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Cerqueira-Nunes M, Monteiro C, Galhardo V, Cardoso-Cruz H. Orbitostriatal encoding of reward delayed gratification and impulsivity in chronic pain. Brain Res 2024; 1839:149044. [PMID: 38821332 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149044] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Central robust network functional rearrangement is a characteristic of several neurological conditions, including chronic pain. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown the importance of pain-induced dysfunction in both orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) brain regions for the emergence of cognitive deficits. Outcome information processing recruits the orbitostriatal circuitry, a pivotal pathway regarding context-dependent reward value encoding. The current literature reveals the existence of structural and functional changes in the orbitostriatal crosstalk in chronic pain conditions, which have emerged as a possible underlying cause for reward and time discrimination impairments observed in individuals affected by such disturbances. However, more comprehensive investigations are needed to elucidate the underlying disturbances that underpin disease development. In this review article, we aim to provide a comprehensive view of the orbitostriatal mechanisms underlying time-reward dependent behaviors, and integrate previous findings on local and network malplasticity under the framework of the chronic pain sphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Cerqueira-Nunes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal; Programa doutoral em Neurociências (PDN), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) - Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Medicina, Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental (FMUP), Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.
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Guo H, Hu WC, Xian H, Shi YX, Liu YY, Ma SB, Pan KQ, Wu SX, Xu LY, Luo C, Xie RG. CCL2 Potentiates Inflammation Pain and Related Anxiety-Like Behavior Through NMDA Signaling in Anterior Cingulate Cortex. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:4976-4991. [PMID: 38157119 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03881-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that the C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) is widely expressed in the nervous system and involved in regulating the development of chronic pain and related anxiety-like behaviors, but its precise mechanism is still unclear. This paper provides an in-depth examination of the involvement of CCL2-CCR2 signaling in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) leading to inflammatory pain and its concomitant anxiety-like behaviors by modulation of glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR). Our findings suggest that local bilateral injection of CCR2 antagonist in the ACC inhibits CFA-induced inflammatory pain and anxiety-like behavior. Meanwhile, the expression of CCR2 and CCL2 was significantly increased in ACC after 14 days of intraplantar injection of CFA, and CCR2 was mainly expressed in excitatory neurons. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings showed that the CCR2 inhibitor RS504393 reduced the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSC) in ACC, and CCL2 was involved in the regulation of NMDAR-induced current in ACC neurons in the pathological state. In addition, local injection of the NR2B inhibitor of NMDAR subunits, Ro 25-6981, attenuated the effects of CCL2-induced hyperalgesia and anxiety-like behavior in the ACC. In summary, CCL2 acts on CCR2 in ACC excitatory neurons and participates in the regulation of CFA-induced pain and related anxiety-like behaviors through upregulation of NR2B. CCR2 in the ACC neuron may be a potential target for the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain and pain-related anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan Guo
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Shantou University Medical College, No.22, Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Wen-Chao Hu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Hang Xian
- Department of Orthopedics, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yun-Xin Shi
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- School of Life Science & Research Center for Resource Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, China
| | - Yuan-Ying Liu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
- School of Life Science & Research Center for Resource Peptide Drugs, Shaanxi Engineering & Technological Research Center for Conversation & Utilization of Regional Biological Resources, Yanan University, Yanan, 716000, China
| | - Sui-Bin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China
| | - Kun-Qing Pan
- No.19 Cadet Regiment, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Sheng-Xi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Li-Yan Xu
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Shantou University Medical College, No.22, Xinling Road, Shantou, 515041, China.
| | - Ceng Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Rou-Gang Xie
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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3
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Jin S, Cho HJ. Cerebral hemodynamics as biomarkers for neuropathic pain in rats: a longitudinal study using a spinal nerve ligation model. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00655. [PMID: 38985168 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neuropathic pain is one of the most challenging types of pain to diagnose and treat, a problem exacerbated by the lack of a quantitative biomarker. Recently, several clinical and preclinical studies have shown that neuropathic pain induces cerebral hemodynamic changes as a result of neuroplasticity in the brain. Our hypothesis in this study is that neuropathic pain leads to cerebral hemodynamic changes over postoperative time in a spinal nerve ligation (SNL) rat model, which has not been longitudinally explored previously. Furthermore, by identifying multiple regional hemodynamic features that are the most distinct between SNL and sham groups, where the sham group underwent only an incision without SNL, it may be possible to classify the SNL group regardless of when the onset of pain occurs. We investigate cerebral hemodynamic changes using dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging in a rat model up to 28 days after ligating L5/L6 spinal nerves. We trained a linear support vector machine with relative cerebral blood volume data from different brain regions and found that the prediction model trained on the nucleus accumbens, motor cortex, pretectal area, and thalamus classified the SNL group and sham group at a 79.27% balanced accuracy, regardless of when the onset of pain occurred (SNL/sham: 60/45 data points). From the use of the SNL model without prior knowledge of the onset time of pain, the current findings highlight the potential of relative cerebral blood volume in the 4 highlighted brain regions as a biomarker for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokha Jin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
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4
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Serafini RA, Farzinpour Z, Patel V, Kelley AM, Estill M, Pryce KD, Sakloth F, Teague CD, Torres-Berrio A, Nestler EJ, Shen L, Akbarian S, Karkhanis AN, Blitzer RD, Zachariou V. Nucleus accumbens myocyte enhancer factor 2C mediates the maintenance of peripheral nerve injury-induced physiological and behavioral maladaptations. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00648. [PMID: 38985454 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Preclinical and clinical work has demonstrated altered plasticity and activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) under chronic pain states, highlighting critical therapeutic avenues for the management of chronic pain conditions. In this study, we demonstrate that myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C), a master regulator of neuronal activity and plasticity, is repressed in NAc neurons after prolonged spared nerve injury (SNI). Viral-mediated overexpression of Mef2c in NAc neurons partially ameliorated sensory hypersensitivity and emotional behaviors in mice with SNI, while also altering transcriptional pathways associated with synaptic signaling. Mef2c overexpression also reversed SNI-induced potentiation of phasic dopamine release and neuronal hyperexcitability in the NAc. Transcriptional changes induced by Mef2c overexpression were different than those observed after desipramine treatment, suggesting a mechanism of action different from antidepressants. Overall, we show that interventions in MEF2C-regulated mechanisms in the NAc are sufficient to disrupt the maintenance of chronic pain states, providing potential new treatment avenues for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randal A Serafini
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Biophysics, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University, Boston, MA, United states
| | - Zahra Farzinpour
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Biophysics, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University, Boston, MA, United states
| | - Vishwendra Patel
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Abigail M Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United states
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Kerri D Pryce
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Farhana Sakloth
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Collin D Teague
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Angelica Torres-Berrio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Anushree N Karkhanis
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY, United states
| | - Robert D Blitzer
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United states
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Biophysics, Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University, Boston, MA, United states
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5
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Zhu K, Chen S, Qin X, Bai W, Hao J, Xu X, Guo H, Bai H, Yang Z, Wang S, Zhao Z, Ji T, Kong D, Zhang W. Exploring the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol for sleep deprivation-induced hyperalgesia. Neuropharmacology 2024; 249:109893. [PMID: 38428482 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109893] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Hyperalgesia resulting from sleep deprivation (SD) poses a significant a global public health challenge with limited treatment options. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) plays a crucial role in the modulation of pain and sleep, with its activity regulated by two distinct types of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) expressing dopamine 1 or dopamine 2 (D1-or D2) receptors (referred to as D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs, respectively). However, the specific involvement of the NAc in SD-induced hyperalgesia remains uncertain. Cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive phytocannabinoid, has demonstrated analgesic effects in clinical and preclinical studies. Nevertheless, its potency in addressing this particular issue remains to be determined. Here, we report that SD induced a pronounced pronociceptive effect attributed to the heightened intrinsic excitability of D2-MSNs within the NAc in Male C57BL/6N mice. CBD (30 mg/kg, i.p.) exhibited an anti-hyperalgesic effect. CBD significantly improved the thresholds for thermal and mechanical pain and increased wakefulness by reducing delta power. Additionally, CBD inhibited the intrinsic excitability of D2-MSNs both in vitro and in vivo. Bilateral microinjection of the selective D2 receptor antagonist raclopride into the NAc partially reversed the antinociceptive effect of CBD. Thus, these findings strongly suggested that SD activates NAc D2-MSNs, contributing heightened to pain sensitivity. CBD exhibits antinociceptive effects by activating D2R, thereby inhibiting the excitability of D2-MSNs and promoting wakefulness under SD conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangsheng Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
| | - Siruan Chen
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Xia Qin
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Wanjun Bai
- Department of Pharmacy, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050051, China
| | - Jie Hao
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Xiaolei Xu
- School of Nursing, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050000, China
| | - Han Guo
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Hui Bai
- Department of Cardiac Ultrasound, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Zuxiao Yang
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Sheng Wang
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China
| | - Zongmao Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050011, China
| | - Tengfei Ji
- Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Dezhi Kong
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, Institution of Chinese Integrative Medicine, School of Chinese Integrative Medicine, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of Education, Hebei Medical University, Research Unit of Digestive Tract Microecosystem Pharmacology and Toxicology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050017, China.
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Wang W, Yuan M, Xu Y, Yang J, Wang X, Zhou Y, Yu Z, Lu Z, Wang Y, Hu C, Bai Q, Li Z. Prokineticin-2 Participates in Chronic Constriction Injury-Triggered Neuropathic Pain and Anxiety via Regulated by NF-κB in Nucleus Accumbens Shell in Rats. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:2764-2783. [PMID: 37934398 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03680-6] [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: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is an intractable pain that results from primary nervous system injury and dysfunction. Herein, we demonstrated in animal models that peripheral nerve injury induced enhanced pain perception and anxiety-like behaviors. According to previous reports, nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell is required for complete expression of neuropathic pain behaviors and mood alternations, we found the elevated mRNA and protein level of Prokineticin-2 (Prok2) in the NAc shell after Chronic Constriction Injury (CCI). Prok2 knockdown in the NAc shell reversed NP and anxiety-like behaviors in rats, indicating that Prok2 might play a fundamental role in NP and anxiety co-morbidity. CCI significantly enhanced Prok2 co-expression with NF-κB P-p65 in comparison with control animals. In addition to reversing the established nociceptive hypersensitivities and anxiety simultaneously, NAc microinjection of NF-κB siRNA or specific inhibitor PDTC reversed Prok2 upregulation. Besides, Prok2 was significantly decreased in vitro when co-transfected with si-NF-κB. Dual-Luciferase assay showed NF-κB directly activated Prok2 gene transcriptional activity. Overall, these findings provide new insights into the neurobiological mechanisms behind NP and comorbid anxiety. The NF-κB/Prok2 pathway could be a potential therapeutic target for NP and anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenting Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Meng Yuan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yaowei Xu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingjie Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiaoling Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhixiang Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zhongyuan Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yiming Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Chenge Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Qian Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
| | - Zhisong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.2, Jingba Road, Jinshui District, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.
- Institute of Neuroscience, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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7
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Dagher M, Alayoubi M, Sigal GH, Cahill CM. Unveiling the link between chronic pain and misuse of opioids and cannabis. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:563-580. [PMID: 38570361 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-024-02765-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
Over 50 million Americans endure chronic pain where many do not receive adequate treatment and self-medicate to manage their pain by taking substances like opioids and cannabis. Research has shown high comorbidity between chronic pain and substance use disorders (SUD) and these disorders share many common neurobiological underpinnings, including hypodopaminergic transmission. Drugs commonly used for self-medication such as opioids and cannabis relieve emotional, bothersome components of pain as well as negative emotional affect that perpetuates misuse and increases the risk of progressing towards drug abuse. However, the causal effect between chronic pain and the development of SUDs has not been clearly established. In this review, we discuss evidence that affirms the proposition that chronic pain is a risk factor for the development of opioid and cannabis use disorders by outlining the clinical evidence and detailing neurobiological mechanisms that link pain and drug misuse. Central to the link between chronic pain and opioid and cannabis misuse is hypodopaminergic transmission and the modulation of dopamine signaling in the mesolimbic pathway by opioids and cannabis. Moreover, we discuss the role of kappa opioid receptor activation and neuroinflammation in the context of dopamine transmission, their contribution to opioid and cannabis withdrawal, along with potential new treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merel Dagher
- MacDonald Research Laboratory Building, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, 675 Charles E Young Drive South, Office 2774, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Myra Alayoubi
- MacDonald Research Laboratory Building, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, 675 Charles E Young Drive South, Office 2774, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Gabriella H Sigal
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Catherine M Cahill
- MacDonald Research Laboratory Building, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Shirley and Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, 675 Charles E Young Drive South, Office 2774, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
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8
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Li YD, Luo YJ, Su WK, Ge J, Crowther A, Chen ZK, Wang L, Lazarus M, Liu ZL, Qu WM, Huang ZL. Anterior cingulate cortex projections to the dorsal medial striatum underlie insomnia associated with chronic pain. Neuron 2024; 112:1328-1341.e4. [PMID: 38354737 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.01.014] [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: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Chronic pain often leads to the development of sleep disturbances. However, the precise neural circuit mechanisms responsible for sleep disorders in chronic pain have remained largely unknown. Here, we present compelling evidence that hyperactivity of pyramidal neurons (PNs) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) drives insomnia in a mouse model of nerve-injury-induced chronic pain. After nerve injury, ACC PNs displayed spontaneous hyperactivity selectively in periods of insomnia. We then show that ACC PNs were both necessary for developing chronic-pain-induced insomnia and sufficient to mimic sleep loss in naive mice. Importantly, combining optogenetics and electrophysiological recordings, we found that the ACC projection to the dorsal medial striatum (DMS) underlies chronic-pain-induced insomnia through enhanced activity and plasticity of ACC-DMS dopamine D1R neuron synapses. Our findings shed light on the pivotal role of ACC PNs in developing chronic-pain-induced sleep disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Dong Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD), Shanghai 201699, China.
| | - Yan-Jia Luo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200011, China
| | - Wei-Kun Su
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Emotions and Affective Disorders (LEAD), Shanghai 201699, China
| | - Jing Ge
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Andrew Crowther
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ze-Ka Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Michael Lazarus
- International Institute for Integrative Sleep Medicine (WPI-IIIS) and Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan
| | - Zi-Long Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Wei-Min Qu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Zhi-Li Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Joint International Research Laboratory of Sleep, and Department of Anesthesiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
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9
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Bhatt RR, Haddad E, Zhu AH, Thompson PM, Gupta A, Mayer EA, Jahanshad N. Mapping Brain Structure Variability in Chronic Pain: The Role of Widespreadness and Pain Type and Its Mediating Relationship With Suicide Attempt. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:473-481. [PMID: 37543299 PMCID: PMC10838358 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain affects nearly 20% of the U.S. POPULATION It is a leading cause of disability globally and is associated with a heightened risk for suicide. The role of the central nervous system in the perception and maintenance of chronic pain has recently been accepted, but specific brain circuitries involved have yet to be mapped across pain types in a large-scale study. METHODS We used data from the UK Biobank (N = 21,968) to investigate brain structural alterations in individuals reporting chronic pain compared with pain-free control participants and their mediating effect on history of suicide attempt. RESULTS Chronic pain and, more notably, chronic multisite pain was associated with, on average, lower surface area throughout the cortex after adjusting for demographic, clinical, and neuropsychiatric confounds. Only participants with abdominal pain showed lower subcortical volumes, including the amygdala and brainstem, and lower cerebellum volumes. Participants with chronic headaches showed a widespread thicker cortex compared with control participants. Mediation analyses revealed that precuneus thickness mediated the relationship of chronic multisite pain and history of suicide attempt. Mediating effects were also identified specific to localized pain, with the strongest effect being amygdala volume in individuals with chronic abdominal pain. CONCLUSIONS Results support a widespread effect of chronic pain on brain structure and distinct brain structures underlying chronic musculoskeletal pain, visceral pain, and headaches. Mediation effects of regions in the extended ventromedial prefrontal cortex subsystem suggest that exacerbated negative internal states, negative self-referencing, and impairments in future planning may underlie suicidal behaviors in individuals with chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi R Bhatt
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
| | - Elizabeth Haddad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alyssa H Zhu
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Arpana Gupta
- Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Emeran A Mayer
- Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine at USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
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10
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Wojick JA, Paranjapye A, Chiu JK, Mahmood M, Oswell C, Kimmey BA, Wooldridge LM, McCall NM, Han A, Ejoh LL, Chehimi SN, Crist RC, Reiner BC, Korb E, Corder G. A nociceptive amygdala-striatal pathway for chronic pain aversion. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.12.579947. [PMID: 38405972 PMCID: PMC10888915 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.12.579947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The basolateral amygdala (BLA) is essential for assigning positive or negative valence to sensory stimuli. Noxious stimuli that cause pain are encoded by an ensemble of nociceptive BLA projection neurons (BLAnoci ensemble). However, the role of the BLAnoci ensemble in mediating behavior changes and the molecular signatures and downstream targets distinguishing this ensemble remain poorly understood. Here, we show that the same BLAnoci ensemble neurons are required for both acute and chronic neuropathic pain behavior. Using single nucleus RNA-sequencing, we characterized the effect of acute and chronic pain on the BLA and identified enrichment for genes with known functions in axonal and synaptic organization and pain perception. We thus examined the brain-wide targets of the BLAnoci ensemble and uncovered a previously undescribed nociceptive hotspot of the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) that mirrors the stability and specificity of the BLAnoci ensemble and is recruited in chronic pain. Notably, BLAnoci ensemble axons transmit acute and neuropathic nociceptive information to the NAcSh, highlighting this nociceptive amygdala-striatal circuit as a unique pathway for affective-motivational responses across pain states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Wojick
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alekh Paranjapye
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Juliann K Chiu
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Malaika Mahmood
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Corinna Oswell
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Blake A Kimmey
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa M Wooldridge
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nora M McCall
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Alan Han
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lindsay L Ejoh
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Samar Nasser Chehimi
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard C Crist
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Reiner
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Erica Korb
- Department of Genetics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gregory Corder
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Dept. of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Baliki MN, Vigotsky AD, Rached G, Jabakhanji R, Huang L, Branco P, Cong O, Griffith J, Wasan AD, Schnitzer TJ, Apkarian AV. Neuropsychology of chronic back pain managed with long-term opioid use. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.07.24302408. [PMID: 38370783 PMCID: PMC10871381 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.07.24302408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Chronic pain is commonly treated with long-term opioids, but the neuropsychological outcomes associated with stable long-duration opioid use remain unclear. Here, we contrasted the psychological profiles, brain activity, and brain structure of 70 chronic back pain patients on opioids (CBP+O, average opioid exposure 6.2 years) with 70 patients managing their pain without opioids. CBP+O exhibited moderately worse psychological profiles and small differences in brain morphology. However, CBP+O had starkly different spontaneous brain activity, dominated by increased mesocorticolimbic and decreased dorsolateral-prefrontal activity, even after controlling for pain intensity and duration. These differences strongly reflected cortical opioid and serotonin receptor densities and mapped to two antagonistic resting-state circuits. The circuits' dynamics were explained by mesocorticolimbic activity and reflected negative affect. We reassessed a sub-group of CBP+O after they briefly abstained from taking opioids. Network dynamics, but not spontaneous activity, reflected exacerbated signs of withdrawal. Our results have implications for the management and tapering of opioids in chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan N Baliki
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Andrew D Vigotsky
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Biomedical Engineering and Statistics & Data Science, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Gaelle Rached
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rami Jabakhanji
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lejian Huang
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Paulo Branco
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Anesthesia, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Olivia Cong
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - James Griffith
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Medical and Social Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Ajay D Wasan
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Thomas J Schnitzer
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Anesthesia, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - A Vania Apkarian
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Anesthesia, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
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12
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Mlost J, Białoń M, Kędziora M, Wąsik A, Michalec Ż, Starowicz K. Network analysis of monoamines involved in anxiety-like behavior in a rat model of osteoarthritis. Pharmacol Rep 2024; 76:72-85. [PMID: 38180634 PMCID: PMC10830664 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-023-00562-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a major health problem that affects a significant number of patients, resulting in personal suffering and substantial health care costs. One of the most commonly reported causal conditions is osteoarthritis (OA). In addition to sensory symptoms, chronic pain shares an inherent overlap with mood or anxiety disorders. The involvement of the frontal cortex, striatum and nucleus accumbens, in the affective processing of pain is still poorly understood. METHODS Male Wistar rats were divided into two groups: MIA (monoiodoacetate injected into the knee-model of OA) and sham (NaCl). Behavioral tests assessing pain, anxiety, and depressive behavior were performed at week 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Neurochemical assays were conducted at weeks 3, 6, and 10 post-MIA injection, followed by the neurotransmitters and their metabolites correlation matrix and network analysis. RESULTS OA animals developed rapid pain phenotype, whereas anxiety-like behavior accompanied the development of a pain phenotype from 6 week post-MIA injection. We did not detect any depressive-like behavior. Instead, immobility time measured in the forced swimming test transiently decreased at 3 weeks post-MIA in the OA group. We detected changes in noradrenaline and serotonin levels in analyzed structures at distinct time points. Network analysis revealed noradrenaline and serotonin neurotransmission changes in the nucleus accumbens, confirming it to be the key structure affected by chronic pain. CONCLUSION Animals with chronic pain exhibit symptoms of anxiety-like behavior and we identified underlying neurochemical changes using network analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Mlost
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Smętna 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Magdalena Białoń
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Smętna 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Marta Kędziora
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Smętna 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Wąsik
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Smętna 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Żaneta Michalec
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Smętna 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Starowicz
- Department of Neurochemistry, Maj Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Ul. Smętna 12, 31-343, Kraków, Poland.
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13
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Ibrahim KM, Massaly N, Yoon HJ, Sandoval R, Widman AJ, Heuermann RJ, Williams S, Post W, Pathiranage S, Lintz T, Zec A, Park A, Yu W, Kash TL, Gereau RW, Morón JA. Dorsal hippocampus to nucleus accumbens projections drive reinforcement via activation of accumbal dynorphin neurons. Nat Commun 2024; 15:750. [PMID: 38286800 PMCID: PMC10825206 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44836-9] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is pivotal in integrating emotional processing, learning, memory, and reward-related behaviors. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is particularly crucial for episodic, spatial, and associative memory, and has been shown to be necessary for context- and cue-associated reward behaviors. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central structure in the mesolimbic reward pathway, integrates the salience of aversive and rewarding stimuli. Despite extensive research on dHPC→NAc direct projections, their sufficiency in driving reinforcement and reward-related behavior remains to be determined. Our study establishes that activating excitatory neurons in the dHPC is sufficient to induce reinforcing behaviors through its direct projections to the dorso-medial subregion of the NAc shell (dmNAcSh). Notably, dynorphin-containing neurons specifically contribute to dHPC-driven reinforcing behavior, even though both dmNAcSh dynorphin- and enkephalin-containing neurons are activated with dHPC stimulation. Our findings unveil a pathway governing reinforcement, advancing our understanding of the hippocampal circuity's role in reward-seeking behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khairunisa Mohamad Ibrahim
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Nicolas Massaly
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Hye-Jean Yoon
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Rossana Sandoval
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Allie J Widman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Robert J Heuermann
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sidney Williams
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - William Post
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Sulan Pathiranage
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Tania Lintz
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Azra Zec
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ashley Park
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Waylin Yu
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Robert W Gereau
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Jose A Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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14
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Liu D, Hu SW, Wang D, Zhang Q, Zhang X, Ding HL, Cao JL. An Ascending Excitatory Circuit from the Dorsal Raphe for Sensory Modulation of Pain. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0869232023. [PMID: 38124016 PMCID: PMC10860493 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0869-23.2023] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) is an important nucleus in pain regulation. However, the underlying neural pathway and the function of specific cell types remain unclear. Here, we report a previously unrecognized ascending facilitation pathway, the DRN to the mesoaccumbal dopamine (DA) circuit, for regulating pain. Chronic pain increased the activity of DRN glutamatergic, but not serotonergic, neurons projecting to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (DRNGlu-VTA) in male mice. The optogenetic activation of DRNGlu-VTA circuit induced a pain-like response in naive male mice, and its inhibition produced an analgesic effect in male mice with neuropathic pain. Furthermore, we discovered that DRN ascending pathway regulated pain through strengthened excitatory transmission onto the VTA DA neurons projecting to the ventral part of nucleus accumbens medial shell (vNAcMed), thereby activated the mesoaccumbal DA neurons. Correspondingly, optogenetic manipulation of this three-node pathway bilaterally regulated pain behaviors. These findings identified a DRN ascending excitatory pathway that is crucial for pain sensory processing, which can potentially be exploited toward targeting pain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Liu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Su-Wan Hu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Di Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, China
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15
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Liu W, Wang W, Wang Z, Xing Y. Ventral tegmental area dopaminergic circuits participates in stress-induced chronic postsurgical pain in male mice. BMC Neurosci 2024; 25:3. [PMID: 38195391 PMCID: PMC10775611 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-023-00842-z] [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: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic postsurgical pain (CPP) markedly impairs patients' quality of life. Research has shown that chronic stress may extend incisional nociception in male mice. Dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are integral to stress-related mental disorders (including major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and PTSD) and pain. However, the impact of chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) on mesolimbic dopamine (DA) transmission in the development of CPP is yet to be established. It remains uncertain whether the dopamine signals in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), which regulate pain, derive from the VTA. This study aims to explore the role of VTA-rACC dopaminergic circuits in a mouse model of CPP induced by CSDS. METHODS We conducted CSDS on C57BL/6 J wild-type male mice (n = 12-16 mice/group) and DAT-cre male mice (n = 10-12 mice/group). After 10 days of CSDS, a left posterior plantar incision was made to establish a mouse model of CPP. Paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were evaluated using Von-Frey fibre stimulation. The open field test (OFT) and elevated plus maze test (EPM) were used to assess pain-related negative emotions. We used immunofluorescence staining and Western Blot to analyse D1, D2, c-Fos, and TH expression. DAergic fibre projections in the VTA-rACC neural pathway were traced using retrograde tracing and immunofluorescence staining. Optogenetics and Chemogenetics were employed to manipulate DAergic neurons in the VTA and their axons in the rACC. RESULTS The ipsilateral PWTs in male C57BL/6 J mice significantly decreased after surgery, returning to baseline after seven days. Conversely, in CSDS mice, ipsilateral PWTs remained reduced for at least 30 days post-incision. A significant reduction in TH-positive neurons expressing c-Fos in the VTA of CPP mice was observed 15 days post-incision. Activating DAergic neurons significantly improved ipsilateral PWTs and locomotor performance in the OFT and EPM in CPP mice post-incision. Additionally, D1 expression in the rACC was found to decrease in CPP mice, and this reduction counteracted the increase in PWTs caused by activating DAergic neuron axon terminals in the rACC. CONCLUSION CSDS results in chronicity of postsurgical nociception and anxiety-like negative emotions, with alterations in DA transmission playing a role in CPP. Specific activation of DAergic neurons mitigates nociceptive responses and anxiety-like bahaviors, possibly mediated by D1 receptors in the rACC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weizhen Liu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
- The Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Wang Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
- The Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Ziliang Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
- The Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Ying Xing
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
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Centeno MV, Alam MS, Haldar K, Apkarian AV. Long-range action of an HDAC inhibitor treats chronic pain in a spared nerve injury rat model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571583. [PMID: 38168166 PMCID: PMC10760082 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) that modulate epigenetic regulation and are approved for treating rare cancers have, in disease models, also been shown to mitigate neurological conditions, including chronic pain. They are of interest as non-opioid treatments, but achieving long-term efficacy with limited dosing has remained elusive. Here we utilize a triple combination formulation (TCF) comprised of a pan-HDACi vorinostat (Vo at its FDA-approved daily dose of 50mg/Kg), the caging agent 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) known to boost plasma and brain exposure and efficacy of Vo in mice and rats, of various ages, spared nerve injury (SNI) model of chronic neuropathic pain. Administration of the TCF (but not HPBCD and PEG) decreased mechanical allodynia for 4 weeks without antagonizing weight, anxiety, or mobility. This was achieved at less than 1% of the total dose of Vo approved for 4 weeks of tumor treatment and associated with decreased levels of major inflammatory markers and microglia in ipsilateral (but not contralateral) spinal cord regions. A single TCF injection was sufficient for 3-4 weeks of efficacy: this was mirrored in repeat injections, specific for the injured paw and not seen on sham treatment. Pharmacodynamics in an SNI mouse model suggested pain relief was sustained for days to weeks after Vo elimination. Doubling Vo in a single TCF injection proved effectiveness was limited to male rats, where the response amplitude tripled and remained effective for > 2 months, an efficacy that outperforms all currently available chronic pain pharmacotherapies. Together, these data suggest that through pharmacological modulation of Vo, the TCF enables single-dose effectiveness with extended action, reduces long-term HDACi dosage, and presents excellent potential to develop as a non-opioid treatment option for chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Virginia Centeno
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Md Suhail Alam
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Kasturi Haldar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556
| | - Apkar Vania Apkarian
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Department of Anesthesia, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611
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Pereira AR, Alemi M, Cerqueira-Nunes M, Monteiro C, Galhardo V, Cardoso-Cruz H. Dynamics of Lateral Habenula-Ventral Tegmental Area Microcircuit on Pain-Related Cognitive Dysfunctions. Neurol Int 2023; 15:1303-1319. [PMID: 37987455 PMCID: PMC10660716 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint15040082] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a health problem that affects the ability to work and perform other activities, and it generally worsens over time. Understanding the complex pain interaction with brain circuits could help predict which patients are at risk of developing central dysfunctions. Increasing evidence from preclinical and clinical studies suggests that aberrant activity of the lateral habenula (LHb) is associated with depressive symptoms characterized by excessive negative focus, leading to high-level cognitive dysfunctions. The primary output region of the LHb is the ventral tegmental area (VTA), through a bidirectional connection. Recently, there has been growing interest in the complex interactions between the LHb and VTA, particularly regarding their crucial roles in behavior regulation and their potential involvement in the pathological impact of chronic pain on cognitive functions. In this review, we briefly discuss the structural and functional roles of the LHb-VTA microcircuit and their impact on cognition and mood disorders in order to support future studies addressing brain plasticity during chronic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Raquel Pereira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mobina Alemi
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Cerqueira-Nunes
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
- Programa Doutoral em Neurociências, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
| | - Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde—Pain Neurobiology Group, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (A.R.P.); (M.A.); (M.C.-N.); (C.M.); (V.G.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- Departamento de Biomedicina—Unidade de Biologia Experimental, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal
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Flores-García M, Rizzo A, Garçon-Poca MZ, Fernández-Dueñas V, Bonaventura J. Converging circuits between pain and depression: the ventral tegmental area as a therapeutic hub. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1278023. [PMID: 37849731 PMCID: PMC10577189 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1278023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain and depression are highly prevalent pathologies and cause a major socioeconomic burden to society. Chronic pain affects the emotional state of the individuals suffering from it, while depression worsens the prognosis of chronic pain patients and may diminish the effectiveness of pain treatments. There is a high comorbidity rate between both pathologies, which might share overlapping mechanisms. This review explores the evidence pinpointing a role for the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as a hub where both pain and emotional processing might converge. In addition, the feasibility of using the VTA as a possible therapeutic target is discussed. The role of the VTA, and the dopaminergic system in general, is highly studied in mood disorders, especially in deficits in reward-processing and motivation. Conversely, the VTA is less regarded where it concerns the study of central mechanisms of pain and its mood-associated consequences. Here, we first outline the brain circuits involving central processing of pain and mood disorders, focusing on the often-understudied role of the dopaminergic system and the VTA. Next, we highlight the state-of-the-art findings supporting the emergence of the VTA as a link where both pathways converge. Thus, we envision a promising part for the VTA as a putative target for innovative therapeutic approaches to treat chronic pain and its effects on mood. Finally, we emphasize the urge to develop and use animal models where both pain and depression-like symptoms are considered in conjunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montse Flores-García
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, IDIBELL-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Arianna Rizzo
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, IDIBELL-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Maria Zelai Garçon-Poca
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, IDIBELL-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Víctor Fernández-Dueñas
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, IDIBELL-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Bonaventura
- Unitat de Farmacologia, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
- Neuropharmacology and Pain Group, Neuroscience Program, IDIBELL-Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Catalonia, Spain
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Serafini RA, Estill M, Pekarskaya EA, Sakloth F, Shen L, Javitch JA, Zachariou V. Tianeptine promotes lasting antiallodynic effects in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1680-1689. [PMID: 37474762 PMCID: PMC10517169 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01645-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), such as desipramine (DMI), are effective at managing neuropathic pain symptoms but often take several weeks to become effective and also lead to considerable side effects. Tianeptine (TIAN) is an atypical antidepressant that activates the mu-opioid receptor but does not produce analgesic tolerance or withdrawal in mice, nor euphoria in humans, at clinically-relevant doses. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of TIAN at persistently alleviating mechanical allodynia in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of neuropathic pain, even well after drug clearance. After finding an accelerated onset of antiallodynic action compared to DMI, we used genetically modified mice to gain insight into RGS protein-associated pathways that modulate the efficacy of TIAN relative to DMI in models of neuropathic pain. Because we observed similar behavioral responses to both TIAN and DMI treatment in RGS4, RGSz1, and RGS9 knockout mice, we performed RNA sequencing on the NAc of TIAN- and DMI-treated mice after prolonged SNI to further clarify potential mechanisms underlying TIANs faster therapeutic actions. Our bioinformatic analysis revealed distinct transcriptomic signatures between the two drugs, with TIAN more directly reversing SNI-induced differentially expressed genes, and further predicted several upstream regulators that may be implicated in onset of action. This new understanding of the molecular pathways underlying TIAN action may enable the development of novel and more efficacious pharmacological approaches for the management of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randal A Serafini
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Pekarskaya
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Farhana Sakloth
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan A Javitch
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Biophysics, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine at Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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Smith PA. Neuropathic pain; what we know and what we should do about it. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2023; 4:1220034. [PMID: 37810432 PMCID: PMC10559888 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1220034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain can result from injury to, or disease of the nervous system. It is notoriously difficult to treat. Peripheral nerve injury promotes Schwann cell activation and invasion of immunocompetent cells into the site of injury, spinal cord and higher sensory structures such as thalamus and cingulate and sensory cortices. Various cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, monoamines and neuropeptides effect two-way signalling between neurons, glia and immune cells. This promotes sustained hyperexcitability and spontaneous activity in primary afferents that is crucial for onset and persistence of pain as well as misprocessing of sensory information in the spinal cord and supraspinal structures. Much of the current understanding of pain aetiology and identification of drug targets derives from studies of the consequences of peripheral nerve injury in rodent models. Although a vast amount of information has been forthcoming, the translation of this information into the clinical arena has been minimal. Few, if any, major therapeutic approaches have appeared since the mid 1990's. This may reflect failure to recognise differences in pain processing in males vs. females, differences in cellular responses to different types of injury and differences in pain processing in humans vs. animals. Basic science and clinical approaches which seek to bridge this knowledge gap include better assessment of pain in animal models, use of pain models which better emulate human disease, and stratification of human pain phenotypes according to quantitative assessment of signs and symptoms of disease. This can lead to more personalized and effective treatments for individual patients. Significance statement: There is an urgent need to find new treatments for neuropathic pain. Although classical animal models have revealed essential features of pain aetiology such as peripheral and central sensitization and some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved, they do not adequately model the multiplicity of disease states or injuries that may bring forth neuropathic pain in the clinic. This review seeks to integrate information from the multiplicity of disciplines that seek to understand neuropathic pain; including immunology, cell biology, electrophysiology and biophysics, anatomy, cell biology, neurology, molecular biology, pharmacology and behavioral science. Beyond this, it underlines ongoing refinements in basic science and clinical practice that will engender improved approaches to pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Smith
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Ma S, Zhang J, Hua X, Wu J, Zheng M, Xu J. Tuina therapy promotes behavioral improvement and brain plasticity in rats with peripheral nerve injury and repair. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3174. [PMID: 37522806 PMCID: PMC10498059 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Tuina is currently one of the popular complementary and alternative methods of rehabilitation therapy. Tuina can improve patients' pain and mobility function. However, the underlying physiological mechanism remains largely unknown, which might limit its further popularization in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to explore the short-term and long-term changes in brain functional activity following Tuina intervention for peripheral nerve injury repair. METHODS A total of 16 rats were equally divided into the intervention group and the control group. Rats in the intervention group received Tuina therapy applying on the gastrocnemius muscle of the right side for 4 months following sciatic nerve transection and immediate repair, while the control group received nerve transection and repair only. The block-design functional magnetic resonance imaging scan was applied in both groups at 1 and 4 months after the surgery. During the scan, both the injured and intact hindpaw was electrically stimulated according to a "boxcar" paradigm. RESULTS When stimulating the intact hindpaw, the intervention group exhibited significantly lower activation in the somatosensory area, limbic/paralimbic areas, pain-regulation areas, and basal ganglia compared to the control group, with only the prefrontal area showing higher activation. After 4 months of sciatic nerve injury, the control group exhibited decreased motor cortex activity compared to the activity observed at 1 month, and the intervention group demonstrated stronger bilateral motor cortex activity compared to the control group. CONCLUSION Tuina therapy on the gastrocnemius muscle of rats with sciatic nerve injury can effectively alleviate pain and maintain the motor function of the affected limb. In addition, Tuina therapy reduced the activation level of pain-related brain regions and inhibited the decreased activity of the motor cortex caused by nerve injury, reflecting the impact of peripheral stimulation on brain plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu‐Jie Ma
- Department of Traditional Chinese Rehabilitation MedicineThe Second Rehabilitation Hospital of ShanghaiShanghaiChina
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent RehabilitationMinistry of EducationShanghaiChina
| | - Jun‐Peng Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent RehabilitationMinistry of EducationShanghaiChina
- School of Rehabilitation ScienceShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Xu‐Yun Hua
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent RehabilitationMinistry of EducationShanghaiChina
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Yueyang HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Jia‐Jia Wu
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent RehabilitationMinistry of EducationShanghaiChina
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yueyang HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Mou‐Xiong Zheng
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent RehabilitationMinistry of EducationShanghaiChina
- Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Yueyang HospitalShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Jian‐Guang Xu
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent RehabilitationMinistry of EducationShanghaiChina
- School of Rehabilitation ScienceShanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghaiChina
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Wang XY, Jia WB, Xu X, Chen R, Wang LB, Su XJ, Xu PF, Liu XQ, Wen J, Song XY, Liu YY, Zhang Z, Liu XF, Zhang Y. A glutamatergic DRN-VTA pathway modulates neuropathic pain and comorbid anhedonia-like behavior in mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5124. [PMID: 37612268 PMCID: PMC10447530 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40860-3] [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: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain causes both physical suffering and comorbid mental symptoms such as anhedonia. However, the neural circuits and molecular mechanisms underlying these maladaptive behaviors remain elusive. Here using a mouse model, we report a pathway from vesicular glutamate transporter 3 neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus to dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VGluT3DRN→DAVTA) wherein population-level activity in response to innocuous mechanical stimuli and sucrose consumption is inhibited by chronic neuropathic pain. Mechanistically, neuropathic pain dampens VGluT3DRN → DAVTA glutamatergic transmission and DAVTA neural excitability. VGluT3DRN → DAVTA activation alleviates neuropathic pain and comorbid anhedonia-like behavior (CAB) by releasing glutamate, which subsequently promotes DA release in the nucleus accumbens medial shell (NAcMed) and produces analgesic and anti-anhedonia effects via D2 and D1 receptors, respectively. In addition, VGluT3DRN → DAVTA inhibition produces pain-like reflexive hypersensitivity and anhedonia-like behavior in intact mice. These findings reveal a crucial role for VGluT3DRN → DAVTA → D2/D1NAcMed pathway in establishing and modulating chronic pain and CAB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yue Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Wen-Bin Jia
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Chen
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Liang-Biao Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Su
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Peng-Fei Xu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao-Qing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230027, Hefei, China
| | - Jie Wen
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China
| | - Xiao-Yuan Song
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Liu
- Somatosensation and Pain Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230026, Hefei, China.
| | - Xin-Feng Liu
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China.
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, 230001, Hefei, China.
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23
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Sun H, Li Z, Qiu Z, Shen Y, Guo Q, Hu SW, Ding HL, An S, Cao JL. A common neuronal ensemble in nucleus accumbens regulates pain-like behaviour and sleep. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4700. [PMID: 37543693 PMCID: PMC10404280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40450-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A comorbidity of chronic pain is sleep disturbance. Here, we identify a dual-functional ensemble that regulates both pain-like behaviour induced by chronic constrictive injury or complete Freund's adjuvant, and sleep wakefulness, in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in mice. Specifically, a select population of NAc neurons exhibits increased activity either upon nociceptive stimulation or during wakefulness. Experimental activation of the ensemble neurons exacerbates pain-like (nociceptive) responses and reduces NREM sleep, while inactivation of these neurons produces the opposite effects. Furthermore, NAc ensemble primarily consists of D1 neurons and projects divergently to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and preoptic area (POA). Silencing an ensemble innervating VTA neurons selectively increases nociceptive responses without affecting sleep, whereas inhibiting ensemble-innervating POA neurons decreases NREM sleep without affecting nociception. These results suggest a common NAc ensemble that encodes chronic pain and controls sleep, and achieves the modality specificity through its divergent downstream circuit targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Sun
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221006, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhilin Li
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Zhentong Qiu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Yu Shen
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Qingchen Guo
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Su-Wan Hu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China
| | - Shuming An
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology & Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, China.
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221006, China.
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24
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Senba E, Kami K. Exercise therapy for chronic pain: How does exercise change the limbic brain function? NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100143. [PMID: 38099274 PMCID: PMC10719519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100143] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
We are exposed to various external and internal threats which might hurt us. The role of taking flexible and appropriate actions against threats is played by "the limbic system" and at the heart of it there is the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (brain reward system). Pain-related fear causes excessive excitation of amygdala, which in turn causes the suppression of medial prefrontal cortex, leading to chronification of pain. Since the limbic system of chronic pain patients is functionally impaired, they are maladaptive to their situations, unable to take goal-directed behavior and are easily caught by fear-avoidance thinking. We describe the neural mechanisms how exercise activates the brain reward system and enables chronic pain patients to take goal-directed behavior and overcome fear-avoidance thinking. A key to getting out from chronic pain state is to take advantage of the behavioral switching function of the basal nucleus of amygdala. We show that exercise activates positive neurons in this nucleus which project to the nucleus accumbens and promote reward behavior. We also describe fear conditioning and extinction are affected by exercise. In chronic pain patients, the fear response to pain is enhanced and the extinction of fear memories is impaired, so it is difficult to get out of "fear-avoidance thinking". Prolonged avoidance of movement and physical inactivity exacerbate pain and have detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Based on the recent findings on multiple bran networks, we propose a well-balanced exercise prescription considering the adherence and pacing of exercise practice. We conclude that therapies targeting the mesocortico-limbic system, such as exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, may become promising tools in the fight against chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Senba
- Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, 1-1-41 Sojiji, Ibaraki-City, Osaka 567-0801, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kami
- Department of Rehabilitation, Wakayama Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care, 2252 Nakanoshima, Wakayama City, Wakayama 640-8392, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
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25
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Tanaka K, Kuzumaki N, Hamada Y, Suda Y, Mori T, Nagumo Y, Narita M. Elucidation of the mechanisms of exercise-induced hypoalgesia and pain prolongation due to physical stress and the restriction of movement. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100133. [PMID: 37274841 PMCID: PMC10239008 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Persistent pain signals cause brain dysfunction and can further prolong pain. In addition, the physical restriction of movement (e.g., by a cast) can cause stress and prolong pain. Recently, it has been recognized that exercise therapy including rehabilitation is effective for alleviating chronic pain. On the other hand, physical stress and the restriction of movement can prolong pain. In this review, we discuss the neural circuits involved in the control of pain prolongation and the mechanisms of exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). We also discuss the importance of the mesolimbic dopaminergic network in these phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Tanaka
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Naoko Kuzumaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yusuke Hamada
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Yukari Suda
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Mori
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Nagumo
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Minoru Narita
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8501, Japan
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
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26
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Pryce KD, Serafini RA, Ramakrishnan A, Nicolais A, Giosan IM, Polizu C, Torres-Berrío A, Vuppala S, Kronman H, Ruiz A, Gaspari S, Peña CJ, Sakloth F, Mitsi V, van Duzer J, Mazitschek R, Jarpe M, Shen L, Nestler EJ, Zachariou V. Oxycodone withdrawal induces HDAC1/HDAC2-dependent transcriptional maladaptations in the reward pathway in a mouse model of peripheral nerve injury. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:1229-1244. [PMID: 37291337 PMCID: PMC10752505 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01350-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The development of physical dependence and addiction disorders due to misuse of opioid analgesics is a major concern with pain therapeutics. We developed a mouse model of oxycodone exposure and subsequent withdrawal in the presence or absence of chronic neuropathic pain. Oxycodone withdrawal alone triggered robust gene expression adaptations in the nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex and ventral tegmental area, with numerous genes and pathways selectively affected by oxycodone withdrawal in mice with peripheral nerve injury. Pathway analysis predicted that histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1 is a top upstream regulator in opioid withdrawal in nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex. The novel HDAC1/HDAC2 inhibitor, Regenacy Brain Class I HDAC Inhibitor (RBC1HI), attenuated behavioral manifestations of oxycodone withdrawal, especially in mice with neuropathic pain. These findings suggest that inhibition of HDAC1/HDAC2 may provide an avenue for patients with chronic pain who are dependent on opioids to transition to non-opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerri D Pryce
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Randal A Serafini
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Andrew Nicolais
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ilinca M Giosan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claire Polizu
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sreeya Vuppala
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hope Kronman
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne Ruiz
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sevasti Gaspari
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Farhana Sakloth
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Vasiliki Mitsi
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Ralph Mazitschek
- Center for Systems Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Venetia Zachariou
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacological Sciences, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
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27
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Barattini AE, Montanari C, Edwards KN, Edwards S, Gilpin NW, Pahng AR. Chronic inflammatory pain promotes place preference for fentanyl in male rats but does not change fentanyl self-administration in male and female rats. Neuropharmacology 2023; 231:109512. [PMID: 36948356 PMCID: PMC10786182 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109512] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
The current opioid epidemic is a national health crisis marked by skyrocketing reports of opioid misuse and overdose deaths. Despite the risks involved, prescription opioid analgesics are the most powerful and effective medications for treating pain. There is a clear need to investigate the risk of opioid misuse liability in male and female adults experiencing chronic pain. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that chronic inflammatory pain would increase fentanyl intake, motivation to acquire fentanyl, and drug seeking in the absence of fentanyl in rats. Fentanyl intake, motivation for fentanyl, and drug seeking were tested under limited and extended access conditions using intravenous fentanyl self-administration. Fos activity in ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons following intravenous fentanyl challenge (35 μg/kg) was examined using immunohistochemistry. Finally, we tested whether low-dose fentanyl supports development of conditioned place preference under an inflammatory pain state in rats. Contrary to our hypothesis, fentanyl self-administration and VTA Fos activity were unaffected by inflammatory pain status. During acquisition, males exhibited increased fentanyl intake compared to females. Animals given extended access to fentanyl escalated fentanyl intake over time, while animals given limited access did not. Males given extended access to fentanyl demonstrated a greater increase in fentanyl intake over time compared to females. During the dose-response test, females given limited access to fentanyl demonstrated increased motivation to acquire fentanyl compared to males. Both sexes displayed significant increases in responding for fentanyl as unit fentanyl doses were lowered. Following fentanyl challenge, females exhibited higher numbers of Fos-positive non-dopaminergic VTA neurons compared to males. Using conditioned place preference, we found that chronic inflammatory pain promotes fentanyl preference in males, but not females. These findings suggest that established fentanyl self-administration is resistant to change by inflammatory pain manipulation in both sexes, but chronic inflammatory pain increases the rewarding properties of low-dose fentanyl in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela E Barattini
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Christian Montanari
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Kimberly N Edwards
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Scott Edwards
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Neuroscience Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Nicholas W Gilpin
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Neuroscience Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Amanda R Pahng
- Department of Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Alcohol & Drug Abuse Center of Excellence, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, United States; Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, LA, United States.
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28
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Neugebauer V, Presto P, Yakhnitsa V, Antenucci N, Mendoza B, Ji G. Pain-related cortico-limbic plasticity and opioid signaling. Neuropharmacology 2023; 231:109510. [PMID: 36944393 PMCID: PMC10585936 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Neuroplasticity in cortico-limbic circuits has been implicated in pain persistence and pain modulation in clinical and preclinical studies. The amygdala has emerged as a key player in the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. Reciprocal interactions with medial prefrontal cortical regions undergo changes in pain conditions. Other limbic and paralimbic regions have been implicated in pain modulation as well. The cortico-limbic system is rich in opioids and opioid receptors. Preclinical evidence for their pain modulatory effects in different regions of this highly interactive system, potentially opposing functions of different opioid receptors, and knowledge gaps will be described here. There is little information about cell type- and circuit-specific functions of opioid receptor subtypes related to pain processing and pain-related plasticity in the cortico-limbic system. The important role of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and amygdala in MOR-dependent analgesia is most well-established, and MOR actions in the mesolimbic system appear to be similar but remain to be determined in mPFC regions other than ACC. Evidence also suggests that KOR signaling generally serves opposing functions whereas DOR signaling in the ACC has similar, if not synergistic effects, to MOR. A unifying picture of pain-related neuronal mechanisms of opioid signaling in different elements of the cortico-limbic circuitry has yet to emerge. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Opioid-induced changes in addiction and pain circuits".
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Nico Antenucci
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Brianna Mendoza
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA; Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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29
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Jesús Trujillo M, Ilarraz C, Kasanetz F. Plasticity of cortico-striatal neurons of the caudal anterior cingulate cortex during experimental neuropathic pain. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00230-0. [PMID: 37236391 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Maladaptive neuronal plasticity is a main mechanism for the development and maintenance of pathological pain. Affective, motivational and cognitive deficits that are comorbid with pain involve cellular and synaptic modifications in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a major brain mediator of pain perception. Here we use a model of neuropathic pain (NP) in male mice and ex-vivo electrophysiology to investigate whether layer 5 caudal ACC (cACC) neurons projecting to the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), a critical region for motivational regulation of behavior, are involved in aberrant neuronal plasticity. We found that while the intrinsic excitability of cortico-striatal cACC neurons (cACC-CS) was preserved in NP animals, excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP) induced after stimulation of distal inputs were enlarged. The highest synaptic responses were evident both after single stimuli and in each of the EPSP that compose responses to trains of stimuli, and were accompanied by increased synaptically-driven action potentials. EPSP temporal summation was intact in ACC-CS neurons from NP mice, suggesting that the plastic changes were not due to alterations in dendritic integration but rather through synaptic mechanisms. These results demonstrate for the first time that NP affects cACC neurons that project to the DMS and reinforce the notion that maladaptive plasticity of the cortico-striatal pathway may be a key factor in sustaining pathological pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Jesús Trujillo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Constanza Ilarraz
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Kasanetz
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Grupo de Neurociencia de Sistemas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; CONICET - Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología y Biofísica Bernardo Houssay (IFIBIO Houssay), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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30
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Zhang G, Cui M, Ji R, Zou S, Song L, Fan B, Yang L, Wang D, Hu S, Zhang X, Fang T, Yu X, Yang JX, Chaudhury D, Liu H, Hu A, Ding HL, Cao JL, Zhang H. Neural and Molecular Investigation into the Paraventricular Thalamic-Nucleus Accumbens Circuit for Pain Sensation and Non-opioid Analgesia. Pharmacol Res 2023; 191:106776. [PMID: 37084858 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
The paucity of medications with novel mechanisms for pain treatment combined with the severe adverse effects of opioid analgesics has led to an imperative pursuit of non-opioid analgesia and a better understanding of pain mechanisms. Here, we identify the putative glutamatergic inputs from the paraventricular thalamic nucleus to the nucleus accumbens (PVTGlut→NAc) as a novel neural circuit for pain sensation and non-opioid analgesia. Our in vivo fiber photometry and in vitro electrophysiology experiments found that PVTGlut→NAc neuronal activity increased in response to acute thermal/mechanical stimuli and persistent inflammatory pain. Direct optogenetic activation of these neurons in the PVT or their terminals in the NAc induced pain-like behaviors. Conversely, inhibition of PVTGlut→NAc neurons or their NAc terminals exhibited a potent analgesic effect in both naïve and pathological pain mice, which could not be prevented by pretreatment of naloxone, an opioid receptor antagonist. Anterograde trans-synaptic optogenetic experiments consistently demonstrated that the PVTGlut→NAc circuit bi-directionally modulates pain behaviors. Furthermore, circuit-specific molecular profiling and pharmacological studies revealed dopamine receptor 3 as a candidate target for pain modulation and non-opioid analgesic development. Taken together, these findings provide a previously unknown neural circuit for pain sensation and non-opioid analgesia and a valuable molecular target for developing future safer medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangchao Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Mengqiao Cui
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ran Ji
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Shiya Zou
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Lingzhen Song
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Bingqian Fan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Li Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Di Wang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Suwan Hu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Xiao Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Wuxi NO.2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi NO.2 People's Hospital, Wuxi 214000, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tantan Fang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Xiaolu Yu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jun-Xia Yang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Dipesh Chaudhury
- Division of Science, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, 129188, United Arab Emirates
| | - He Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huzhou Central Hospital, Huzhou, Zhejiang 313000, China
| | - Ankang Hu
- The Animal Facility of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hai-Lei Ding
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Department of Anesthesiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
| | - Hongxing Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China; NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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Wu XB, Zhu Q, Gao MH, Yan SX, Gu PY, Zhang PF, Xu ML, Gao YJ. Excitatory Projections from the Prefrontal Cortex to Nucleus Accumbens Core D1-MSNs and κ Opioid Receptor Modulate Itch-Related Scratching Behaviors. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1334-1347. [PMID: 36653189 PMCID: PMC9987576 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1359-22.2023] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Itch is an uncomfortable and complex sensation that elicits the desire to scratch. The nucleus accumbens (NAc) activity is important in driving sensation, motivation, and emotion. Excitatory afferents from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala, and hippocampus are crucial in tuning the activity of dopamine receptor D1-expressing and D2-expressing medium spiny neurons (Drd1-MSN and Drd2-MSN) in the NAc. However, a cell-type and neural circuity-based mechanism of the NAc underlying acute itch remains unclear. We found that acute itch induced by compound 48/80 (C48/80) decreased the intrinsic membrane excitability in Drd1-MSNs, but not in Drd2-MSNs, in the NAc core of male mice. Chemogenetic activation of Drd1-MSNs alleviated C48/80-induced scratching behaviors but not itch-related anxiety-like behaviors. In addition, C48/80 enhanced the frequency of spontaneous EPSCs (sEPSCs) and reduced the paired-pulse ratio (PPR) of electrical stimulation-evoked EPSCs in Drd1-MSNs. Furthermore, C48/80 increased excitatory synaptic afferents to Drd1-MSNs from the mPFC, not from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) or ventral hippocampus (vHipp). Consistently, the intrinsic excitability of mPFC-NAc projecting pyramidal neurons was increased after C48/80 treatment. Chemogenetic inhibition of mPFC-NAc excitatory synaptic afferents relieved the scratching behaviors. Moreover, pharmacological activation of κ opioid receptor (KOR) in the NAc core suppressed C48/80-induced scratching behaviors, and the modulation of KOR activity in the NAc resulted in the changes of presynaptic excitatory inputs to Drd1-MSNs in C48/80-treated mice. Together, these results reveal the neural plasticity in synapses of NAc Drd1-MSNs from the mPFC underlying acute itch and indicate the modulatory role of the KOR in itch-related scratching behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Itch stimuli cause strongly scratching desire and anxiety in patients. However, the related neural mechanisms remain largely unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that the pruritogen compound 48/80 (C48/80) shapes the excitability of dopamine receptor D1-expressing medium spiny neurons (Drd1-MSNs) in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and the glutamatergic synaptic afferents from medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to these neurons. Chemogenetic activation of Drd1-MSNs or inhibition of mPFC-NAc excitatory synaptic afferents relieves the scratching behaviors. In addition, pharmacological activation of κ opioid receptor (KOR) in the NAc core alleviates C48/80-induced itch. Thus, targeting mPFC-NAc Drd1-MSNs or KOR may provide effective treatments for itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Bo Wu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Qian Zhu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Ming-Hui Gao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Sheng-Xiang Yan
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Pan-Yang Gu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Peng-Fei Zhang
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Meng-Lin Xu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
| | - Yong-Jing Gao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226019, China
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Wakaizumi K, Reckziegel D, Jabakhanji R, Apkarian AV, Baliki MN. Influence of exercise on pain is associated with resting-state functional connections: A cross-sectional functional brain imaging study. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN 2023; 13:100125. [PMID: 37025929 PMCID: PMC10070934 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Exercise is associated with lower prevalence and severity of pain, and is widely recommended for pain management. However, the mechanisms the exercise effect on pain remain unclear. In this study, we examined the association of exercise with pain and aimed to identify its neurobiological mediators. We utilized a baseline data of a clinical trial for people with low back pain. Participants reported pain intensity and exercise habit, as well as pain-related psychological and emotional assessments. We also obtained brain imaging data using a resting-state functional MRI and performed mediation analyses to identify brain regions mediating the exercise effect on pain. Forty-five people with low back pain (mean pain intensity = 59.6 and mean duration = 9.9 weeks) were included in this study. Participants with an exercise habit (n = 29) showed significant less pain compared to those without an exercise habit (n = 16). Mediation analysis using resting-state functional connectivity identified the left thalamus, right amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex as statistical mediators of the exercise effect on pain (indirect effect = -0.460, 95% confidence interval = -0.767 to -0.153). In conclusion, our findings suggest that brain function of the specific regions is probably a neuro-mechanism of exercise alleviating pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenta Wakaizumi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
- Corresponding author at: Department of Anesthesiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
| | - Diane Reckziegel
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Rami Jabakhanji
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - A. Vania Apkarian
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
- Department of Anesthesia, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Marwan N. Baliki
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
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33
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Pinto CB, Bielefeld J, Barroso J, Yip B, Huang L, Schnitzer T, Apkarian AV. Chronic pain domains and their relationship to personality, abilities, and brain networks. Pain 2023; 164:59-71. [PMID: 35612403 PMCID: PMC9582040 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Chronic pain is a multidimensional pathological state. Recent evidence suggests that specific brain properties and patients' psychological and physical traits are distorted in chronic pain patients. However, the relationship between these alterations and pain dimensions remains poorly understood. Here, we first evaluated multiple dimensions of chronic pain by assessing a broad battery of pain-related questionnaire scores (23 outcomes) of 107 chronic low back pain patients and identified 3 distinct chronic pain domains: magnitude, affect & disability, and quality. Second, we investigated the pain domains relationship with measures of personality, social interaction, psychological traits, and ability traits (77 biopsychosocial & ability [biopsy&ab] outcomes). Pain magnitude (out-of-sample [OOS]
) is associated with emotional control, attention, and working memory, with higher pain scores showing lower capacity to regulate and adapt behaviorally. Pain affect & disability (OOS
associated with anxiety, catastrophizing and social relationships dysfunction. Pain quality did not relate significantly to biopsy&ab variables. Third, we mapped these 3 pain domains to brain functional connectivity. Pain magnitude mainly associated with the sensorimotor and the cingulo-opercular networks (OOS
). Pain affect & disability related to frontoparietal and default mode networks (OOS
. Pain quality integrated sensorimotor, auditory, and cingulo-opercular networks (OOS
). Mediation analysis could link functional connectivity and biopsy&ab models to respective pain domains. Our results provide a global overview of the complexity of chronic pain, showing how underlying distinct domains of the experience map to different biopsy&ab correlates and underlie unique brain network signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Bonin Pinto
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jannis Bielefeld
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Joana Barroso
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Byron Yip
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
| | - Lejian Huang
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Thomas Schnitzer
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Anesthesiology, and
- Medicine (Rheumatology), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - A Vania Apkarian
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Center for Translational Pain Research, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Departments of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
- Anesthesiology, and
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Function of Excitatory Periaqueductal Gray Synapses in the Ventral Tegmental Area following Inflammatory Injury. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0324-22.2022. [PMID: 36635253 PMCID: PMC9797208 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0324-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Manipulating the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons can drive nocifensive reflexes, and their firing rates are reduced following noxious stimuli. However, the pain-relevant inputs to the VTA remain incompletely understood. In this study, we used male and female mice in combination with identified dopamine and GABA neurons in the VTA that receive excitatory inputs from the periaqueductal gray (PAG), a nexus of ascending pain information. We tested whether PAG-VTA synapses undergo functional plasticity in response to a pain model using optical stimulation in conjunction with slice electrophysiology. We found that acute carrageenan inflammation does not significantly affect the strength of excitatory PAG synapses onto VTA DA neurons. However, at the PAG synapses on VTA GABA neurons, the subunit composition of NMDA receptors is altered; the complement of NR2D subunits at synaptic sites appears to be lost. Thus, our data support a model in which injury initially alters synapses on VTA GABA neurons. Over time, these alterations may increase tonic inhibition of VTA DA neurons leading to their reduced firing.
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Abdul M, Yan HQ, Zhao WN, Lyu XB, Xu Z, Yu XL, Gao YH, Cao JL. VTA-NAc glutaminergic projection involves in the regulation of pain and pain-related anxiety. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1083671. [PMID: 36590915 PMCID: PMC9798784 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1083671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Besides the established role of dopamine neurons and projections in nociceptive stimuli, the involvement of ventral tegmental area (VTA) glutamatergic projections to nucleus accumbens (NAc) in pain remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to examine the role of VTA glutamatergic projections to NAc in painful stimuli and its related behavioral changes. Methods Unilateral chronic constrictive injury (CCI) of sciatic nerve or intraplantar hind paw injections (i.pl.) of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) were used to develop pathological pain models in wild-type and VGluT2-Cre mice. The involvement of VTA glutamatergic neurons with projections to NAc in CCI-induced pain model was noted by c-Fos labeling and firing rate recordings. Pain response and pain-related behavior changes to the artificial manipulation of the VTA glutamatergic projections to NAc were observed by Hargreaves tests, von Frey tests, open field tests, elevated maze tests, and sucrose preference tests. Results Glutamatergic neurons in VTA had efferent inputs to shell area of the NAc. The CCI pain model significantly increased neuronal activity and firing rate in VTA glutamate neurons with projections to NAc. The photoinhibition of these glutamatergic projections relieved CCI-induced neuropathic pain and CFA-induced acute and chronic inflammatory pain. Moreover, pathological neuropathic pain-induced anxiety and less sucrose preference were also relieved by inhibiting the VTA glutamatergic projections to NAc. Conclusion Together, glutamatergic inputs from VTA to NAc contribute to chronic neuropathic and inflammatory pain and pain-related anxiety and depressive behaviors, providing a mechanism for developing novel therapeutic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mannan Abdul
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Hao-Qi Yan
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Wei-Nan Zhao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Bin Lyu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Lu Yu
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yi-Hong Gao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China,*Correspondence: Jun-Li Cao,
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36
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Higginbotham JA, Markovic T, Massaly N, Morón JA. Endogenous opioid systems alterations in pain and opioid use disorder. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1014768. [PMID: 36341476 PMCID: PMC9628214 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1014768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research advances have established a central role for endogenous opioid systems in regulating reward processing, mood, motivation, learning and memory, gastrointestinal function, and pain relief. Endogenous opioid systems are present ubiquitously throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. They are composed of four families, namely the μ (MOPR), κ (KOPR), δ (DOPR), and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (NOPR) opioid receptors systems. These receptors signal through the action of their endogenous opioid peptides β-endorphins, dynorphins, enkephalins, and nociceptins, respectfully, to maintain homeostasis under normal physiological states. Due to their prominent role in pain regulation, exogenous opioids-primarily targeting the MOPR, have been historically used in medicine as analgesics, but their ability to produce euphoric effects also present high risks for abuse. The ability of pain and opioid use to perturb endogenous opioid system function, particularly within the central nervous system, may increase the likelihood of developing opioid use disorder (OUD). Today, the opioid crisis represents a major social, economic, and public health concern. In this review, we summarize the current state of the literature on the function, expression, pharmacology, and regulation of endogenous opioid systems in pain. Additionally, we discuss the adaptations in the endogenous opioid systems upon use of exogenous opioids which contribute to the development of OUD. Finally, we describe the intricate relationship between pain, endogenous opioid systems, and the proclivity for opioid misuse, as well as potential advances in generating safer and more efficient pain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Higginbotham
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,*Correspondence: Jessica A. Higginbotham,
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nicolas Massaly
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jose A. Morón
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,Pain Center, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,Department of Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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37
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Di Y, Diao Z, Zheng Q, Li J, Cheng Q, Li Z, Fang S, Wang H, Wei C, Zheng Q, Liu Y, Han J, Liu Z, Fan J, Ren W, Tian Y. Differential Alterations in Striatal Direct and Indirect Pathways Mediate Two Autism-like Behaviors in Valproate-Exposed Mice. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7833-7847. [PMID: 36414013 PMCID: PMC9581566 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0623-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is characterized by two key diagnostic criteria including social deficits and repetitive behaviors. Although recent studies implicated ventral striatum in social deficits and dorsal striatum in repetitive behaviors, here we revealed coexisting and opposite morphologic and functional alterations in the dorsostriatal direct and indirect pathways, and such alterations in these two pathways were found to be responsible, respectively, for the two abovementioned different autism-like behaviors exhibited by male mice prenatally exposed to valproate. The alteration in direct pathway was characterized by a potentiated state of basal activity, with impairment in transient responsiveness of D1-MSNs during social exploration. Concurrent alteration in indirect pathway was a depressed state of basal activity, with enhancement in transient responsiveness of D2-MSNs during repetitive behaviors. A causal relationship linking such differential alterations in these two pathways to the coexistence of these two autism-like behaviors was demonstrated by the cell type-specific correction of abnormal basal activity in the D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs of valproate-exposed mice. The findings support those differential alterations in two striatal pathways mediate the two coexisting autism-like behavioral abnormalities, respectively. This result will help in developing therapeutic options targeting these circuit alterations.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Autism is characterized by two key diagnostic criteria including social deficits and repetitive behaviors. Although a number of recent studies have implicated ventral striatum in social deficits and dorsal striatum in repetitive behaviors, but social behaviors need to be processed by a series of actions, and repetitive behaviors, especially the high-order repetitive behaviors such as restrictive interests, have its scope to cognitive and emotional domains. The current study, for the first time, revealed that prenatal valproate exposure induced coexisting and differential alterations in the dorsomedial striatal direct and indirect pathways, and that these alterations mediate the two coexisting autism-like behavioral abnormalities, respectively. This result will help in developing therapeutic options targeting these circuit alterations to address the behavioral abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Di
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Zhijun Diao
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Qi Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Jin Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Qiangqiang Cheng
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Zhongqi Li
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Suwen Fang
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Chunling Wei
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Qiaohua Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Yingxun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Jing Han
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Zhiqiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Juan Fan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
| | - Wei Ren
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
- Faculty of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
| | - Yingfang Tian
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710062, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710119, China
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Kishikawa Y, Kawahara Y, Ohnishi YN, Sotogaku N, Koeda T, Kawahara H, Nishi A. Dysregulation of dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens in immobilization-induced hypersensitivity. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:988178. [PMID: 36160381 PMCID: PMC9493457 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.988178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cast immobilization causes sensory hypersensitivity, which is also a symptom of neuropathic pain and chronic pain. However, the mechanisms underlying immobilization-induced hypersensitivity remain unclear. The present study investigated the role of dopamine neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) of rats with cast immobilization-induced mechanical hypersensitivity using in vivo microdialysis. Cast immobilization of the hind limb decreased the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT). Mechanical stimulation of the cast-immobilized hind limb induced a decrease in dopamine in the NAcSh, and this decrease was associated with the upregulation of presynaptic D2-like receptors. A D2-like receptor antagonist infused into the NAcSh reversed the decrease in PWT in rats with cast immobilization, whereas a D2-like receptor agonist infused into the NAcSh induced a decrease in PWT in control rats. In addition, the expression of the D2 receptor (Drd2) mRNA in the NAcSh was increased by cast immobilization. Importantly, systemic administration of the D2-like receptor antagonist reversed the decrease in PWT in rats with cast immobilization. As dopamine levels regulated by presynaptic D2-like receptors did not correlate with the PWT, it is presumed that the D2-like receptor antagonist or agonist acts on postsynaptic D2-like receptors. These results suggest that immobilization-induced mechanical hypersensitivity is attributable to the upregulation of postsynaptic D2-like receptors in the NAc. Blockade of D2-like receptors in the NAcSh is a potential therapeutic strategy for immobilization-induced hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Kishikawa
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nishikyushu University, Kanzaki, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Yukie Kawahara
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yukie Kawahara, ; Akinori Nishi,
| | | | - Naoki Sotogaku
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
| | - Tomoko Koeda
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Nagoya Gakuin University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Kawahara
- Department of Dental Anesthesiology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Akinori Nishi
- Department of Pharmacology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yukie Kawahara, ; Akinori Nishi,
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Zhou W, Ye C, Wang H, Mao Y, Zhang W, Liu A, Yang CL, Li T, Hayashi L, Zhao W, Chen L, Liu Y, Tao W, Zhang Z. Sound induces analgesia through corticothalamic circuits. Science 2022; 377:198-204. [PMID: 35857536 PMCID: PMC9636983 DOI: 10.1126/science.abn4663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Sound-including music and noise-can relieve pain in humans, but the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. We discovered that analgesic effects of sound depended on a low (5-decibel) signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) relative to ambient noise in mice. Viral tracing, microendoscopic calcium imaging, and multitetrode recordings in freely moving mice showed that low-SNR sounds inhibited glutamatergic inputs from the auditory cortex (ACxGlu) to the thalamic posterior (PO) and ventral posterior (VP) nuclei. Optogenetic or chemogenetic inhibition of the ACxGlu→PO and ACxGlu→VP circuits mimicked the low-SNR sound-induced analgesia in inflamed hindpaws and forepaws, respectively. Artificial activation of these two circuits abolished the sound-induced analgesia. Our study reveals the corticothalamic circuits underlying sound-promoted analgesia by deciphering the role of the auditory system in pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjie Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Chonghuan Ye
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Auditory Research Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
- School of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, PR China
| | - Yu Mao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Weijia Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Chen-Ling Yang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Tianming Li
- Somatosensation and Pain Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lauren Hayashi
- Somatosensation and Pain Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wan Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Lin Chen
- Auditory Research Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Somatosensation and Pain Unit, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wenjuan Tao
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, PR China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
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40
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Zhang YN, Xing XX, Chen L, Dong X, Pan HT, Hua XY, Wang K. Brain Functional Alteration at Different Stages of Neuropathic Pain With Allodynia and Emotional Disorders. Front Neurol 2022; 13:843815. [PMID: 35585842 PMCID: PMC9108233 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.843815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NeuP), a challenging medical condition, has been suggested by neuroimaging studies to be associated with abnormalities of neural activities in some brain regions. However, aberrancies in brain functional alterations underlying the sensory-discriminative abnormalities and negative emotions in the setting of NeuP remain unexplored. Here, we aimed to investigate the functional alterations in neural activity relevant to pain as well as pain-related depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors in NeuP by combining amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and degree centrality (DC) analyses methods based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). A rat model of NeuP was established via chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Results revealed that the robust mechanical allodynia occurred early and persisted throughout the entire observational period. Depressive and anxiety-like behaviors did not appear until 4 weeks after injury. When the maximum allodynia was apparent early, CCI rats exhibited decreased ALFF and DC values in the left somatosensory and nucleus accumbens shell (ACbSh), respectively, as compared with sham rats. Both values were significantly positively correlated with mechanical withdrawal thresholds (MWT). At 4 weeks post-CCI, negative emotional states were apparent and CCI rats were noted to exhibit increased ALFF values in the left somatosensory and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) as well as increased DC values in the right motor cortex, as compared with sham rats. At 4 weeks post-CCI, ALFF values in the left somatosensory cortex and DC values in the right motor cortex were noted to negatively correlate with MWT and exhibition of anxiety-like behavior on an open-field test (OFT); values were found to positively correlate with the exhibition of depressive-like behavior on forced swimming test (FST). The mPFC ALFF values were found to negatively correlate with the exhibition of anxiety-like behavior on OFT and positively correlate with the exhibition of depressive-like behavior on FST. Our findings detail characteristic alterations of neural activity patterns induced by chronic NeuP and underscore the important role of the left somatosensory cortex, as well as its related networks, in the mediation of subsequent emotional dysregulation due to NeuP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Zhang
- Acupuncture Anesthesia Clinical Research Institute, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang-Xin Xing
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China,Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Liu Chen
- Acupuncture Anesthesia Clinical Research Institute, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Dong
- Acupuncture Anesthesia Clinical Research Institute, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hao-Tian Pan
- Acupuncture Anesthesia Clinical Research Institute, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xu-Yun Hua
- Engineering Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Intelligent Rehabilitation, Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China,Department of Traumatology and Orthopedics, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Xu-Yun Hua
| | - Ke Wang
- Acupuncture Anesthesia Clinical Research Institute, Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China,Ke Wang
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41
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Lee GJ, Kim YJ, Shim SW, Lee K, Oh SB. Anterior insular-nucleus accumbens pathway controls refeeding-induced analgesia under chronic inflammatory pain condition. Neuroscience 2022; 495:58-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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42
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Brain Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia: To Find a Way Out from "Fear-Avoidance Belief". Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23052886. [PMID: 35270027 PMCID: PMC8911154 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that exercise produces analgesic effects (exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH)) in animal models and chronic pain patients, but the brain mechanisms underlying these EIH effects, especially concerning the emotional aspects of pain, are not yet fully understood. In this review, we describe drastic changes in the mesocorticolimbic system of the brain which permit the induction of EIH effects. The amygdala (Amyg) is a critical node for the regulation of emotions, such as fear and anxiety, which are closely associated with chronic pain. In our recent studies using neuropathic pain (NPP) model mice, we extensively examined the association between the Amyg and EIH effects. We found that voluntary exercise (VE) activated glutamate (Glu) neurons in the medial basal Amyg projecting to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) lateral shell, while it almost completely suppressed NPP-induced activation of GABA neurons in the central nucleus of the Amyg (CeA). Furthermore, VE significantly inhibited activation of pyramidal neurons in the ventral hippocampus-CA1 region, which play important roles in contextual fear conditioning and the retrieval of fear memory. This review describes novel information concerning the brain mechanisms underlying EIH effects as a result of overcoming the fear-avoidance belief of chronic pain.
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Dagnino APA, Campos MM. Chronic Pain in the Elderly: Mechanisms and Perspectives. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:736688. [PMID: 35308613 PMCID: PMC8928105 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.736688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain affects a large part of the population causing functional disability, being often associated with coexisting psychological disorders, such as depression and anxiety, besides cognitive deficits, and sleep disturbance. The world elderly population has been growing over the last decades and the negative consequences of chronic pain for these individuals represent a current clinical challenge. The main painful complaints in the elderly are related to neurodegenerative and musculoskeletal conditions, peripheral vascular diseases, arthritis, and osteoarthritis, contributing toward poorly life quality, social isolation, impaired physical activity, and dependence to carry out daily activities. Organ dysfunction and other existing diseases can significantly affect the perception and responses to chronic pain in this group. It has been proposed that elderly people have an altered pain experience, with changes in pain processing mechanisms, which might be associated with the degeneration of circuits that modulate the descending inhibitory pathways of pain. Aging has also been linked to an increase in the pain threshold, a decline of painful sensations, and a decrease in pain tolerance. Still, elderly patients with chronic pain show an increased risk for dementia and cognitive impairment. The present review article is aimed to provide the state-of-art of pre-clinical and clinical research about chronic pain in elderly, emphasizing the altered mechanisms, comorbidities, challenges, and potential therapeutic alternatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana P. A. Dagnino
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisa em Toxicologia e Farmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria M. Campos
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Centro de Pesquisa em Toxicologia e Farmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Odontologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Maria M. Campos, ,
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44
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Current Understanding of the Neural Circuitry in the Comorbidity of Chronic Pain and Anxiety. Neural Plast 2022; 2022:4217593. [PMID: 35211169 PMCID: PMC8863453 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4217593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain patients often develop mental disorders, and anxiety disorders are common. We hypothesize that the comorbid anxiety results from an imbalance between the reward and antireward system due to persistent pain, which leads to the dysfunction of the pain and anxiety regulatory system. In this review, we will focus on changes in neuroplasticity, especially in neural circuits, during chronic pain and anxiety as observed in animal studies. Several neural circuits within specific regions of the brain, including the nucleus accumbens, lateral habenular, parabrachial nucleus, medial septum, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, will be discussed based on novel findings after chemogenetic or optogenetic manipulation. We believe that these animal studies provide novel insights into human conditions and can guide clinical practice.
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45
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Benarroch E. What Are the Interactions Between the Midbrain Dopamine System in Pain? Neurology 2022; 98:274-278. [PMID: 35165154 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000013253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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46
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Pramipexole treatment attenuates mechanical hypersensitivity in male rats experiencing chronic inflammatory pain. Neuropharmacology 2022; 208:108976. [PMID: 35085583 PMCID: PMC10171400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Opioids are commonly prescribed for pain despite growing evidence of their low efficacy in the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain and the high potential for misuse. There is a clear need to investigate non-opioid alternatives for the treatment of pain. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that acute and repeated dopamine agonist treatment would attenuate mechanical hypersensitivity in male Long-Evans rats experiencing chronic inflammatory pain. We used two clinically available therapeutics, l-DOPA (precursor of dopamine biosynthesis) and pramipexole (dopamine D2/3 receptor agonist), to examine the functional role of dopamine signaling on mechanical hypersensitivity using an animal model of chronic inflammatory pain (complete Freund's adjuvant, CFA). We found that both acute and repeated pramipexole treatment attenuated hyperalgesia-like behavior in CFA-treated animals but exhibited no analgesic effects in control animals. In contrast, there was no effect of acute or repeated l-DOPA treatment on mechanical hypersensitivity in either CFA- or saline-treated animals. Notably, we discovered some extended effects of l-DOPA and pramipexole on decreasing pain-like behavior at three days and one week post-drug treatment. We also examined the effects of pramipexole treatment on glutamatergic and presynaptic signaling in pain- and reward-related brain regions including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), dorsal striatum (DS), ventral tegmental area (VTA), cingulate cortex (CC), central amygdala (CeA), and periaqueductal gray (PAG). We found that pramipexole treatment decreased AMPA receptor phosphorylation (pGluR1845) in the NAc and DS but increased pGluR1845 in the CC and CeA. A marker of presynaptic vesicle release, pSynapsin, was also increased in the DS, VTA, CC, CeA, and PAG following pramipexole treatment. Interestingly, pramipexole increased pSynapsin in the NAc of saline-treated animals, but not CFA-treated animals, suggesting blunted presynaptic vesicle release in the NAc of CFA-treated animals following pramipexole treatment. To examine the functional implications of impaired presynaptic signaling in the NAc of CFA animals, we used ex vivo electrophysiology to examine the effects of pramipexole treatment on the intrinsic excitability of NAc neurons in CFA- and saline-treated animals. We found that pramipexole treatment reduced NAc intrinsic excitability in saline-treated animals but produced no change in NAc intrinsic excitability in CFA-treated animals. These findings indicate alterations in dopamine D2/3 receptor signaling in the NAc of animals with a history of chronic pain in association with the anti-hyperalgesic effects of pramipexole treatment.
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47
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Zhang Z, Gewandter JS, Geha P. Brain Imaging Biomarkers for Chronic Pain. Front Neurol 2022; 12:734821. [PMID: 35046881 PMCID: PMC8763372 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2021.734821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of chronic pain has reached epidemic levels. In addition to personal suffering chronic pain is associated with psychiatric and medical co-morbidities, notably substance misuse, and a huge a societal cost amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars annually in medical cost, lost wages, and productivity. Chronic pain does not have a cure or quantitative diagnostic or prognostic tools. In this manuscript we provide evidence that this situation is about to change. We first start by summarizing our current understanding of the role of the brain in the pathogenesis of chronic pain. We particularly focus on the concept of learning in the emergence of chronic pain, and the implication of the limbic brain circuitry and dopaminergic signaling, which underly emotional learning and decision making, in this process. Next, we summarize data from our labs and from other groups on the latest brain imaging findings in different chronic pain conditions focusing on results with significant potential for translation into clinical applications. The gaps in the study of chronic pain and brain imaging are highlighted in throughout the overview. Finally, we conclude by discussing the costs and benefits of using brain biomarkers of chronic pain and compare to other potential markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengwu Zhang
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jennifer S Gewandter
- Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Paul Geha
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States.,Department of Neurology, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States.,Del Monte Neuroscience Institute, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
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48
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Jing PB, Chen XH, Lu HJ, Gao YJ, Wu XB. Enhanced function of NR2C/2D-containing NMDA receptor in the nucleus accumbens contributes to peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain and depression in mice. Mol Pain 2022; 18:17448069211053255. [PMID: 35057644 PMCID: PMC8785348 DOI: 10.1177/17448069211053255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) dysfunction in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) participates in regulating many neurological and psychiatric disorders such as drug addiction, chronic pain, and depression. NMDARs are heterotetrameric complexes generally composed of two NR1 and two NR2 subunits (NR2A, NR2B, NR2C and NR2D). Much attention has been focused on the role of NR2A and NR2B-containing NMDARs in a variety of neurological disorders; however, the function of NR2C/2D subunits at NAc in chronic pain remains unknown. In this study, spinal nerve ligation (SNL) induced a persistent sensory abnormity and depressive-like behavior. The whole-cell patch clamp recording on medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc showed that the amplitude of NMDAR-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) was significantly increased when membrane potential held at −40 to 0 mV in mice after 14 days of SNL operation. In addition, selective inhibition of NR2C/2D-containing NMDARs with PPDA caused a larger decrease on peak amplitude of NMDAR-EPSCs in SNL than that in sham-operated mice. Appling of selective potentiator of NR2C/2D, CIQ, markedly enhanced the evoked NMDAR-EPSCs in SNL-operated mice, but no change in sham-operated mice. Finally, intra-NAc injection of PPDA significantly attenuated SNL-induced mechanical allodynia and depressive-like behavior. These results for the first time showed that the functional change of NR2C/2D subunits-containing NMDARs in the NAc might contribute to the sensory and affective components in neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Bo Jing
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University and Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Huan-Jun Lu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yong-Jing Gao
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiao-Bo Wu
- Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
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Sato D, Narita M, Hamada Y, Mori T, Tanaka K, Tamura H, Yamanaka A, Matsui R, Watanabe D, Suda Y, Senba E, Watanabe M, Navratilova E, Porreca F, Kuzumaki N, Narita M. Relief of neuropathic pain by cell-specific manipulation of nucleus accumbens dopamine D1- and D2-receptor-expressing neurons. Mol Brain 2022; 15:10. [PMID: 34991655 PMCID: PMC8740378 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00896-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that the mesolimbic dopaminergic network plays a role in the modulation of pain. As chronic pain conditions are associated with hypodopaminergic tone in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), we evaluated the effects of increasing signaling at dopamine D1/D2-expressing neurons in the NAc neurons in a model of neuropathic pain induced by partial ligation of sciatic nerve. Bilateral microinjection of either the selective D1-receptor (Gs-coupled) agonist Chloro-APB or the selective D2-receptor (Gi-coupled) agonist quinpirole into the NAc partially reversed nerve injury-induced thermal allodynia. Either optical stimulation of D1-receptor-expressing neurons or optical suppression of D2-receptor-expressing neurons in both the inner and outer substructures of the NAc also transiently, but significantly, restored nerve injury-induced allodynia. Under neuropathic pain-like condition, specific facilitation of terminals of D1-receptor-expressing NAc neurons projecting to the VTA revealed a feedforward-like antinociceptive circuit. Additionally, functional suppression of cholinergic interneurons that negatively and positively control the activity of D1- and D2-receptor-expressing neurons, respectively, also transiently elicited anti-allodynic effects in nerve injured animals. These findings suggest that comprehensive activation of D1-receptor-expressing neurons and integrated suppression of D2-receptor-expressing neurons in the NAc may lead to a significant relief of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Sato
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michiko Narita
- Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, Institute of Medical science, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, 160-0023, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Hamada
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomohisa Mori
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenichi Tanaka
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideki Tamura
- Institute for Advanced Life Sciences, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-0063, Tokyo, Japan.,Laboratory of Biofunctional Science, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-0063, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akihiro Yamanaka
- Department of Neuroscience II, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, 464-8601, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Matsui
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate school of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Dai Watanabe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate school of Medicine, Kyoto University, Yoshida, Sakyo-ku, 606-8501, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yukari Suda
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emiko Senba
- Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, 1-1-41 Sojiji, Ibaraki-City, 567-0801, Osaka, Japan.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera,Wakayama City, 641-8509, Wakayama, Japan
| | - Moe Watanabe
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, 85724, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Edita Navratilova
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, 85724, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Frank Porreca
- Department of Pharmacology, Arizona Health Sciences Center, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Avenue, 85724, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Naoko Kuzumaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan. .,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Minoru Narita
- Department of Pharmacology, Hoshi University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2-4-41 Ebara, Shinagawa-ku, 142-8501, Tokyo, Japan. .,Division of Cancer Pathophysiology, National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI), 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, 104-0045, Tokyo, Japan.
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50
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Wei X, Centeno MV, Ren W, Borruto AM, Procissi D, Xu T, Jabakhanji R, Mao Z, Kim H, Li Y, Yang Y, Gutruf P, Rogers JA, Surmeier DJ, Radulovic J, Liu X, Martina M, Apkarian AV. Activation of the dorsal, but not the ventral, hippocampus relieves neuropathic pain in rodents. Pain 2021; 162:2865-2880. [PMID: 34160168 PMCID: PMC8464622 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence suggests hippocampal impairment under the chronic pain phenotype. However, it is unknown whether neuropathic behaviors are related to dysfunction of the hippocampal circuitry. Here, we enhanced hippocampal activity by pharmacological, optogenetic, and chemogenetic techniques to determine hippocampal influence on neuropathic pain behaviors. We found that excitation of the dorsal (DH), but not the ventral (VH) hippocampus induces analgesia in 2 rodent models of neuropathic pain (SNI and SNL) and in rats and mice. Optogenetic and pharmacological manipulations of DH neurons demonstrated that DH-induced analgesia was mediated by N-Methyl-D-aspartate and μ-opioid receptors. In addition to analgesia, optogenetic stimulation of the DH in SNI mice also resulted in enhanced real-time conditioned place preference for the chamber where the DH was activated, a finding consistent with pain relief. Similar manipulations in the VH were ineffective. Using chemo-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), where awake resting-state fMRI was combined with viral vector-mediated chemogenetic activation (PSAM/PSEM89s) of DH neurons, we demonstrated changes of functional connectivity between the DH and thalamus and somatosensory regions that tracked the extent of relief from tactile allodynia. Moreover, we examined hippocampal functional connectivity in humans and observe differential reorganization of its anterior and posterior subdivisions between subacute and chronic back pain. Altogether, these results imply that downregulation of the DH circuitry during chronic neuropathic pain aggravates pain-related behaviors. Conversely, activation of the DH reverses pain-related behaviors through local excitatory and opioidergic mechanisms affecting DH functional connectivity. Thus, this study exhibits a novel causal role for the DH but not the VH in controlling neuropathic pain-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhong Wei
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Departments of Physiology and
| | | | | | | | - Daniele Procissi
- Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ting Xu
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | | | | | - Yajing Li
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yiyuan Yang
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Philipp Gutruf
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John A. Rogers
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Jelena Radulovic
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Xianguo Liu
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Marco Martina
- Departments of Physiology and
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Apkar Vania Apkarian
- Departments of Physiology and
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Anesthesia, at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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