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Chen L, Wu MY, Chen SL, Hu R, Wang Y, Zeng W, Feng S, Ke M, Wang L, Chen S, Gu M. The Guardian of Vision: Intelligent Bacteriophage-Based Eyedrops for Clinical Multidrug-Resistant Ocular Surface Infections. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2407268. [PMID: 39091071 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202407268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Clinical multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDR-PA) is the leading cause of refractory bacterial keratitis (BK). However, the reported BK treatment methods lack biosecurity and bioavailability, which usually causes irreversible visual impairment and even blindness. Herein, for BK caused by clinically isolated MDR-PA infection, armed phages are modularized with the type I photosensitizer (PS) ACR-DMT, and an intelligent phage eyedrop is developed for combined phagotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). These eyedrops maximize the advantages of bacteriophages and ACR-DMT, enabling more robust and specific targeting killing of MDR-PA under low oxygen-dependence, penetrating and disrupting biofilms, and efficiently preventing biofilm reformation. Altering the biofilm and immune microenvironments alleviates inflammation noninvasively, promotes corneal healing without scar formation, protects ocular tissues, restores visual function, and prevents long-term discomfort and pain. This strategy exhibits strong scalability, enables at-home treatment of ocular surface infections with great patient compliance and a favorable prognosis, and has significant potential for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luojia Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Ming-Yu Wu
- College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610031, China
| | - Si-Ling Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Rui Hu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yifei Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Weijuan Zeng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Shun Feng
- School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610031, China
| | - Min Ke
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Lianrong Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, Institute of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518026, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Department of Burn and Plastic Surgery, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Microbiology in Genomic Modification & Editing and Application, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen University Medical School, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Meijia Gu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery, TaiKang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
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2
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Tu C, Chen YB, Lai SQ, Yu YP, Huang ZW, Li HZ, Ao RF, Han D, Gao JW, Zhu GZ, Wu DZ, Huang YS, Zhao K, Meng TT, Zhong ZM. Accumulation of β-aminoisobutyric acid mediates hyperalgesia in ovariectomized mice through Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor D signaling. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167269. [PMID: 38810919 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167269] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Hyperalgesia is typified by reduced pain thresholds and heightened responses to painful stimuli, with a notable prevalence in menopausal women, but the underlying mechanisms are far from understood. β-Aminoisobutyric acid (BAIBA), a product of valine and thymine catabolism, has been reported to be a novel ligand of the Mas-related G protein coupled receptor D (MrgprD), which mediates pain and hyperalgesia. Here, we established a hyperalgesia model in 8-week-old female mice through ovariectomy (OVX). A significant increase in BAIBA plasma level was observed and was associated with decline of mechanical withdrawal threshold, thermal and cold withdrawal latency in mice after 6 weeks of OVX surgery. Increased expression of MrgprD in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was shown in OVX mice compared to Sham mice. Interestingly, chronic loading with BAIBA not only exacerbated hyperalgesia in OVX mice, but also induced hyperalgesia in gonadally intact female mice. BAIBA supplementation also upregulated the MrgprD expression in DRG of both OVX and intact female mice, and enhanced the excitability of DRG neurons in vitro. Knockout of MrgprD markedly suppressed the effects of BAIBA on hyperalgesia and excitability of DRG neurons. Collectively, our data suggest the involvement of BAIBA in the development of hyperalgesia via MrgprD-dependent pathway, and illuminate the mechanisms underlying hyperalgesia in menopausal women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Tu
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Orthopeadics, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Academy of Orthopedics, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Biao Chen
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Si-Qi Lai
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Southern Medical University, Academy of Orthopedics, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Peng Yu
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Huang
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hong-Zhou Li
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui-Feng Ao
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dong Han
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Wen Gao
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guo-Zheng Zhu
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Di-Zheng Wu
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Sheng Huang
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai Zhao
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Orthopaedics, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Ting-Ting Meng
- Unit of Anaesthesia and Pain Management, Department of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Zhao-Ming Zhong
- Division of Spine Surgery, Department of Orthopaedics, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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3
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Xu JF, Liu L, Liu Y, Lu KX, Zhang J, Zhu YJ, Fang F, Dou YN. Spinal Nmur2-positive Neurons Play a Crucial Role in Mechanical Itch. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:104504. [PMID: 38442838 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
The dorsal spinal cord is crucial for the transmission and modulation of multiple somatosensory modalities, such as itch, pain, and touch. Despite being essential for the well-being and survival of an individual, itch and pain, in their chronic forms, have increasingly been recognized as clinical problems. Although considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the neurochemical processing of nociceptive and chemical itch sensations, the neural substrate that is crucial for mechanical itch processing is still unclear. Here, using genetic and functional manipulation, we identified a population of spinal neurons expressing neuromedin U receptor 2 (Nmur2+) as critical elements for mechanical itch. We found that spinal Nmur2+ neurons are predominantly excitatory neurons, and are enriched in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn. Pharmacogenetic activation of cervical spinal Nmur2+ neurons evoked scratching behavior. Conversely, the ablation of these neurons using a caspase-3-based method decreased von Frey filament-induced scratching behavior without affecting responses to other somatosensory modalities. Similarly, suppressing the excitability of cervical spinal Nmur2+ neurons via the overexpression of functional Kir2.1 potassium channels reduced scratching in response to innocuous mechanical stimuli, but not to pruritogen application. At the lumbar level, pharmacogenetic activation of these neurons evoked licking and lifting behaviors. However, ablating these neurons did not affect the behavior associated with acute pain. Thus, these results revealed the crucial role of spinal Nmur2+ neurons in mechanical itch. Our study provides important insights into the neural basis of mechanical itch, paving the way for developing novel therapies for chronic itch. PERSPECTIVE: Excitatory Nmur2+ neurons in the superficial dorsal spinal cord are essential for mechanical but not chemical itch information processing. These spinal Nmur2+ neurons represent a potential cellular target for future therapeutic interventions against chronic itch. Spinal and supraspinal Nmur2+ neurons may play different roles in pain signal processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Feng Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Lian Liu
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China; Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke-Xing Lu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan-Jing Zhu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Fang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Nong Dou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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4
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Yin Y, Zhao P, Xu X, Zhou B, Chen J, Jiang X, Liu Y, Wu Y, Yue W, Xu H, Bu W. Piezoelectric Analgesia Blocks Cancer-Induced Bone Pain. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2403979. [PMID: 39044708 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202403979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
The manipulation of cell surface receptors' activity will open a new frontier for drug development and disease treatment. However, limited by the desensitization of drugs, effective physical intervention strategy remains challenging. Here, the controllable internalization of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) on neural cells by local piezoelectric field is reported. Single-cell-level local electric field is construct by synthesizing piezoelectric BiOIO3 nanosheets (BIONSs). Upon a mild ultrasound of 0.08 W cm-2, an electric field of 15.29 µV is generated on the surface of BIONSs, further inducing TRPV1 internalization in 5 min. The as-downregulated TRPV1 expression results in the reduction of Ca2+ signal in a spinal neuron and the inhibition of the activity of wide range dynamic neurons, therefore effectively preventing the transmission of cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP). This strategy not only charts a new course for CIBP alleviation, but also introduces a promising nanotechnology for regulating cell surface receptors, showing significant potential in neuropathological and receptor-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Yin
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Peiran Zhao
- Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xianyun Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, China
| | - Bangguo Zhou
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Xingwu Jiang
- Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yanyan Liu
- Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yelin Wu
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Wenwen Yue
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultrasound Diagnosis and Treatment, Shanghai, 200072, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Interventional Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China
- Center of Minimally Invasive Treatment for Tumor, Department of Medical Ultrasound, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200072, China
| | - Huixiong Xu
- Department of Ultrasound, Zhongshan Hospital, Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wenbo Bu
- Department of Materials Science and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
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5
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Lister KC, Wong C, Uttam S, Parisien M, Stecum P, Brown N, Cai W, Hooshmandi M, Gu N, Amiri M, Beaudry F, Jafarnejad SM, Tavares-Ferreira D, Inturi NN, Mazhar K, Zhao HT, Fitzsimmons B, Gkogkas CG, Sonenberg N, Price TJ, Diatchenko L, Atlasi Y, Mogil JS, Khoutorsky A. Translational control in the spinal cord regulates gene expression and pain hypersensitivity in the chronic phase of neuropathic pain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600539. [PMID: 38979173 PMCID: PMC11230214 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Sensitization of spinal nociceptive circuits plays a crucial role in neuropathic pain. This sensitization depends on new gene expression that is primarily regulated via transcriptional and translational control mechanisms. The relative roles of these mechanisms in regulating gene expression in the clinically relevant chronic phase of neuropathic pain are not well understood. Here, we show that changes in gene expression in the spinal cord during the chronic phase of neuropathic pain are substantially regulated at the translational level. Downregulating spinal translation at the chronic phase alleviated pain hypersensitivity. Cell-type-specific profiling revealed that spinal inhibitory neurons exhibited greater changes in translation after peripheral nerve injury compared to excitatory neurons. Notably, increasing translation selectively in all inhibitory neurons or parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons, but not excitatory neurons, promoted mechanical pain hypersensitivity. Furthermore, increasing translation in PV+ neurons decreased their intrinsic excitability and spiking activity, whereas reducing translation in spinal PV+ neurons prevented the nerve injury-induced decrease in excitability. Thus, translational control mechanisms in the spinal cord, particularly in inhibitory neurons, play a role in mediating neuropathic pain hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin C. Lister
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Calvin Wong
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sonali Uttam
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marc Parisien
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patricia Stecum
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nicole Brown
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Weihua Cai
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mehdi Hooshmandi
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ning Gu
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mehdi Amiri
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Francis Beaudry
- Département de biomédecine vétérinaire, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
- Centre de recherche sur le cerveau et l’apprentissage (CIRCA), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Seyed Mehdi Jafarnejad
- Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Diana Tavares-Ferreira
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, 75080
| | - Nikhil Nageshwar Inturi
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, 75080
| | - Khadijah Mazhar
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, 75080
| | | | | | - Christos G. Gkogkas
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- Department of Biochemistry and Goodman Cancer Research Centre, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Theodore J. Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, 75080
| | - Luda Diatchenko
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yaser Atlasi
- Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 7AE, UK
| | - Jeffrey S. Mogil
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Arkady Khoutorsky
- Department of Anesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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6
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Bell AM, Utting C, Dickie AC, Kucharczyk MW, Quillet R, Gutierrez-Mecinas M, Razlan ANB, Cooper AH, Lan Y, Hachisuka J, Weir GA, Bannister K, Watanabe M, Kania A, Hoon MA, Macaulay IC, Denk F, Todd AJ. Deep sequencing of Phox2a nuclei reveals five classes of anterolateral system neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2314213121. [PMID: 38805282 PMCID: PMC11161781 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2314213121] [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: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The anterolateral system (ALS) is a major ascending pathway from the spinal cord that projects to multiple brain areas and underlies the perception of pain, itch, and skin temperature. Despite its importance, our understanding of this system has been hampered by the considerable functional and molecular diversity of its constituent cells. Here, we use fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate ALS neurons belonging to the Phox2a-lineage for single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We reveal five distinct clusters of ALS neurons (ALS1-5) and document their laminar distribution in the spinal cord using in situ hybridization. We identify three clusters of neurons located predominantly in laminae I-III of the dorsal horn (ALS1-3) and two clusters with cell bodies located in deeper laminae (ALS4 and ALS5). Our findings reveal the transcriptional logic that underlies ALS neuronal diversity in the adult mouse and uncover the molecular identity of two previously identified classes of projection neurons. We also show that these molecular signatures can be used to target groups of ALS neurons using retrograde viral tracing. Overall, our findings provide a valuable resource for studying somatosensory biology and targeting subclasses of ALS neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Bell
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
- Small Animal Clinical Sciences, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | | | - Allen C. Dickie
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Mateusz W. Kucharczyk
- The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
- Cancer Neurophysiology Group, Lukasiewicz-PORT, Polish Center for Technology Development, Wroclaw54-066, Poland
| | - Raphaëlle Quillet
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Gutierrez-Mecinas
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Aimi N. B. Razlan
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew H. Cooper
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Yuxuan Lan
- Earlham Institute, NorwichNRU 7UZ, United Kingdom
| | - Junichi Hachisuka
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Greg A. Weir
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsty Bannister
- The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo060-8638, Japan
| | - Artur Kania
- Neural Circuit Development Research Unit, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QCH2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | | | - Franziska Denk
- The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, LondonWC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew J. Todd
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, GlasgowG12 8QQ, United Kingdom
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7
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Ke J, Lu WC, Jing HY, Qian S, Moon SW, Cui GF, Qian WX, Che XJ, Zhang Q, Lai SS, Zhang L, Zhu YJ, Xie JD, Huang TW. Functional dissection of parabrachial substrates in processing nociceptive information. Zool Res 2024; 45:633-647. [PMID: 38766746 PMCID: PMC11188607 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2023.412] [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: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Painful stimuli elicit first-line reflexive defensive reactions and, in many cases, also evoke second-line recuperative behaviors, the latter of which reflects the sensing of tissue damage and the alleviation of suffering. The lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN), composed of external- (elPBN), dorsal- (dlPBN), and central/superior-subnuclei (jointly referred to as slPBN), receives sensory inputs from spinal projection neurons and plays important roles in processing affective information from external threats and body integrity disruption. However, the organizational rules of lPBN neurons that provoke diverse behaviors in response to different painful stimuli from cutaneous and deep tissues remain unclear. In this study, we used region-specific neuronal depletion or silencing approaches combined with a battery of behavioral assays to show that slPBN neurons expressing substance P receptor ( NK1R) (lPBN NK1R) are crucial for driving pain-associated self-care behaviors evoked by sustained noxious thermal and mechanical stimuli applied to skin or bone/muscle, while elPBN neurons are dispensable for driving such reactions. Notably, lPBN NK1R neurons are specifically required for forming sustained somatic pain-induced negative teaching signals and aversive memory but are not necessary for fear-learning or escape behaviors elicited by external threats. Lastly, both lPBN NK1R and elPBN neurons contribute to chemical irritant-induced nocifensive reactions. Our results reveal the functional organization of parabrachial substrates that drive distinct behavioral outcomes in response to sustained pain versus external danger under physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Ke
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Cheng Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, China
| | - Hai-Yang Jing
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Shen Qian
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Sun-Wook Moon
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Guang-Fu Cui
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Wei-Xin Qian
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Che
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen University Academy of Clinical Medical Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Shi-Shi Lai
- School of Medicine, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
| | - Ying-Jie Zhu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China. E-mail:
| | - Jing-Dun Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510060, China. E-mail:
| | - Tian-Wen Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Drug Addiction, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China. E-mail:
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8
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Korkutata M, De Luca R, Fitzgerald B, Arrigoni E, Scammell TE. Afferent projections to the Calca /CGRP-expressing parabrachial neurons in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.07.593004. [PMID: 38766214 PMCID: PMC11100666 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.07.593004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The parabrachial nucleus (PB), located in the dorsolateral pons, contains primarily glutamatergic neurons which regulate responses to a variety of interoceptive and cutaneous sensory signals. The lateral PB subpopulation expressing the Calca gene which produces the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) relays signals related to threatening stimuli such as hypercarbia, pain, and nausea, yet the afferents to these neurons are only partially understood. We mapped the afferent projections to the lateral part of the PB in mice using conventional cholera toxin B subunit (CTb) retrograde tracing, and then used conditional rabies virus retrograde tracing to map monosynaptic inputs specifically targeting the PB Calca /CGRP neurons. Using vesicular GABA (vGAT) and glutamate (vGLUT2) transporter reporter mice, we found that lateral PB neurons receive GABAergic afferents from regions such as the lateral part of the central nucleus of the amygdala, lateral dorsal subnucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, substantia innominata, and the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray. Additionally, they receive glutamatergic afferents from the infralimbic and insular cortex, paraventricular nucleus, parasubthalamic nucleus, trigeminal complex, medullary reticular nucleus, and nucleus of the solitary tract. Using anterograde tracing and confocal microscopy, we then identified close axonal appositions between these afferents and PB Calca /CGRP neurons. Finally, we used channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit mapping to test whether some of these inputs directly synapse upon the PB Calca /CGRP neurons. These findings provide a comprehensive neuroanatomical framework for understanding the afferent projections regulating the PB Calca /CGRP neurons.
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9
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Ye H, Lin Q, Mei Q, Liu Q, Cao S. Study on mechanism of transdermal administration of eugenol for pain treatment by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Heliyon 2024; 10:e29722. [PMID: 38681628 PMCID: PMC11046106 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to explore the pharmacological mechanism of transdermal administration of eugenol (EUG) for pain treatment. Firstly, network pharmacology techniques were employed to identify the potential targets responsible for the analgesic effect of EUG. Subsequently, molecular docking technology was used to validate interactions between EUG and the crystal structure of the core target protein. Finally, the impact of EUG on the expression and activation of TRPV1 receptors in HaCaT cells was evaluated through in vitro experiments, thus confirming the analysis of network pharmacology. The study suggested that the transdermal administration of EUG for pain treatment might target the TRPV1 receptor. Molecular docking revealed that EUG could spontaneously bind to the TRPV1 receptor with a high binding ability. The analysis of Western blot (WB) and intracellular Ca2+ levels demonstrated that EUG could increase the expression of TRPV1 in HaCaT cells, activating TRPV1 to induce intracellular Ca2+ influx (P < 0.05). These findings suggested that the initial application of EUG would cause a brief stimulation of TRPV1 receptors and upregulation of TRPV1 expression. Upon continued exposure, EUG would act as a TRPV1 agonist, increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels that might be associated with desensitization of pain sensations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoting Ye
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuxiao Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qinghua Mei
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qiuqiong Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Siwei Cao
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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10
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Malapert P, Robert G, Brunet E, Chemin J, Bourinet E, Moqrich A. A novel Na v1.8-FLPo driver mouse for intersectional genetics to uncover the functional significance of primary sensory neuron diversity. iScience 2024; 27:109396. [PMID: 38510134 PMCID: PMC10952036 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109396] [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: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The recent development of single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing has highlighted the extraordinary diversity of dorsal root ganglia neurons. However, the few available genetic tools limit our understanding of the functional significance of this heterogeneity. We generated a new mouse line expressing the flippase recombinase from the scn10a locus. By crossing Nav1.8Ires-FLPo mice with the AdvillinCre and RC::FL-hM3Dq mouse lines in an intersectional genetics approach, we were able to obtain somatodendritic expression of hM3Dq-mCherry selectively in the Nav1.8 lineage. The bath application of clozapine N-oxide triggered strong calcium responses selectively in mCherry+ neurons. The intraplantar injection of CNO caused robust flinching, shaking, and biting responses accompanied by strong cFos activation in the ipsilateral lumbar spinal cord. The Nav1.8Ires-FLPo mouse model will be a valuable tool for extending our understanding of the in vivo functional specialization of neuronal subsets of the Nav1.8 lineage for which inducible Cre lines are available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascale Malapert
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, Marseille, France
| | - Guillaume Robert
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, Marseille, France
| | - Elena Brunet
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, Marseille, France
| | - Jean Chemin
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Bourinet
- Institut de Génomique Fonctionnelle (IGF), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Aziz Moqrich
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille, UMR 7288, case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 09, Marseille, France
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11
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Zhu H, Tao Y, Wang S, Zhu X, Lin K, Zheng N, Chen LM, Xu F, Wu R. fMRI, LFP, and anatomical evidence for hierarchical nociceptive routing pathway between somatosensory and insular cortices. Neuroimage 2024; 289:120549. [PMID: 38382864 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120549] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The directional organization of multiple nociceptive regions, particularly within obscure operculoinsular areas, underlying multidimensional pain processing remains elusive. This study aims to establish the fundamental organization between somatosensory and insular cortices in routing nociceptive information. By employing an integrated multimodal approach of high-field fMRI, intracranial electrophysiology, and transsynaptic viral tracing in rats, we observed a hierarchically organized connection of S1/S2 → posterior insula → anterior insula in routing nociceptive information. The directional nociceptive pathway determined by early fMRI responses was consistent with that examined by early evoked LFP, intrinsic effective connectivity, and anatomical projection, suggesting fMRI could provide a valuable facility to discern directional neural circuits in animals and humans non-invasively. Moreover, our knowledge of the nociceptive hierarchical organization of somatosensory and insular cortices and the interface role of the posterior insula may have implications for the development of targeted pain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yan Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Xutao Zhu
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Kunzhang Lin
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ning Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Li Min Chen
- Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science and Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
| | - Ruiqi Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Technology, Shanghai 200031, China.
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12
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Chen H, Bleimeister IH, Nguyen EK, Li J, Cui AY, Stratton HJ, Smith KM, Baccei ML, Ross SE. The functional and anatomical characterization of three spinal output pathways of the anterolateral tract. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113829. [PMID: 38421871 PMCID: PMC11025583 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113829] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The nature of spinal output pathways that convey nociceptive information to the brain has been the subject of controversy. Here, we provide anatomical, molecular, and functional characterizations of two distinct anterolateral pathways: one, ascending in the lateral spinal cord, triggers nociceptive behaviors, and the other one, ascending in the ventral spinal cord, when inhibited, leads to sensorimotor deficits. Moreover, the lateral pathway consists of at least two subtypes. The first is a contralateral pathway that extends to the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and thalamus; the second is a bilateral pathway that projects to the bilateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN). Finally, we present evidence showing that activation of the contralateral pathway is sufficient for defensive behaviors such as running and freezing, whereas the bilateral pathway is sufficient for attending behaviors such as licking and guarding. This work offers insight into the complex organizational logic of the anterolateral system in the mouse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haichao Chen
- Tsinghua Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Isabel H Bleimeister
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Eileen K Nguyen
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Abby Yilin Cui
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Harrison J Stratton
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kelly M Smith
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Mark L Baccei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45267, USA
| | - Sarah E Ross
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
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13
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Srikanth KD, Elahi H, Chander P, Washburn HR, Hassler S, Mwirigi JM, Kume M, Loucks J, Arjarapu R, Hodge R, Shiers SI, Sankaranarayanan I, Erdjument-Bromage H, Neubert TA, Campbell ZT, Paik R, Price TJ, Dalva MB. VLK drives extracellular phosphorylation of EphB2 to govern the EphB2-NMDAR interaction and injury-induced pain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.18.585314. [PMID: 38562765 PMCID: PMC10983893 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.18.585314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of hundreds of protein extracellular domains is mediated by two kinase families, yet the significance of these kinases is underexplored. Here, we find that the presynaptic release of the tyrosine directed-ectokinase, Vertebrate Lonesome Kinase (VLK/Pkdcc), is necessary and sufficient for the direct extracellular interaction between EphB2 and GluN1 at synapses, for phosphorylation of the ectodomain of EphB2, and for injury-induced pain. Pkdcc is an essential gene in the nervous system, and VLK is found in synaptic vesicles, and is released from neurons in a SNARE-dependent fashion. VLK is expressed by nociceptive sensory neurons where presynaptic sensory neuron-specific knockout renders mice impervious to post-surgical pain, without changing proprioception. VLK defines an extracellular mechanism that regulates protein-protein interaction and non-opioid-dependent pain in response to injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kolluru D. Srikanth
- Tulane Brain Institute, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Hajira Elahi
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Praveen Chander
- Tulane Brain Institute, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Halley R. Washburn
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University; Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Shayne Hassler
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Houston; Houston, TX 77004, USA
| | - Juliet M. Mwirigi
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Moeno Kume
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Jessica Loucks
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Rohita Arjarapu
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Rachel Hodge
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
| | - Stephanie I. Shiers
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Ishwarya Sankaranarayanan
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Hediye Erdjument-Bromage
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology and Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Thomas A. Neubert
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology and Neuroscience Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Zachary T. Campbell
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53792, USA
| | - Raehum Paik
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI 53792, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio; San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Theodore J. Price
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson, TX 75080, USA
| | - Matthew B. Dalva
- Tulane Brain Institute, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University; New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
- Jefferson Synaptic Biology Center, Department of Neuroscience, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107
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14
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Kadakia F, Khadka A, Yazell J, Davidson S. Chemogenetic Modulation of Posterior Insula CaMKIIa Neurons Alters Pain and Thermoregulation. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:766-780. [PMID: 37832899 PMCID: PMC10922377 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The posterior insular cortex (PIC) is well positioned to perform somatosensory-limbic integration; yet, the function of neuronal subsets within the PIC in processing the sensory and affective dimensions of pain remains unclear. Here, we employ bidirectional chemogenetic modulation to characterize the function of PIC CaMKIIa-expressing excitatory neurons in a comprehensive array of sensory, affective, and thermoregulatory behaviors. Excitatory pyramidal neurons in the PIC were found to be sensitized under inflammatory pain conditions. Chemogenetic activation of excitatory CaMKIIa-expressing PIC neurons in non-injured conditions produced an increase in reflexive and affective pain- and anxiety-like behaviors. Moreover, activation of PIC CaMKIIa-expressing neurons during inflammatory pain conditions exacerbated hyperalgesia and decreased pain tolerance. However, Chemogenetic activation did not alter heat nociception via hot plate latency or body temperature. Conversely, inhibiting CaMKIIa-expressing neurons did not alter either sensory or affective pain-like behaviors in non-injured or under inflammatory pain conditions, but it did decrease body temperature and decreased hot plate latency. Our findings reveal that PIC CaMKIIa-expressing neurons are a critical hub for producing both sensory and affective pain-like behaviors and important for thermoregulatory processing. PERSPECTIVE: The present study reveals that activation of the posterior insula produces hyperalgesia and negative affect, and has a role in thermal tolerance and thermoregulation. These findings highlight the insula as a key player in contributing to the multidimensionality of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feni Kadakia
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Akansha Khadka
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Jake Yazell
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Steve Davidson
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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15
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Goldstein N, Maes A, Allen HN, Nelson TS, Kruger KA, Kindel M, Smith NK, Carty JRE, Villari RE, Cho E, Marble EL, Khanna R, Taylor BK, Kennedy A, Betley JN. A parabrachial hub for the prioritization of survival behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.26.582069. [PMID: 38464066 PMCID: PMC10925167 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.26.582069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Long-term sustained pain in the absence of acute physical injury is a prominent feature of chronic pain conditions. While neurons responding to noxious stimuli have been identified, understanding the signals that persist without ongoing painful stimuli remains a challenge. Using an ethological approach based on the prioritization of adaptive survival behaviors, we determined that neuropeptide Y (NPY) signaling from multiple sources converges on parabrachial neurons expressing the NPY Y1 receptor to reduce sustained pain responses. Neural activity recordings and computational modeling demonstrate that activity in Y1R parabrachial neurons is elevated following injury, predicts functional coping behavior, and is inhibited by competing survival needs. Taken together, our findings suggest that parabrachial Y1 receptor-expressing neurons are a critical hub for endogenous analgesic pathways that suppress sustained pain states.
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16
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Rankin G, Chirila AM, Emanuel AJ, Zhang Z, Woolf CJ, Drugowitsch J, Ginty DD. Nerve injury disrupts temporal processing in the spinal cord dorsal horn through alterations in PV + interneurons. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113718. [PMID: 38294904 PMCID: PMC11101906 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
How mechanical allodynia following nerve injury is encoded in patterns of neural activity in the spinal cord dorsal horn (DH) remains incompletely understood. We address this in mice using the spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain and in vivo electrophysiological recordings. Surprisingly, despite dramatic behavioral over-reactivity to mechanical stimuli following nerve injury, an overall increase in sensitivity or reactivity of DH neurons is not observed. We do, however, observe a marked decrease in correlated neural firing patterns, including the synchrony of mechanical stimulus-evoked firing, across the DH. Alterations in DH temporal firing patterns are recapitulated by silencing DH parvalbumin+ (PV+) interneurons, previously implicated in mechanical allodynia, as are allodynic pain-like behaviors. These findings reveal decorrelated DH network activity, driven by alterations in PV+ interneurons, as a prominent feature of neuropathic pain and suggest restoration of proper temporal activity as a potential therapeutic strategy to treat chronic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genelle Rankin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anda M Chirila
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan J Emanuel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Zihe Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Clifford J Woolf
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jan Drugowitsch
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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17
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Bai HH, Wang KL, Zeng XR, Li J, Li Y, Xu JY, Zhang Y, Jiang HF, Yang X, Suo ZW, Hu XD. GPR39 regulated spinal glycinergic inhibition and mechanical inflammatory pain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadj3808. [PMID: 38306424 PMCID: PMC10836721 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj3808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptor 39 (GPR39) senses the change of extracellular divalent zinc ion and signals through multiple G proteins to a broad spectrum of downstream effectors. Here, we found that GPR39 was prevalent at inhibitory synapses of spinal cord somatostatin-positive (SOM+) interneurons, a mechanosensitive subpopulation that is critical for the conveyance of mechanical pain. GPR39 complexed specifically with inhibitory glycine receptors (GlyRs) and helped maintain glycinergic transmission in a manner independent of G protein signalings. Targeted knockdown of GPR39 in SOM+ interneurons reduced the glycinergic inhibition and facilitated the excitatory output from SOM+ interneurons to spinoparabrachial neurons that engaged superspinal neural circuits encoding both the sensory discriminative and affective motivational domains of pain experience. Our data showed that pharmacological activation of GPR39 or augmenting GPR39 interaction with GlyRs at the spinal level effectively alleviated the sensory and affective pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant and implicated GPR39 as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory mechanical pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hu-Hu Bai
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
- School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Kang-Li Wang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xiang-Ru Zeng
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Yuan Li
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Yu Xu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Yue Zhang
- School of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Feng Jiang
- School of Public Health, Gansu University of Chinese medicine, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xian Yang
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Zhan-Wei Suo
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Dong Hu
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, P.R. China
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18
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Zhang M, Wu YE, Jiang M, Hong W. Cortical regulation of helping behaviour towards others in pain. Nature 2024; 626:136-144. [PMID: 38267578 PMCID: PMC10925558 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06973-x] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Humans and animals exhibit various forms of prosocial helping behaviour towards others in need1-3. Although previous research has investigated how individuals may perceive others' states4,5, the neural mechanisms of how they respond to others' needs and goals with helping behaviour remain largely unknown. Here we show that mice engage in a form of helping behaviour towards other individuals experiencing physical pain and injury-they exhibit allolicking (social licking) behaviour specifically towards the injury site, which aids the recipients in coping with pain. Using microendoscopic imaging, we found that single-neuron and ensemble activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) encodes others' state of pain and that this representation is different from that of general stress in others. Furthermore, functional manipulations demonstrate a causal role of the ACC in bidirectionally controlling targeted allolicking. Notably, this behaviour is represented in a population code in the ACC that differs from that of general allogrooming, a distinct type of prosocial behaviour elicited by others' emotional stress. These findings advance our understanding of the neural coding and regulation of helping behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingmin Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ye Emily Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mengping Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Weizhe Hong
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Samueli School of Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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19
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Torres-Rodriguez JM, Wilson TD, Singh S, Torruella-Suárez ML, Chaudhry S, Adke AP, Becker JJ, Neugebauer B, Lin JL, Martinez Gonzalez S, Soler-Cedeño O, Carrasquillo Y. The parabrachial to central amygdala pathway is critical to injury-induced pain sensitization in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:508-520. [PMID: 37542159 PMCID: PMC10789863 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01673-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
The spino-ponto-amygdaloid pathway is a major ascending circuit relaying nociceptive information from the spinal cord to the brain. Potentiation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the parabrachial nucleus (PBN) to central amygdala (CeA) pathway has been reported in rodent models of persistent pain. However, the functional significance of this pathway in the modulation of the somatosensory component of pain was recently challenged by studies showing that spinal nociceptive neurons do not target CeA-projecting PBN cells and that manipulations of this pathway have no effect on reflexive-defensive somatosensory responses to peripheral noxious stimulation. Here, we showed that activation of CeA-projecting PBN neurons is critical to increase both stimulus-evoked and spontaneous nociceptive responses following an injury in male and female mice. Using optogenetic-assisted circuit mapping, we confirmed a functional excitatory projection from PBN→CeA that is independent of the genetic or firing identity of CeA cells. We then showed that peripheral noxious stimulation increased the expression of the neuronal activity marker Fos in CeA-projecting PBN neurons and that chemogenetic inactivation of these cells decreased behavioral hypersensitivity in models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain without affecting baseline nociception. Lastly, we showed that chemogenetic activation of CeA-projecting PBN neurons is sufficient to induced bilateral hypersensitivity without injury. Together, our results indicate that the PBN→CeA pathway is a key modulator of pain-related behaviors that can increase reflexive-defensive and affective-motivational responses to somatosensory stimulation in injured states without affecting nociception under normal physiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeitzel M Torres-Rodriguez
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Torri D Wilson
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sudhuman Singh
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Maria L Torruella-Suárez
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sarah Chaudhry
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anisha P Adke
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jordan J Becker
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Neugebauer
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jenny L Lin
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Santiago Martinez Gonzalez
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Omar Soler-Cedeño
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yarimar Carrasquillo
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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20
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Zhai R, Wang Q. Phylogenetic Analysis Provides Insight Into the Molecular Evolution of Nociception and Pain-Related Proteins. Evol Bioinform Online 2023; 19:11769343231216914. [PMID: 38107163 PMCID: PMC10725132 DOI: 10.1177/11769343231216914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nociception and pain sensation are important neural processes in humans to avoid injury. Many proteins are involved in nociception and pain sensation in humans; however, the evolution of these proteins in animals is unknown. Here, we chose nociception- and pain-related proteins, including G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channels (ICs), and neuropeptides (NPs), which are reportedly associated with nociception and pain in humans, and identified their homologs in various animals by BLAST, phylogenetic analysis and protein architecture comparison to reveal their evolution from protozoans to humans. We found that the homologs of transient receptor potential channel A 1 (TRPA1), TRAPM, acid-sensing IC (ASIC), and voltage-dependent calcium channel (VDCC) first appear in Porifera. Substance-P receptor 1 (TACR1) emerged from Coelenterata. Somatostatin receptor type 2 (SSTR2), TRPV1 and voltage-dependent sodium channels (VDSC) appear in Platyhelminthes. Calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRPR) was first identified in Nematoda. However, opioid receptors (OPRs) and most NPs were discovered only in vertebrates and exist from agnatha to humans. The results demonstrated that homologs of nociception and pain-related ICs exist from lower animal phyla to high animal phyla, and that most of the GPCRs originate from low to high phyla sequentially, whereas OPRs and NPs are newly evolved in vertebrates, which provides hints of the evolution of nociception and pain-related proteins in animals and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rujun Zhai
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, P. R. China
| | - Qian Wang
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, P. R. China
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21
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Zheng HY, Chen YM, Xu Y, Cen C, Wang Y. Excitatory neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus mediate the interruptive effect of inflammatory pain on a sustained attention task. J Transl Med 2023; 21:896. [PMID: 38072957 PMCID: PMC10712130 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04583-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attentional deficits are among the most common pain-induced cognitive disorders. Pain disrupts attention and may excessively occupy attentional resources in pathological states, leading to daily function impairment and increased disability. However, the neural circuit mechanisms by which pain disrupts attention are incompletely understood. METHODS We used a three-choice serial reaction time task (3CSRTT) to construct a sustained-attention task model in male C57BL/6J mice. Formalin or complete Freund's adjuvant was injected into a paw to establish an inflammatory pain model. We measured changes in 3CSRTT performance in the two inflammatory pain models, and investigated the neural circuit mechanisms of pain-induced attentional deficits. RESULTS Acute inflammatory pain impaired 3CSRTT performance, while chronic inflammatory pain had no effect. Either inhibition of the ascending pain pathway by blockade of the conduction of nociceptive signals in the sciatic nerve using the local anesthetic lidocaine or chemogenetic inhibition of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IIα (CaMKIIα) neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN) attenuated the acute inflammatory pain-induced impairment of 3CSRTT performance, while chemogenetic activation of CaMKIIα neurons in the LPBN disrupted the 3CSRTT. Furthermore, the activity of CaMKIIα neurons in the LPBN was significantly lower on Day 2 after complete Freund's adjuvant injection than on the day of injection, which correlated with the recovery of 3CSRTT performance during chronic inflammatory pain. CONCLUSIONS Activation of excitatory neurons in the LPBN is a mechanism by which acute inflammatory pain disrupts sustained attention. This finding has implications for the treatment of pain and its cognitive comorbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Yu Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yu-Meng Chen
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Yao Xu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Cheng Cen
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Yun Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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22
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MacDonald DI, Jayabalan M, Seaman J, Nickolls A, Chesler A. Pain persists in mice lacking both Substance P and CGRPα signaling. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.15.567208. [PMID: 38076807 PMCID: PMC10705526 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.15.567208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
The neuropeptides Substance P and CGRPα have long been thought important for pain sensation. Both peptides and their receptors are expressed at high levels in pain-responsive neurons from the periphery to the brain making them attractive therapeutic targets. However, drugs targeting these pathways individually did not relieve pain in clinical trials. Since Substance P and CGRPα are extensively co-expressed we hypothesized that their simultaneous inhibition would be required for effective analgesia. We therefore generated Tac1 and Calca double knockout (DKO) mice and assessed their behavior using a wide range of pain-relevant assays. As expected, Substance P and CGRPα peptides were undetectable throughout the nervous system of DKO mice. To our surprise, these animals displayed largely intact responses to mechanical, thermal, chemical, and visceral pain stimuli, as well as itch. Moreover, chronic inflammatory pain and neurogenic inflammation were unaffected by loss of the two peptides. Finally, neuropathic pain evoked by nerve injury or chemotherapy treatment was also preserved in peptide-deficient mice. Thus, our results demonstrate that even in combination, Substance P and CGRPα are not required for the transmission of acute and chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald Iain MacDonald
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Monessha Jayabalan
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Jonathan Seaman
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Alec Nickolls
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Alexander Chesler
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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23
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Li J, Tian C, Yuan S, Yin Z, Wei L, Chen F, Dong X, Liu A, Wang Z, Wu T, Tian C, Niu L, Wang L, Wang P, Xie W, Cao F, Shen H. Neuropathic pain following spinal cord hemisection induced by the reorganization in primary somatosensory cortex and regulated by neuronal activity of lateral parabrachial nucleus. CNS Neurosci Ther 2023; 29:3269-3289. [PMID: 37170721 PMCID: PMC10580357 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14258] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a common and thorny problem, influencing the life quality severely. This study aimed to elucidate the reorganization of the primary sensory cortex (S1) and the regulatory mechanism of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBN) in the presence of allodynia or hyperalgesia after left spinal cord hemisection injury (LHS). METHODS Through behavioral tests, we first identified mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia following LHS. We then applied two-photon microscopy to observe calcium activity in S1 during mechanical or thermal stimulation and long-term spontaneous calcium activity after LHS. By slice patch clamp recording, the electrophysiological characteristics of neurons in lPBN were explored. Finally, exploiting chemogenetic activation or inhibition of the neurons in lPBN, allodynia or hyperalgesia was regulated. RESULTS The calcium activity in left S1 was increased during mechanical stimulation of right hind limb and thermal stimulation of tail, whereas in right S1 it was increased only with thermal stimulation of tail. The spontaneous calcium activity in right S1 changed more dramatically than that in left S1 after LHS. The lPBN was also activated after LHS, and exploiting chemogenetic activation or inhibition of the neurons in lPBN could induce or alleviate allodynia and hyperalgesia in central neuropathic pain. CONCLUSION The neuronal activity changes in S1 are closely related to limb pain, which has accurate anatomical correspondence. After LHS, the spontaneously increased functional connectivity of calcium transient in left S1 is likely causing the mechanical allodynia in right hind limb and increased neuronal activity in bilateral S1 may induce thermal hyperalgesia in tail. This state of allodynia and hyperalgesia can be regulated by lPBN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Li
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Chao Tian
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Shiyang Yuan
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Zhenyu Yin
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Liangpeng Wei
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Feng Chen
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Xi Dong
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Aili Liu
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Basic ScienceTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Zhenhuan Wang
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Tongrui Wu
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Chunxiao Tian
- School of Biomedical EngineeringTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Lin Niu
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Basic ScienceTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of PhysiologyZhuhai Campus of Zunyi Medical UniversityZhuhaiChina
| | - Pu Wang
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Wanyu Xie
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Fujiang Cao
- Department of OrthopedicsTianjin Medical University General HospitalTianjinChina
| | - Hui Shen
- Department of Cellular Biology, School of Basic ScienceTianjin Medical UniversityTianjinChina
- Innovation Research Institute of Traditional Chinese MedicineShandong University of Traditional Chinese MedicineJinanChina
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24
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Chari T, Hernandez A, Portera-Cailliau C. A Novel Head-Fixed Assay for Social Touch in Mice Uncovers Aversive Responses in Two Autism Models. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7158-7174. [PMID: 37669860 PMCID: PMC10601375 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0226-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social touch, an important aspect of social interaction and communication, is essential to kinship across animal species. How animals experience and respond to social touch has not been thoroughly investigated, in part because of the lack of appropriate assays. Previous studies that examined social touch in freely moving rodents lacked the necessary temporal and spatial control over individual touch interactions. We designed a novel head-fixed assay for social touch in mice, in which the experimenter has complete control to elicit highly stereotyped bouts of social touch between two animals. The user determines the number, duration, context, and type of social touch interactions, while monitoring an array of complex behavioral responses with high resolution cameras. We focused on social touch to the face because of its high translational relevance to humans. We validated this assay in two different models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Fmr1 knock-out (KO) model of Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and maternal immune activation (MIA) mice. We observed higher rates of avoidance running, hyperarousal, and aversive facial expressions (AFEs) to social touch than to object touch, in both ASD models compared with controls. Fmr1 KO mice showed more AFEs to mice of the same sex but whether they were stranger or familiar mice mattered less. Because this new social touch assay for head-fixed mice can be used to record neural activity during repeated bouts of social touch it could be used to uncover underlying circuit differences.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Social touch is important for communication in animals and humans. However, it has not been extensively studied and current assays to measure animals' responses to social touch have limitations. We present a novel head-fixed assay to quantify how mice respond to social facial touch with another mouse. We validated this assay in autism mouse models since autistic individuals exhibit differences in social interaction and touch sensitivity. We find that mouse models of autism exhibit more avoidance, hyperarousal, and aversive facial expressions (AFEs) to social touch compared with controls. Thus, this novel assay can be used to investigate behavioral responses to social touch and the underlying brain mechanisms in rodent models of neurodevelopmental conditions, and to evaluate therapeutic responses in preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trishala Chari
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Ariana Hernandez
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
| | - Carlos Portera-Cailliau
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095
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25
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Reddy P, Vasudeva J, Shah D, Prajapati JN, Harikumar N, Barik A. A Deep-Learning Driven Investigation of the Circuit Basis for Reflexive Hypersensitivity to Thermal Pain. Neuroscience 2023; 530:158-172. [PMID: 37640138 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.023] [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: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Objectively measuring animal behavior is vital to understanding the neural circuits underlying pain. Recent progress in machine vision has presented unprecedented scope in behavioral analysis. Here, we apply DeepLabCut (DLC) to dissect mouse behavior on the thermal-plate test - a commonly used paradigm to ascertain supraspinal contributions to noxious thermal sensation and pain hypersensitivity. We determine the signature characteristics of the pattern of mouse movement and posture in 3D in response to a range of temperatures from innocuous to noxious on the thermal-plate test. Next, we test how acute chemical and chronic inflammatory injuries sensitize mouse behaviors. Repeated exposure to noxious temperatures on the thermal plate can induce learning. In this study, we design a novel assay and formulate an analytical pipeline to facilitate the dissection of plasticity mechanisms in pain circuits in the brain. Last, we record and test how activating Tacr1 expressing PBN neurons (PBNTacr1) - a population responsive to sustained noxious stimuli- affects mouse behavior on the thermal plate test. Taken together, we demonstrate that by tracking a single body part of a mouse, we can reveal the behavioral signatures of mice exposed to noxious surface temperatures, report the alterations of the same when injured, and determine if a molecularly and anatomically defined pain-responsive circuit plays a role in the reflexive hypersensitivity to thermal pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prannay Reddy
- Center for Neuroscience, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Gulmohar Marg, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Jayesh Vasudeva
- Center for Neuroscience, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Gulmohar Marg, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Devanshi Shah
- Center for Neuroscience, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Gulmohar Marg, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Jagat Narayan Prajapati
- Center for Neuroscience, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Gulmohar Marg, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Nikhila Harikumar
- Center for Neuroscience, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Gulmohar Marg, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India
| | - Arnab Barik
- Center for Neuroscience, Division of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Gulmohar Marg, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560012, India.
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26
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Cai B, Wu D, Xie H, Chen Y, Wang H, Jin S, Song Y, Li A, Huang S, Wang S, Lu Y, Bao L, Xu F, Gong H, Li C, Zhang X. A direct spino-cortical circuit bypassing the thalamus modulates nociception. Cell Res 2023; 33:775-789. [PMID: 37311832 PMCID: PMC10542357 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-023-00832-0] [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: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Nociceptive signals are usually transmitted to layer 4 neurons in somatosensory cortex via the spinothalamic-thalamocortical pathway. The layer 5 corticospinal neurons in sensorimotor cortex are reported to receive the output of neurons in superficial layers; and their descending axons innervate the spinal cord to regulate basic sensorimotor functions. Here, we show that a subset of layer 5 neurons receives spinal inputs through a direct spino-cortical circuit bypassing the thalamus, and thus define these neurons as spino-cortical recipient neurons (SCRNs). Morphological studies revealed that the branches from spinal ascending axons formed a kind of disciform structure with the descending axons from SCRNs in the basilar pontine nucleus (BPN). Electron microscopy and calcium imaging further confirmed that the axon terminals from spinal ascending neurons and SCRNs made functional synaptic contacts in the BPN, linking the ascending sensory pathway to the descending motor control pathway. Furthermore, behavioral tests indicated that the spino-cortical connection in the BPN was involved in nociceptive responses. In vivo calcium imaging showed that SCRNs responded to peripheral noxious stimuli faster than neighboring layer 4 cortical neurons in awake mice. Manipulating activities of SCRNs could modulate nociceptive behaviors. Therefore, this direct spino-cortical circuit represents a noncanonical pathway, allowing a fast sensory-motor transition of the brain in response to noxious stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Cai
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Dan Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience and State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Hong Xie
- SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Photonic Chips; School of Medical Instrument and Food Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Huadong Wang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, CAS, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Sen Jin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, CAS, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yuran Song
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
- Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Anan Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shiqi Huang
- SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sashuang Wang
- Department of Pain Medicine and Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Pain Medicine, Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yingjin Lu
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Lan Bao
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, CAS, Shanghai, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Viral Vectors for Biomedicine, Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, CAS, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Hui Gong
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI Institute for Brainsmatics, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Changlin Li
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Pain Medicine and Shenzhen Municipal Key Laboratory for Pain Medicine, Shenzhen Nanshan People's Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
| | - Xu Zhang
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
- SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, China.
- Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China.
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27
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Guo W, Cao D, Rao W, Sun T, Wei Y, Wang Y, Yu L, Ding J. Achieving Long-Acting Local Analgesia Using an Intelligent Hydrogel Encapsulated with Drug and pH Regulator. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:42113-42129. [PMID: 37639647 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c03149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Local anesthetics are important for the treatment of postoperative pain. Since a single injection of the solution of a drug such as bupivacaine (BUP) works only for a few hours, it is much required to develop a long-term injectable formulation that maintains its efficacy for more than 1 day. Herein, an intelligent copolymer hydrogel loaded with BUP microcrystals was invented. The biodegradable block copolymer was synthesized by us and composed of a central hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) block and two hydrophobic poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) blocks. The aqueous system of the amphiphilic copolymer underwent a sol-gel transition between room temperature and body temperature and, thus, physically gelled after injection. Considering the decrease of solubility of BUP with the increase of pH and the internal acidic environment due to the hydrolysis of PLGA, calcium carbonate (CaCO3) powder was introduced as a pH regulator. Then, the internal pH was found to be nearly neutral and many BUP microcrystals were dispersed in the gel network. In this way, BUP had achieved a sustained release out of the thermogel. The maximum possible effect (MPE) in a rat sciatic nerve blockade model was used to describe the sensory blockade effect. In vivo analgesic effects evaluated with a hot plate experiment of rats demonstrated that the thermogel encapsulated with BUP microcrystal and CaCO3 powder significantly prolonged analgesia up to 44 h, the duration time with respect to 50% MPE. The intramuscularly injected implant exhibited biocompatibility in histological analyses. Besides, the untreated leg of the rats was not influenced by the treated leg, indicating no obvious systematic anesthesia of this hydrogel formulation. Such an intelligent and composite formulation represents a potential strategy for long-acting analgesia therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Dinglingge Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Weihan Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Tao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yiman Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Lin Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jiandong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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28
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Bell AM, Utting C, Dickie AC, Kucharczyk MW, Quillet R, Gutierrez-Mecinas M, Razlan AN, Cooper AH, Lan Y, Hachisuka J, Weir GA, Bannister K, Watanabe M, Kania A, Hoon MA, Macaulay IC, Denk F, Todd AJ. Deep sequencing of Phox2a nuclei reveals five classes of anterolateral system neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.20.553715. [PMID: 37786726 PMCID: PMC10541585 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.20.553715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The anterolateral system (ALS) is a major ascending pathway from the spinal cord that projects to multiple brain areas and underlies the perception of pain, itch and skin temperature. Despite its importance, our understanding of this system has been hampered by the considerable functional and molecular diversity of its constituent cells. Here we use fluorescence-activated cell sorting to isolate ALS neurons belonging to the Phox2a-lineage for single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We reveal five distinct clusters of ALS neurons (ALS1-5) and document their laminar distribution in the spinal cord using in situ hybridization. We identify 3 clusters of neurons located predominantly in laminae I-III of the dorsal horn (ALS1-3) and two clusters with cell bodies located in deeper laminae (ALS4 & ALS5). Our findings reveal the transcriptional logic that underlies ALS neuronal diversity in the adult mouse and uncover the molecular identity of two previously identified classes of projection neurons. We also show that these molecular signatures can be used to target groups of ALS neurons using retrograde viral tracing. Overall, our findings provide a valuable resource for studying somatosensory biology and targeting subclasses of ALS neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Bell
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | | | - Allen C. Dickie
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Mateusz W. Kucharczyk
- The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
- Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Biochemical Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, PL30-668 Krakow, Poland
| | - Raphaëlle Quillet
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Maria Gutierrez-Mecinas
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Aimi N.B. Razlan
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Andrew H. Cooper
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | | | - Junichi Hachisuka
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Greg A. Weir
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Kirsty Bannister
- The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo 060-8638, Japan
| | - Artur Kania
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montreal, QC, H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Franziska Denk
- The Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King’s College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - Andrew J. Todd
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
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29
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Bohic M, Upadhyay A, Eisdorfer JT, Keating J, Simon RC, Briones BA, Azadegan C, Nacht HD, Oputa O, Martinez AM, Bethell BN, Gradwell MA, Romanienko P, Ramer MS, Stuber GD, Abraira VE. A new Hoxb8FlpO mouse line for intersectional approaches to dissect developmentally defined adult sensorimotor circuits. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1176823. [PMID: 37603775 PMCID: PMC10437123 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1176823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Improvements in the speed and cost of expression profiling of neuronal tissues offer an unprecedented opportunity to define ever finer subgroups of neurons for functional studies. In the spinal cord, single cell RNA sequencing studies support decades of work on spinal cord lineage studies, offering a unique opportunity to probe adult function based on developmental lineage. While Cre/Flp recombinase intersectional strategies remain a powerful tool to manipulate spinal neurons, the field lacks genetic tools and strategies to restrict manipulations to the adult mouse spinal cord at the speed at which new tools develop. This study establishes a new workflow for intersectional mouse-viral strategies to dissect adult spinal function based on developmental lineages in a modular fashion. To restrict manipulations to the spinal cord, we generate a brain-sparing Hoxb8FlpO mouse line restricting Flp recombinase expression to caudal tissue. Recapitulating endogenous Hoxb8 gene expression, Flp-dependent reporter expression is present in the caudal embryo starting day 9.5. This expression restricts Flp activity in the adult to the caudal brainstem and below. Hoxb8FlpO heterozygous and homozygous mice do not develop any of the sensory or locomotor phenotypes evident in Hoxb8 heterozygous or mutant animals, suggesting normal developmental function of the Hoxb8 gene and protein in Hoxb8FlpO mice. Compared to the variability of brain recombination in available caudal Cre and Flp lines, Hoxb8FlpO activity is not present in the brain above the caudal brainstem, independent of mouse genetic background. Lastly, we combine the Hoxb8FlpO mouse line with dorsal horn developmental lineage Cre mouse lines to express GFP in developmentally determined dorsal horn populations. Using GFP-dependent Cre recombinase viruses and Cre recombinase-dependent inhibitory chemogenetics, we target developmentally defined lineages in the adult. We show how developmental knock-out versus transient adult silencing of the same ROR𝛃 lineage neurons affects adult sensorimotor behavior. In summary, this new mouse line and viral approach provides a blueprint to dissect adult somatosensory circuit function using Cre/Flp genetic tools to target spinal cord interneurons based on genetic lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Bohic
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Aman Upadhyay
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Neuroscience PhD Program at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jaclyn T. Eisdorfer
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jessica Keating
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- M.D./PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Rhiana C. Simon
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Brandy A. Briones
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Chloe Azadegan
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Hannah D. Nacht
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Olisemeka Oputa
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Alana M. Martinez
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Bridget N. Bethell
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark A. Gradwell
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Peter Romanienko
- Genome Editing Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Matt S. Ramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Garret D. Stuber
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Victoria E. Abraira
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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30
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Bai X, Zhang K, Ou C, Nie B, Zhang J, Huang Y, Zhang Y, Huang J, Ouyang H, Cao M, Huang W. Selective activation of AKAP150/TRPV1 in ventrolateral periaqueductal gray GABAergic neurons facilitates conditioned place aversion in male mice. Commun Biol 2023; 6:742. [PMID: 37460788 PMCID: PMC10352381 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05106-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aversion refers to feelings of strong dislike or avoidance toward particular stimuli or situations. Aversion can be caused by pain stimuli and has a long-term negative impact on physical and mental health. Aversion can also be caused by drug abuse withdrawal, resulting in people with substance use disorder to relapse. However, the mechanisms underlying aversion remain unclear. The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is considered to play a key role in aversive behavior. Our study showed that inhibition of vlPAG GABAergic neurons significantly attenuated the conditioned place aversion (CPA) induced by hindpaw pain pinch or naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal. However, activating or inhibiting glutamatergic neurons, or activating GABAergic neurons cannot affect or alter CPA response. AKAP150 protein expression and phosphorylated TRPV1 (p-TRPV1) were significantly upregulated in these two CPA models. In AKAP150flox/flox mice and C57/B6J wild-type mice, cell-type-selective inhibition of AKAP150 in GABAergic neurons in the vlPAG attenuated aversion. However, downregulating AKAP150 in glutamatergic neurons did not attenuate aversion. Knockdown of AKAP150 in GABAergic neurons effectively reversed the p-TRPV1 upregulation in these two CPA models utilized in our study. Collectively, inhibition of the AKAP150/p-TRPV1 pathway in GABAergic neurons in the vlPAG may be considered a potential therapeutic target for the CPA response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Bai
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chaopeng Ou
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bilin Nie
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianxing Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yongtian Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jingxiu Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Handong Ouyang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Minghui Cao
- Department of Anesthesiology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Wan Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
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31
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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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32
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Ren X, Liu S, Virlogeux A, Kang SJ, Brusch J, Liu Y, Dymecki SM, Han S, Goulding M, Acton D. Identification of an essential spinoparabrachial pathway for mechanical itch. Neuron 2023; 111:1812-1829.e6. [PMID: 37023756 PMCID: PMC10446756 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.013] [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: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The sensation of itch is a protective response that is elicited by either mechanical or chemical stimuli. The neural pathways for itch transmission in the skin and spinal cord have been characterized previously, but the ascending pathways that transmit sensory information to the brain to evoke itch perception have not been identified. Here, we show that spinoparabrachial neurons co-expressing Calcrl and Lbx1 are essential for generating scratching responses to mechanical itch stimuli. Moreover, we find that mechanical and chemical itch are transmitted by separate ascending pathways to the parabrachial nucleus, where they engage separate populations of FoxP2PBN neurons to drive scratching behavior. In addition to revealing the architecture of the itch transmission circuitry required for protective scratching in healthy animals, we identify the cellular mechanisms underlying pathological itch by showing the ascending pathways for mechanical and chemical itch function cooperatively with the FoxP2PBN neurons to drive chronic itch and hyperknesis/alloknesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Ren
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Shijia Liu
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Amandine Virlogeux
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Sukjae J Kang
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jeremy Brusch
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- NIDCR, National Institute of Health, 35A Convent Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Susan M Dymecki
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sung Han
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Martyn Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - David Acton
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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33
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Zhang Y, Huang X, Xin WJ, He S, Deng J, Ruan X. Somatostatin Neurons from Periaqueductal Gray to Medulla Facilitate Neuropathic Pain in Male Mice. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:1020-1029. [PMID: 36641028 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Projections from the periaqueductal gray (PAG) to the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) are known to engage in descending pain modulation, but how the neural substrates of the PAG-RVM projections contribute to neuropathic pain remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed somatostatin-expressing glutamatergic neurons in the lateral/ventrolateral PAG that facilitate mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in a mouse model of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. We found that these neurons form direct excitatory connections with neurons in the RVM region. Inhibition of this PAG-RVM projection alleviates mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity associated with neuropathy, whereas its activation enhances hypersensitivity in the mice. Thus, our findings revealed that somatostatin neurons within the PAG-RVM axial are crucial for descending pain facilitation and can potentially be exploited as a useful therapeutic target for neuropathic pain. PERSPECTIVE: We report the profound contribution of somatostatin neurons within the PAG-RVM projections to descending pain facilitation underlying neuropathic pain. These results may help to develop central therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehong Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuelin Huang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Clinical Molecular Medicine and Diagnostics, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Wen-Jun Xin
- Zhongshan Medical School and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shilang He
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jie Deng
- Zhongshan Medical School and Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangcai Ruan
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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Kupari J, Ernfors P. Molecular taxonomy of nociceptors and pruriceptors. Pain 2023; 164:1245-1257. [PMID: 36718807 PMCID: PMC10184562 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jussi Kupari
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrik Ernfors
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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35
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Wang K, Cai B, Song Y, Chen Y, Zhang X. Somatosensory neuron types and their neural networks as revealed via single-cell transcriptomics. Trends Neurosci 2023:S0166-2236(23)00130-3. [PMID: 37268541 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) has allowed profiling cell types of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and their transcriptional states in physiology and chronic pain. However, the evaluation criteria used in previous studies to classify DRG neurons varied, which presents difficulties in determining the various types of DRG neurons. In this review, we aim to integrate findings from previous transcriptomic studies of the DRG. We first briefly introduce the history of DRG-neuron cell-type profiling, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different scRNA-seq methods. We then examine the classification of DRG neurons based on single-cell profiling under physiological and pathological conditions. Finally, we propose further studies on the somatosensory system at the molecular, cellular, and neural network levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaikai Wang
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin 519031, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China; Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, China
| | - Bing Cai
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin 519031, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China; Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yurang Song
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin 519031, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China; Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin 519031, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China; Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, China; Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Hengqin 519031, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China; SIMR Joint Lab of Drug Innovation, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201210, China; Research Unit of Pain Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Hengqin, Zhuhai, China; Xuhui Central Hospital, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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36
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Wang L, Su X, Yan J, Wu Q, Xu X, Wang X, Liu X, Song X, Zhang Z, Hu W, Liu X, Zhang Y. Involvement of Mrgprd-expressing nociceptors-recruited spinal mechanisms in nerve injury-induced mechanical allodynia. iScience 2023; 26:106764. [PMID: 37250305 PMCID: PMC10214713 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia are intractable symptoms lacking effective clinical treatments in patients with neuropathic pain. However, whether and how mechanically responsive non-peptidergic nociceptors are involved remains elusive. Here, we showed that von Frey-evoked static allodynia and aversion, along with mechanical hyperalgesia after spared nerve injury (SNI) were reduced by ablation of MrgprdCreERT2-marked neurons. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that SNI-opened Aβ-fiber inputs to laminae I-IIo and vIIi, as well as C-fiber inputs to vIIi, were all attenuated in Mrgprd-ablated mice. In addition, priming chemogenetic or optogenetic activation of Mrgprd+ neurons drove mechanical allodynia and aversion to low-threshold mechanical stimuli, along with mechanical hyperalgesia. Mechanistically, gated Aβ and C inputs to vIIi were opened, potentially via central sensitization by dampening potassium currents. Altogether, we uncovered the involvement of Mrgprd+ nociceptors in nerve injury-induced mechanical pain and dissected the underlying spinal mechanisms, thus providing insights into potential therapeutic targets for pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangbiao Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xiaojing Su
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Jinjin Yan
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Qiaofeng Wu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, 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, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xinyue Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Song
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Wei Hu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
| | - Xinfeng Liu
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, 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, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China
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37
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Li T, Li J, Zhao R, Zhou J, Chu X. Deficits in the thalamocortical pathway associated with hypersensitivity to pain in patients with frozen shoulder. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1180873. [PMID: 37265462 PMCID: PMC10229835 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1180873] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose Frozen shoulder (FS) is a chronic pain condition and has been shown to be associated with pain sensitization. However, the underyling brain mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we aimed to explore brain alterations and their association with pain sensitization in patients with FS. Materials and methods A total of 54 FS patients and 52 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Here, we applied both structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to investigate brain abnormalities in FS patients. Voxel-wise comparisons were performed to reveal the differences in the gray matter volume (GMV) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) between FS patients and HCs. Furthermore, the region of interest (ROI) to whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated and compared between groups. Finally, Pearson's correlation coefficients were computed to reveal the association between clinical data and brain alterations. Results Four main findings were observed: (1) FS patients exhibited decreased thalamus GMV, which correlated with pain intensity and pain threshold; (2) relative to HCs, FS patients exhibited a higher level of ALFF within the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the thalamus; (3) FS patients exhibited a significant increase in Tha-S1 FC compared to HCs; and (4) the effect of thalamus GMV on pain intensity was mediated by pain threshold in FS patients. Conclusion The dysfunctional thalamus might induce pain hypersensitivity, which further aggravates the pain in FS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tengshuai Li
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tianjin Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jiaming Zhou
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Xu Chu
- Department of Orthopaedics, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xian, China
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38
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Pan Q, Guo SS, Chen M, Su XY, Gao ZL, Wang Q, Xu TL, Liu MG, Hu J. Representation and control of pain and itch by distinct prefrontal neural ensembles. Neuron 2023:S0896-6273(23)00342-2. [PMID: 37224813 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.04.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Pain and itch are two closely related but essentially distinct sensations that elicit different behavioral responses. However, it remains mysterious how pain and itch information is encoded in the brain to produce differential perceptions. Here, we report that nociceptive and pruriceptive signals are separately represented and processed by distinct neural ensembles in the prelimbic (PL) subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in mice. Pain- and itch-responsive cortical neural ensembles were found to significantly differ in electrophysiological properties, input-output connectivity profiles, and activity patterns to nociceptive or pruriceptive stimuli. Moreover, these two groups of cortical neural ensembles oppositely modulate pain- or itch-related sensory and emotional behaviors through their preferential projections to specific downstream regions such as the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and basolateral amygdala (BLA). These findings uncover separate representations of pain and itch by distinct prefrontal neural ensembles and provide a new framework for understanding somatosensory information processing in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Pan
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Su-Shan Guo
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Ming Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xin-Yu Su
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Zi-Long Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Qi Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Tian-Le Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China; Songjiang Hospital and Songjiang Research Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201600, China; Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai 201210, China.
| | - Ming-Gang Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China.
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200030, China.
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39
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Huo J, Du F, Duan K, Yin G, Liu X, Ma Q, Dong D, Sun M, Hao M, Su D, Huang T, Ke J, Lai S, Zhang Z, Guo C, Sun Y, Cheng L. Identification of brain-to-spinal circuits controlling the laterality and duration of mechanical allodynia in mice. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112300. [PMID: 36952340 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical allodynia (MA) represents one prevalent symptom of chronic pain. Previously we and others have identified spinal and brain circuits that transmit or modulate the initial establishment of MA. However, brain-derived descending pathways that control the laterality and duration of MA are still poorly understood. Here we report that the contralateral brain-to-spinal circuits, from Oprm1 neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus (lPBNOprm1), via Pdyn neurons in the dorsal medial regions of hypothalamus (dmHPdyn), to the spinal dorsal horn (SDH), act to prevent nerve injury from inducing contralateral MA and reduce the duration of bilateral MA induced by capsaicin. Ablating/silencing dmH-projecting lPBNOprm1 neurons or SDH-projecting dmHPdyn neurons, deleting Dyn peptide from dmH, or blocking spinal κ-opioid receptors all led to long-lasting bilateral MA. Conversely, activation of dmHPdyn neurons or their axonal terminals in SDH can suppress sustained bilateral MA induced by lPBN lesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiantao Huo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Feng Du
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Kaifang Duan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Guangjuan Yin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Xi Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Quan Ma
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Dong Dong
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mengge Sun
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Mei Hao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Dongmei Su
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Tianwen Huang
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Jin Ke
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Shishi Lai
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Diseases, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Chao Guo
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yuanjie Sun
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Longzhen Cheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Department of Biology, Brain Research Center, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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40
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Nees TA, Wang N, Adamek P, Zeitzschel N, Verkest C, La Porta C, Schaefer I, Virnich J, Balkaya S, Prato V, Morelli C, Begay V, Lee YJ, Tappe-Theodor A, Lewin GR, Heppenstall PA, Taberner FJ, Lechner SG. Role of TMEM100 in mechanically insensitive nociceptor un-silencing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1899. [PMID: 37019973 PMCID: PMC10076432 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37602-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanically silent nociceptors are sensory afferents that are insensitive to noxious mechanical stimuli under normal conditions but become sensitized to such stimuli during inflammation. Using RNA-sequencing and quantitative RT-PCR we demonstrate that inflammation upregulates the expression of the transmembrane protein TMEM100 in silent nociceptors and electrophysiology revealed that over-expression of TMEM100 is required and sufficient to un-silence silent nociceptors in mice. Moreover, we show that mice lacking TMEM100 do not develop secondary mechanical hypersensitivity-i.e., pain hypersensitivity that spreads beyond the site of inflammation-during knee joint inflammation and that AAV-mediated overexpression of TMEM100 in articular afferents in the absence of inflammation is sufficient to induce mechanical hypersensitivity in remote skin regions without causing knee joint pain. Thus, our work identifies TMEM100 as a key regulator of silent nociceptor un-silencing and reveals a physiological role for this hitherto enigmatic afferent subclass in triggering spatially remote secondary mechanical hypersensitivity during inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timo A Nees
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department for Orthopeadics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Na Wang
- Institute of Pathophysiology, Yan'an University, Yan'an, China
| | - Pavel Adamek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nadja Zeitzschel
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Clement Verkest
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Carmen La Porta
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Irina Schaefer
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julie Virnich
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Selin Balkaya
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Vincenzo Prato
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Chiara Morelli
- SISSA: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy
| | - Valerie Begay
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Young Jae Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, Lee Gil Ya Cancer and Diabetes Institute, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Paul A Heppenstall
- SISSA: Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy
| | - Francisco J Taberner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Instituto de Neurosciencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández - CSIC, Alicante, Spain
| | - Stefan G Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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41
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Weinrich JA, Liu CD, Jewell ME, Andolina CR, Bernstein MX, Benitez J, Rodriguez-Rosado S, Braz JM, Maze M, Nemenov MI, Basbaum AI. Paradoxical increases in anterior cingulate cortex activity during nitrous oxide-induced analgesia reveal a signature of pain affect. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.03.534475. [PMID: 37066151 PMCID: PMC10104003 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.534475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
The general consensus is that increases in neuronal activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contribute to pain's negative affect. Here, using in vivo imaging of neuronal calcium dynamics in mice, we report that nitrous oxide, a general anesthetic that reduces pain affect, paradoxically, increases ACC spontaneous activity. As expected, a noxious stimulus also increased ACC activity. However, as nitrous oxide increases baseline activity, the relative change in activity from pre-stimulus baseline was significantly less than the change in the absence of the general anesthetic. We suggest that this relative change in activity represents a neural signature of the affective pain experience. Furthermore, this signature of pain persists under general anesthesia induced by isoflurane, at concentrations in which the mouse is unresponsive. We suggest that this signature underlies the phenomenon of connected consciousness, in which use of the isolated forelimb technique revealed that pain percepts can persist in anesthetized patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarret Ap Weinrich
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Cindy D Liu
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Madison E Jewell
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Christopher R Andolina
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mollie X Bernstein
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jorge Benitez
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sian Rodriguez-Rosado
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Joao M Braz
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mervyn Maze
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mikhail I Nemenov
- Lasmed, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- Department of Anesthesia, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94035, USA
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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42
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Shekhtmeyster P, Carey EM, Duarte D, Ngo A, Gao G, Nelson NA, Clark CL, Nimmerjahn A. Multiplex translaminar imaging in the spinal cord of behaving mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1427. [PMID: 36944637 PMCID: PMC10030868 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36959-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
While the spinal cord is known to play critical roles in sensorimotor processing, including pain-related signaling, corresponding activity patterns in genetically defined cell types across spinal laminae have remained challenging to investigate. Calcium imaging has enabled cellular activity measurements in behaving rodents but is currently limited to superficial regions. Here, using chronically implanted microprisms, we imaged sensory and motor-evoked activity in regions and at speeds inaccessible by other high-resolution imaging techniques. To enable translaminar imaging in freely behaving animals through implanted microprisms, we additionally developed wearable microscopes with custom-compound microlenses. This system addresses multiple challenges of previous wearable microscopes, including their limited working distance, resolution, contrast, and achromatic range. Using this system, we show that dorsal horn astrocytes in behaving mice show sensorimotor program-dependent and lamina-specific calcium excitation. Additionally, we show that tachykinin precursor 1 (Tac1)-expressing neurons exhibit translaminar activity to acute mechanical pain but not locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Shekhtmeyster
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Erin M Carey
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Daniela Duarte
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Alexander Ngo
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Grace Gao
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas A Nelson
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- Biological Sciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Charles L Clark
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Axel Nimmerjahn
- Waitt Advanced Biophotonics Center, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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43
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Zhou H, Li M, Zhao R, Sun L, Yang G. A sleep-active basalocortical pathway crucial for generation and maintenance of chronic pain. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:458-469. [PMID: 36690899 PMCID: PMC10010379 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01250-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Poor sleep is associated with the risk of developing chronic pain, but how sleep contributes to pain chronicity remains unclear. Here we show that following peripheral nerve injury, cholinergic neurons in the anterior nucleus basalis (aNB) of the basal forebrain are increasingly active during nonrapid eye movement (NREM) sleep in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. These neurons directly activate vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-expressing interneurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), causing disinhibition of pyramidal neurons and allodynia. The hyperactivity of aNB neurons is caused by the increased inputs from the parabrachial nucleus (PB) driven by the injured peripheral afferents. Inhibition of this pathway during NREM sleep, but not wakefulness, corrects neuronal hyperactivation and alleviates pain. Our results reveal that the PB-aNB-S1 pathway during sleep is critical for the generation and maintenance of chronic pain. Inhibiting this pathway during the sleep phase could be important for treating neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Zhou
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miao Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ruohe Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Skirball Institute, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Linlin Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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44
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Qi L, Lin SH, Ma Q. Spinal VGLUT3 lineage neurons drive visceral mechanical allodynia but not sensitized visceromotor reflexes. Neuron 2023; 111:669-681.e5. [PMID: 36584681 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Visceral pain is among the most prevalent and bothersome forms of chronic pain, but their transmission in the spinal cord is still poorly understood. Here, we conducted focal colorectal distention (fCRD) to drive both visceromotor responses (VMRs) and aversion. We first found that spinal CCK neurons were necessary for noxious fCRD to drive both VMRs and aversion under naive conditions. We next showed that spinal VGLUT3 neurons mediate visceral allodynia, whose ablation caused loss of aversion evoked by low-intensity fCRD in mice with gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation or spinal circuit disinhibition. Importantly, these neurons were dispensable for driving sensitized VMRs under both inflammatory and central disinhibition conditions. Anatomically, a subset of VGLUT3 neurons projected to parabrachial nuclei, whose photoactivation sufficiently generated aversion in mice with GI inflammation, without influencing VMRs. Our studies suggest the presence of different spinal substrates that transmit nociceptive versus affective dimensions of visceral sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Qi
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shing-Hong Lin
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Qiufu Ma
- Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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45
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Torres-Rodriguez JM, Wilson TD, Singh S, Chaudhry S, Adke AP, Becker JJ, Lin JL, Martinez Gonzalez S, Soler-Cedeño O, Carrasquillo Y. The parabrachial to central amygdala circuit is a key mediator of injury-induced pain sensitization. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.08.527340. [PMID: 36945586 PMCID: PMC10028796 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.08.527340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
The spino-ponto-amygdaloid pathway is a major ascending circuit relaying nociceptive information from the spinal cord to the brain. Potentiation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the parabrachial nucleus (PbN) to central amygdala (CeA) pathway has been reported in rodent models of persistent pain. At the behavioral level, the PbN→CeA pathway has been proposed to serve as a general alarm system to potential threats that modulates pain-related escape behaviors, threat memory, aversion, and affective-motivational (but not somatosensory) responses to painful stimuli. Increased sensitivity to previously innocuous somatosensory stimulation is a hallmark of chronic pain. Whether the PbN→CeA circuit contributes to heightened peripheral sensitivity following an injury, however, remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that activation of CeA-projecting PbN neurons contributes to injury-induced behavioral hypersensitivity but not baseline nociception in male and female mice. Using optogenetic assisted circuit mapping, we confirmed a functional excitatory projection from PbN→CeA that is independent of the genetic or firing identity of CeA cells. We then showed that peripheral noxious stimulation increases the expression of the neuronal activity marker c-Fos in CeA-projecting PbN neurons and chemogenetic inactivation of these cells reduces behavioral hypersensitivity in models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain without affecting baseline nociception. Lastly, we show that chemogenetic activation of CeA-projecting PbN neurons is sufficient to induce bilateral hypersensitivity without injury. Together, our results demonstrate that the PbN→CeA pathway is a key modulator of pain-related behaviors that can amplify responses to somatosensory stimulation in pathological states without affecting nociception under normal physiological conditions. Significance Statement Early studies identified the spino-ponto-amygdaloid pathway as a major ascending circuit conveying nociceptive inputs from the spinal cord to the brain. The functional significance of this circuit to injury-induced hypersensitivity, however, remains unknown. Here, we addressed this gap in knowledge using viral-mediated anatomical tracers, ex-vivo electrophysiology and chemogenetic intersectional approaches in rodent models of persistent pain. We found that activation of this pathway contributes to injury-induced hypersensitivity, directly demonstrating a critical function of the PbN→CeA circuit in pain modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Torri D. Wilson
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sudhuman Singh
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sarah Chaudhry
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anisha P. Adke
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jordan J. Becker
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jenny L. Lin
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | | | - Omar Soler-Cedeño
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yarimar Carrasquillo
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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46
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Yadav A, Matson KJE, Li L, Hua I, Petrescu J, Kang K, Alkaslasi MR, Lee DI, Hasan S, Galuta A, Dedek A, Ameri S, Parnell J, Alshardan MM, Qumqumji FA, Alhamad SM, Wang AP, Poulen G, Lonjon N, Vachiery-Lahaye F, Gaur P, Nalls MA, Qi YA, Maric D, Ward ME, Hildebrand ME, Mery PF, Bourinet E, Bauchet L, Tsai EC, Phatnani H, Le Pichon CE, Menon V, Levine AJ. A cellular taxonomy of the adult human spinal cord. Neuron 2023; 111:328-344.e7. [PMID: 36731429 PMCID: PMC10044516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian spinal cord functions as a community of cell types for sensory processing, autonomic control, and movement. While animal models have advanced our understanding of spinal cellular diversity, characterizing human biology directly is important to uncover specialized features of basic function and human pathology. Here, we present a cellular taxonomy of the adult human spinal cord using single-nucleus RNA sequencing with spatial transcriptomics and antibody validation. We identified 29 glial clusters and 35 neuronal clusters, organized principally by anatomical location. To demonstrate the relevance of this resource to human disease, we analyzed spinal motoneurons, which degenerate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases. We found that compared with other spinal neurons, human motoneurons are defined by genes related to cell size, cytoskeletal structure, and ALS, suggesting a specialized molecular repertoire underlying their selective vulnerability. We include a web resource to facilitate further investigations into human spinal cord biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Yadav
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kaya J E Matson
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins University Department of Biology, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Li Li
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isabelle Hua
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joana Petrescu
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristy Kang
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mor R Alkaslasi
- Unit on the Development of Neurodegeneration, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Dylan I Lee
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Saadia Hasan
- Inherited Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ahmad Galuta
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Annemarie Dedek
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sara Ameri
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Parnell
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Saud M Alhamad
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alick Pingbei Wang
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Gaetan Poulen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Lonjon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
| | - Florence Vachiery-Lahaye
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
| | - Pallavi Gaur
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mike A Nalls
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Data Tecnica International LLC, Glen Echo, MD, USA
| | - Yue A Qi
- Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dragan Maric
- Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core Facility, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- Inherited Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael E Hildebrand
- Inherited Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA; Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Pierre-Francois Mery
- Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Bourinet
- Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Luc Bauchet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France; Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Eve C Tsai
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claire E Le Pichon
- Unit on the Development of Neurodegeneration, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ariel J Levine
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Chen Y, Xu W, Shafiq M, Song D, Wang T, Yuan Z, Xie X, Yu X, Shen Y, Sun B, Liu Y, Mo X. Injectable nanofiber microspheres modified with metal phenolic networks for effective osteoarthritis treatment. Acta Biomater 2023; 157:593-608. [PMID: 36435438 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.11.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common chronic musculoskeletal diseases, which accounts for a large proportion of physical disabilities worldwide. Herein, we fabricated injectable gelatin/poly(L-lactide)-based nanofibrous microspheres (MS) via electrospraying technology, which were further modified with tannic acid (TA) named as TMS or metal phenolic networks (MPNs) consisting of TA and strontium ions (Sr2+) and named as TSMS to enhance their bioactivity for OA therapy. The TA-modified microspheres exhibited stable porous structure and anti-oxidative activity. Notably, TSMS showed a sustained release of TA as compared to TMS, which exhibited a burst release of TA. While all types of microspheres exhibited good cytocompatibility, TSMS displayed good anti-inflammatory properties with higher cell viability and cartilage-related extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion. The TSMS microspheres also showed less apoptosis of chondrocytes in the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced inflammatory environment. The TSMS also inhibited the degradation of cartilage along with the considerable repair outcome in the papain-induced OA rabbit model in vivo as well as suppressed the expression level of inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β). Taken together, TSMS may provide a highly desirable therapeutic option for intra-articular treatment of OA. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic disease, which is caused by the inflammation of joint. Current treatments for OA achieve pain relief but hardly prevent or slow down the disease progression. Microspheres are at the forefront of drug delivery and tissue engineering applications, which can also be minimal-invasively injected into the joint. Polyphenols and therapeutic ions have been shown to be beneficial for the treatment of diseases related to the joints, including OA. Herein, we prepared gelatin/poly(L-lactide)-based nanofibrous microspheres (MS) via electrospinning incorporated electrospraying technology and functionalized them with the metal phenolic networks (MPNs) consisting of TA and strontium ions (Sr2+), and assessed their potential for OA therapy both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujie Chen
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Research Institute of Plastic Surgery, Wei Fang Medical College, Weifang 261000, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Stem Cell Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Huangpu, Shanghai 200001, China; Department of Plastic Surgery, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 758 Hefei Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266035, China
| | - Muhammad Shafiq
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China; Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.
| | - Daiying Song
- Research Institute of Plastic Surgery, Wei Fang Medical College, Weifang 261000, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Stem Cell Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Huangpu, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Plastic and Cosmetic Surgery, Shanghai Tongji Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200001, China
| | - Zhengchao Yuan
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Xianrui Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Prescription Effect and Clinical Evaluation of State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Yihong Shen
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Binbin Sun
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Research Institute of Plastic Surgery, Wei Fang Medical College, Weifang 261000, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Tissue Engineering, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Shanghai 9th People's Hospital, Shanghai Stem Cell Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Huangpu, Shanghai 200001, China.
| | - Xiumei Mo
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Nano-Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Donghua University, Songjiang, Shanghai 201600, China.
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48
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Chari T, Hernandez A, Portera-Cailliau C. A novel head-fixed assay for social touch in mice uncovers aversive responses in two autism models. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523491. [PMID: 36711563 PMCID: PMC9882020 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Social touch, an important aspect of social interaction and communication, is essential to kinship across animal species. How animals experience and respond to social touch has not been thoroughly investigated, in part due to the lack of appropriate assays. Previous studies that examined social touch in freely moving rodents lacked the necessary temporal and spatial control over individual touch interactions. We designed a novel head-fixed assay for social touch in mice, in which the experimenter has complete control to elicit highly stereotyped bouts of social touch between two animals. The user determines the number, duration, context, and type of social touch interactions, while monitoring with high frame rate cameras an array of complex behavioral responses. We focused on social touch to the face because of their high translational relevance to humans. We validated this assay in two different models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the Fmr1 knockout model of Fragile X Syndrome and maternal immune activation mice. We observed increased avoidance, hyperarousal, and more aversive facial expressions to social touch, but not to object touch, in both ASD models compared to controls. Because this new social touch assay for head-fixed mice can be used to record neural activity during repeated bouts of social touch it should be of interest to neuroscientists interested in uncovering the underlying circuits.
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49
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Sex differences in pain-related behaviors and clinical progression of disease in mouse models of colonic pain. Pain 2023; 164:197-215. [PMID: 35559931 PMCID: PMC9756435 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Previous studies have reported sex differences in patients with irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease, including differences in visceral pain perception. Despite this, sex differences in behavioral manifestations of visceral pain and underlying pathology of the gastrointestinal tract have been largely understudied in preclinical research. In this study, we evaluated potential sex differences in spontaneous nociceptive responses, referred abdominal hypersensitivity, disease progression, and bowel pathology in mouse models of acute and persistent colon inflammation. Our experiments show that females exhibit more nociceptive responses and referred abdominal hypersensitivity than males in the context of acute but not persistent colon inflammation. We further demonstrate that, after acute and persistent colon inflammation, pain-related behavioral responses in females and males are distinct, with increases in licking of the abdomen only observed in females and increases in abdominal contractions only seen in males. During persistent colon inflammation, males exhibit worse disease progression than females, which is manifested as worse physical appearance and higher weight loss. However, no measurable sex differences were observed in persistent inflammation-induced bowel pathology, stool consistency, or fecal blood. Overall, our findings demonstrate sex differences in pain-related behaviors and disease progression in the context of acute and persistent colon inflammation, highlighting the importance of considering sex as a biological variable in future mechanistic studies of visceral pain as well as in the development of diagnostics and therapeutic options for chronic gastrointestinal diseases.
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50
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Grpr expression defines a population of superficial dorsal horn vertical cells that have a role in both itch and pain. Pain 2023; 164:149-170. [PMID: 35543635 PMCID: PMC9756441 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neurons in the superficial dorsal horn that express the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) are strongly implicated in spinal itch pathways. However, a recent study reported that many of these correspond to vertical cells, a population of interneurons that are believed to transmit nociceptive information. In this study, we have used a GRPR CreERT2 mouse line to identify and target cells that possess Grpr mRNA. We find that the GRPR cells are highly concentrated in lamina I and the outer part of lamina II, that they are all glutamatergic, and that they account for ∼15% of the excitatory neurons in the superficial dorsal horn. We had previously identified 6 neurochemically distinct excitatory interneuron populations in this region based on neuropeptide expression and the GRPR cells are largely separate from these, although they show some overlap with cells that express substance P. Anatomical analysis revealed that the GRPR neurons are indeed vertical cells, and that their axons target each other, as well as arborising in regions that contain projection neurons: lamina I, the lateral spinal nucleus, and the lateral part of lamina V. Surprisingly, given the proposed role of GRPR cells in itch, we found that most of the cells received monosynaptic input from Trpv1-expressing (nociceptive) afferents, that the majority responded to noxious and pruritic stimuli, and that chemogenetically activating them resulted in pain-related and itch-related behaviours. Together, these findings suggest that the GRPR cells are involved in spinal cord circuits that underlie both pain and itch.
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