determining sensations triggered by three different von Frey hairs and optogenetic activation of two different nociceptor populations. Our behavior-based "pain scale" approach will help improve the rigor and reproducibility of using withdrawal reflex assays to assess pain sensation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ishmail Abdus-Saboor
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Nathan T Fried
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ 08102, USA
| | - Mark Lay
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Justin Burdge
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kathryn Swanson
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, College of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Roman Fischer
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, College of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jessica Jones
- Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Weihua Cai
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers University Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - Xinying Guo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers University Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - Yuan-Xiang Tao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers University Medical School, Newark, NJ 07101, USA
| | - John Bethea
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, College of Arts and Sciences, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xinzhong Dong
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Long Ding
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Wenqin Luo
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Mogil JS, Pang DSJ, Silva Dutra GG, Chambers CT. The development and use of facial grimace scales for pain measurement in animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:480-493. [PMID: 32682741 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The measurement of pain in animals is surprisingly complex, and remains a critical issue in veterinary care and biomedical research. Based on the known utility of pain measurement via facial expression in verbal and especially non-verbal human populations, "grimace scales" were first developed a decade ago for use in rodents and now exist for 10 different mammalian species. This review details the background context, historical development, features (including duration), psychometric properties, modulatory factors, and impact of animal grimace scales for pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Mogil
- Depts. of Psychology and Anesthesia, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Daniel S J Pang
- Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Services, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gabrielle Guanaes Silva Dutra
- Depts. of Psychology and Anesthesia, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Yam MF, Loh YC, Oo CW, Basir R. Overview of Neurological Mechanism of Pain Profile Used for Animal "Pain-Like" Behavioral Study with Proposed Analgesic Pathways. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124355. [PMID: 32575378 PMCID: PMC7352401 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is the most common sensation installed in us naturally which plays a vital role in defending us against severe harm. This neurological mechanism pathway has been one of the most complex and comprehensive topics but there has never been an elaborate justification of the types of analgesics that used to reduce the pain sensation through which specific pathways. Of course, there have been some answers to curbing of pain which is a lifesaver in numerous situations-chronic and acute pain conditions alike. This has been explored by scientists using pain-like behavioral study methodologies in non-anesthetized animals since decades ago to characterize the analgesic profile such as centrally or peripherally acting drugs and allowing for the development of analgesics. However, widely the methodology is being practiced such as the tail flick/Hargreaves test and Von Frey/Randall-Selitto tests which are stimulus-evoked nociception studies, and there has rarely been a complete review of all these methodologies, their benefits and its downside coupled with the mechanism of the action that is involved. Thus, this review solely focused on the complete protocol that is being adapted in each behavioral study methods induced by different phlogogenic agents, the different assessment methods used for phasic, tonic and inflammatory pain studies and the proposed mechanism of action underlying each behavioral study methodology for analgesic drug profiling. It is our belief that this review could significantly provide a concise idea and improve our scientists' understanding towards pain management in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mun Fei Yam
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Malaysia;
| | - Yean Chun Loh
- Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Malaysia;
- Correspondence: (Y.C.L.); (R.B.); Tel.: +60-46536018 (Y.C.L.); +60-389472448 (R.B.)
| | - Chuan Wei Oo
- Department of Organic Chemistry, School of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Minden 11800, Malaysia;
| | - Rusliza Basir
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
- Correspondence: (Y.C.L.); (R.B.); Tel.: +60-46536018 (Y.C.L.); +60-389472448 (R.B.)
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Hassler SN, Kume M, Mwirigi JM, Ahmad A, Shiers S, Wangzhou A, Ray PR, Belugin SN, Naik DK, Burton MD, Vagner J, Boitano S, Akopian AN, Dussor G, Price TJ. The cellular basis of protease-activated receptor 2-evoked mechanical and affective pain. JCI Insight 2020; 5:137393. [PMID: 32352932 PMCID: PMC7308051 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.137393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) has long been implicated in inflammatory and visceral pain, but the cellular basis of PAR2-evoked pain has not been delineated. Although PAR2-evoked pain has been attributed to sensory neuron expression, RNA-sequencing experiments show ambiguous F2rl1 mRNA detection. Moreover, many pharmacological tools for PAR2 are nonspecific, acting also on the Mas-related GPCR family (Mrg) that are highly enriched in sensory neurons. We sought to clarify the cellular basis of PAR2-evoked pain. We developed a PAR2-conditional knockout mouse and specifically deleted PAR2 in all sensory neurons using the PirtCre mouse line. Our behavioral findings show that PAR2 agonist-evoked mechanical hyperalgesia and facial grimacing, but not thermal hyperalgesia, are dependent on PAR2 expression in sensory neurons that project to the hind paw in male and female mice. F2rl1 mRNA is expressed in a discrete population (~4%) of mostly small-diameter sensory neurons that coexpress the Nppb and IL31ra genes. This cell population has been implicated in itch, but our work shows that PAR2 activation in these cells causes clear pain-related behaviors from the skin. Our findings show that a discrete population of DRG sensory neurons mediate PAR2-evoked pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayne N. Hassler
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Moeno Kume
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Juliet M. Mwirigi
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ayesha Ahmad
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Stephanie Shiers
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Andi Wangzhou
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Pradipta R. Ray
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Serge N. Belugin
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Dhananjay K. Naik
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Michael D. Burton
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Scott Boitano
- BIO5 Research Institute and
- Department of Physiology, Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Armen N. Akopian
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Gregory Dussor
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Theodore J. Price
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Reed WR, Little JW, Lima CR, Sorge RE, Yarar-Fisher C, Eraslan M, Hurt CP, Ness TJ, Gu JG, Martins DF, Li P. Spinal Mobilization Prevents NGF-Induced Trunk Mechanical Hyperalgesia and Attenuates Expression of CGRP. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:385. [PMID: 32425750 PMCID: PMC7204433 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Low back pain (LBP) is a complex and growing global health problem in need of more effective pain management strategies. Spinal mobilization (SM) is a non-pharmacological approach recommended by most clinical guidelines for LBP, but greater utilization and treatment optimization are hampered by a lack of mechanistic knowledge underlying its hypoalgesic clinical effects. Methods Groups of female Sprague-Dawley rats received unilateral trunk (L5 vertebral level) injections (50 μl) of either vehicle (phosphate-buffer solution, PBS; VEH) or nerve growth factor (NGF; 0.8 μM) on Days 0 and 5 with or without daily L5 SM (VEH, NGF, VEH + SM, VEH + SM). Daily passive SM (10 min) was delivered by a feedback motor (1.2 Hz, 0.9N) from Days 1 to 12. Changes in pain assays were determined for mechanical and thermal reflexive behavior, exploratory behavior (open field events) and spontaneous pain behavior (rat grimace scale). On Day 12, lumbar (L1–L6) dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were harvested bilaterally and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) positive immunoreactive neurons were quantified from 3 animals (1 DRG tissue section per segmental level) per experimental group. Results NGF induced bilateral trunk (left P = 0.006, right P = 0.001) mechanical hyperalgesia and unilateral hindpaw allodynia (P = 0.006) compared to the vehicle group by Day 12. Additionally, we found for the first time that NGF animals demonstrated decreased exploratory behaviors (total distance traveled) and increased grimace scale scoring compared to the VEH group. Passive SM prevented this development of local (trunk) mechanical hyperalgesia and distant (hindpaw) allodynia, and normalized grimace scale scores. NGF increased CGRP positive immunoreactive neurons in ipsilateral lumbar DRGs compared to the VEH group ([L1]P = 0.02; [L2]P = 0.007) and SM effectively negated this increase in pain-related neuropeptide CGRP expression. Conclusion SM prevents the development of local (trunk) NGF-induced mechanical hyperalgesia and distant (hindpaw) allodynia, in part, through attenuation of CGRP expression in lumbar DRG sensory neurons. NGF decreases rat exploratory behavior and increases spontaneous pain for which passive SM acts to mitigate these pain-related behavioral changes. These initial study findings suggest that beginning daily SM soon after injury onset might act to minimize or prevent the development of LBP by reducing production of pain-related neuropeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Reed
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.,Rehabilitation Sciences Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Joshua W Little
- Department of Surgery, Center for Anatomical Science and Education, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Carla R Lima
- Rehabilitation Sciences Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Robert E Sorge
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Ceren Yarar-Fisher
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Mualla Eraslan
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Christopher P Hurt
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States.,Rehabilitation Sciences Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Timothy J Ness
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jianguo G Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Daniel F Martins
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Experimental Neuroscience Laboratory (LaNEx), University of Southern Santa Catarina, Palhoça, Brazil
| | - Peng Li
- School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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Raver C, Uddin O, Ji Y, Li Y, Cramer N, Jenne C, Morales M, Masri R, Keller A. An Amygdalo-Parabrachial Pathway Regulates Pain Perception and Chronic Pain. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3424-3442. [PMID: 32217613 PMCID: PMC7178908 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0075-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The parabrachial (PB) complex mediates both ascending nociceptive signaling and descending pain modulatory information in the affective/emotional pain pathway. We have recently reported that chronic pain is associated with amplified activity of PB neurons in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Here we demonstrate that similar activity amplification occurs in mice, and that this is related to suppressed inhibition to lateral parabrachial (LPB) neurons from the CeA in animals of either sex. Animals with pain after chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve (CCI-Pain) displayed higher spontaneous and evoked activity in PB neurons, and a dramatic increase in after-discharges, responses that far outlast the stimulus, compared with controls. LPB neurons in CCI-Pain animals showed a reduction in inhibitory, GABAergic inputs. We show that, in both rats and mice, LPB contains few GABAergic neurons, and that most of its GABAergic inputs arise from CeA. These CeA GABA neurons express dynorphin, somatostatin, and/or corticotropin releasing hormone. We find that the efficacy of this CeA-LPB pathway is suppressed in chronic pain. Further, optogenetically stimulating this pathway suppresses acute pain, and inhibiting it, in naive animals, evokes pain behaviors. These findings demonstrate that the CeA-LPB pathway is critically involved in pain regulation, and in the pathogenesis of chronic pain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We describe a novel pathway, consisting of inhibition by dynorphin, somatostatin, and corticotropin-releasing hormone-expressing neurons in the CeA that project to the parabrachial nucleus. We show that this pathway regulates the activity of pain-related neurons in parabrachial nucleus, and that, in chronic pain, this inhibitory pathway is suppressed, and that this suppression is causally related to pain perception. We propose that this amygdalo-parabrachial pathway is a key regulator of both chronic and acute pain, and a novel target for pain relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Raver
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Olivia Uddin
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Yadong Ji
- Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Nathan Cramer
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Carleigh Jenne
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Marisela Morales
- Neuronal Networks Section, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, Maryland 21224
| | - Radi Masri
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Department of Advanced Oral Sciences and Therapeutics, University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Asaf Keller
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
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González-Cano R, Montilla-García Á, Ruiz-Cantero MC, Bravo-Caparrós I, Tejada MÁ, Nieto FR, Cobos EJ. The search for translational pain outcomes to refine analgesic development: Where did we come from and where are we going? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:238-261. [PMID: 32147529 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Pain measures traditionally used in rodents record mere reflexes evoked by sensory stimuli; the results thus may not fully reflect the human pain phenotype. Alterations in physical and emotional functioning, pain-depressed behaviors and facial pain expressions were recently proposed as additional pain outcomes to provide a more accurate measure of clinical pain in rodents, and hence to potentially enhance analgesic drug development. We aimed to review how preclinical pain assessment has evolved since the development of the tail flick test in 1941, with a particular focus on a critical analysis of some nonstandard pain outcomes, and a consideration of how sex differences may affect the performance of these pain surrogates. We tracked original research articles in Medline for the following periods: 1973-1977, 1983-1987, 1993-1997, 2003-2007, and 2014-2018. We identified 606 research articles about alternative surrogate pain measures, 473 of which were published between 2014 and 2018. This indicates that preclinical pain assessment is moving toward the use of these measures, which may soon become standard procedures in preclinical pain laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael González-Cano
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Ángeles Montilla-García
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - M Carmen Ruiz-Cantero
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Inmaculada Bravo-Caparrós
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Miguel Á Tejada
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain; IMBA, Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Francisco R Nieto
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain.
| | - Enrique J Cobos
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Biomedical Research Center, University of Granada, Armilla, Granada, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria ibs.GRANADA, Granada, Spain; Teófilo Hernando Institute for Drug Discovery, Madrid, Spain.
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48
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Evoked and spontaneous pain assessment during tooth pulp injury. Sci Rep 2020; 10:2759. [PMID: 32066827 PMCID: PMC7026088 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59742-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Injury of the tooth pulp is excruciatingly painful and yet the receptors and neural circuit mechanisms that transmit this form of pain remain poorly defined in both the clinic and preclinical rodent models. Easily quantifiable behavioral assessment in the mouse orofacial area remains a major bottleneck in uncovering molecular mechanisms that govern inflammatory pain in the tooth. In this study we sought to address this problem using the Mouse Grimace Scale and a novel approach to the application of mechanical Von Frey hair stimuli. We use a dental pulp injury model that exposes the pulp to the outside environment, a procedure we have previously shown produces inflammation. Using RNAscope technology, we demonstrate an upregulation of genes that contribute to the pain state in the trigeminal ganglia of injured mice. We found that mice with dental pulp injury have greater Mouse Grimace Scores than sham within 24 hours of injury, suggestive of spontaneous pain. We developed a scoring system of mouse refusal to determine thresholds for mechanical stimulation of the face with Von Frey filaments. This method revealed that mice with a unilateral dental injury develop bilateral mechanical allodynia that is delayed relative to the onset of spontaneous pain. This work demonstrates that tooth pain can be quantified in freely behaving mice using approaches common for other types of pain assessment. Harnessing these assays in the orofacial area during gene manipulation should assist in uncovering mechanisms for tooth pulp inflammatory pain and other forms of trigeminal pain.
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Turner PV, Pang DS, Lofgren JL. A Review of Pain Assessment Methods in Laboratory Rodents. Comp Med 2019; 69:451-467. [PMID: 31896391 PMCID: PMC6935698 DOI: 10.30802/aalas-cm-19-000042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Ensuring that laboratory rodent pain is well managed underpins the ethical acceptability of working with these animals in research. Appropriate treatment of pain in laboratory rodents requires accurate assessments of the presence or absence of pain to the extent possible. This can be challenging some situations because laboratory rodents are prey species that may show subtle signs of pain. Although a number of standard algesiometry assays have been used to assess evoked pain responses in rodents for many decades, these methods likely represent an oversimplification of pain assessment and many require animal handling during testing, which can result in stress-induced analgesia. More recent pain assessment methods, such as the use of ethograms, facial grimace scoring, burrowing, and nest-building, focus on evaluating changes in spontaneous behaviors or activities of rodents in their home environments. Many of these assessment methods are time-consuming to conduct. While many of these newer tests show promise for providing a more accurate assessment of pain, most require more study to determine their reliability and sensitivity across a broad range of experimental conditions, as well as between species and strains of animals. Regular observation of laboratory rodents before and after painful procedures with consistent use of 2 or more assessment methods is likely to improve pain detection and lead to improved treatment and care-a primary goal for improving overall animal welfare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia V Turner
- Charles River, Wilmington , Massachusetts Dept of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada;,
| | - Daniel Sj Pang
- Dept of Clinical Sciences, Université de Montréal, Quebec, J2S 2M2, Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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50
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Nagakura Y, Miwa M, Yoshida M, Miura R, Tanei S, Tsuji M, Takeda H. Spontaneous pain-associated facial expression and efficacy of clinically used drugs in the reserpine-induced rat model of fibromyalgia. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 864:172716. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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