1
|
Wang W, Liu W, Liu S, Duan D, Ma Y, Zhang Z, Li C, Tang Y, Wang Z, Xing Y. Specific Activation of Dopamine Receptor D1 Expressing Neurons in the PrL Alleviates CSDS-Induced Anxiety-Like Behavior Comorbidity with Postoperative Hyperalgesia in Male Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04444-6. [PMID: 39177734 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04444-6] [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: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Postoperative pain is a type of pain that occurs in clinical patients after surgery. Among the factors influencing the transition from acute postoperative pain to chronic postoperative pain, chronic stress has received much attention in recent years. Here, we investigated the role of dopamine receptor D1/D2 expressing pyramidal neurons in the prelimbic cortex (PrL) in modulating chronic social defeat stress (CSDS)-induced anxiety-like behavior comorbidity with postoperative hyperalgesia in male mice. Our results showed that preoperative CSDS induced anxiety-like behavior and significantly prolonged postoperative pain caused by plantar incision, but did not affect plantar wound recovery and inflammation. Reduced activation of dopamine receptor D1 or D2 expressing neurons in the PrL is a remarkable feature of male mice after CSDS, and chronic inhibition of dopamine receptor D1 or D2 expressing neurons in the PrL induced anxiety-like behavior and persistent postoperative pain. Further studies found that activation of D1 expressing but not D2 expressing neurons in the PrL ameliorated CSDS-induced anxiety-like behavior and postoperative hyperalgesia. Our results suggest that dopamine receptor D1 expressing neurons in the PrL play a crucial role in CSDS-induced anxiety-like behavior comorbidity with postoperative hyperalgesia in male mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wang Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100 Science Road, Gao-Xin District, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
- The Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Weizhen Liu
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100 Science Road, Gao-Xin District, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
- The Academy of Medical Sciences of Zhengzhou University, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Sufang Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX75246, USA
| | - Dongxiao Duan
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100 Science Road, Gao-Xin District, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yajing Ma
- College of Biology and Food, Shangqiu Normal University, Shangqiu, 476000, China
| | - Zijuan Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou, 450046, China
| | - Changsheng Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Yuanyuan Tang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, 453003, China
| | - Zhiju Wang
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100 Science Road, Gao-Xin District, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Ying Xing
- Department of Physiology and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, No.100 Science Road, Gao-Xin District, Henan, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Barbelivien A, Durieux L, Seys E, Majchrzak M. Intermittent working memory training during adulthood protects against age-related long-term spatial reference memory decline in rats. GeroScience 2024; 46:2223-2237. [PMID: 37910304 PMCID: PMC10828346 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-023-00993-1] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Engagement in cognitive activity in adulthood is one of the factors that enable successful cognitive aging, both in humans and rodents. However, some studies emphasize that the beneficial effect on cognition of such an activity may reflect carry over from one test situation to another, including memory for procedural aspects of the behavioral tasks, and thus question whether this effect can be limited to the trained cognitive domain or whether it can be transferred to an untrained ones. In the current study, we assessed whether adulthood intermittent working memory training has beneficial effect on long-term memory of aged rats using two very different test situations. To this aim, rats trained in a delayed non-matching to position task in operant box at 3 and 15 months of age were tested in a place learning task in water maze when they were 24 months. The two tasks differ with regard to the cognitive domain but also in their spatial ability requirement and the nature of the reinforcer used. During the memory tests, accuracy of the platform search indicated age-related impairment only in the aged-untrained group. Thus, intermittent training during adult life in a task involving working memory protects aged animals from the deleterious effects of aging on spatial reference memory. This result highlights the long-term beneficial effects of training on a working memory task on an untrained cognitive domain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Barbelivien
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS, GDR Mémoire, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
| | - Laura Durieux
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS, GDR Mémoire, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Eliabel Seys
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS, GDR Mémoire, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Monique Majchrzak
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives, UMR 7364, CNRS, GDR Mémoire, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Han S, Wang J, Zhang W, Tian X. Chronic Pain-Related Cognitive Deficits: Preclinical Insights into Molecular, Cellular, and Circuit Mechanisms. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04073-z. [PMID: 38470516 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04073-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a common comorbidity of chronic pain, significantly disrupting patients' quality of life. Despite this comorbidity being clinically recognized, the underlying neuropathological mechanisms remain unclear. Recent preclinical studies have focused on the fundamental mechanisms underlying the coexistence of chronic pain and cognitive decline. Pain chronification is accompanied by structural and functional changes in the neural substrate of cognition. Based on the developments in electrophysiology and optogenetics/chemogenetics, we summarized the relevant neural circuits involved in pain-induced cognitive impairment, as well as changes in connectivity and function in brain regions. We then present the cellular and molecular alternations related to pain-induced cognitive impairment in preclinical studies, mainly including modifications in neuronal excitability and structure, synaptic plasticity, glial cells and cytokines, neurotransmitters and other neurochemicals, and the gut-brain axis. Finally, we also discussed the potential treatment strategies and future research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Siyi Han
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Xuebi Tian
- Department of Anesthesiology, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Anesthesia, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095 Jiefang Avenue, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Neugebauer V, Kiritoshi T. Corticolimbic plasticity in pain: hippocampus joins the party. Pain 2023; 165:00006396-990000000-00445. [PMID: 37889585 PMCID: PMC11045655 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX, USA
- Garrison Institute on Aging, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Takaki Kiritoshi
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kuang J, Kafetzopoulos V, Deth R, Kocsis B. Dopamine D4 Receptor Agonist Drastically Increases Delta Activity in the Thalamic Nucleus Reuniens: Potential Role in Communication between Prefrontal Cortex and Hippocampus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15289. [PMID: 37894968 PMCID: PMC10607171 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015289] [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: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Network oscillations are essential for all cognitive functions. Oscillatory deficits are well established in psychiatric diseases and are recapitulated in animal models. They are significantly and specifically affected by pharmacological interventions using psychoactive compounds. Dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) activation was shown to enhance gamma rhythm in freely moving rats and to specifically affect slow delta and theta oscillations in the urethane-anesthetized rat model. The goal of this study was to test the effect of D4R activation on slow network oscillations at delta and theta frequencies during wake states, potentially supporting enhanced functional connectivity during dopamine-induced attention and cognitive processing. Network activity was recorded in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HC) and nucleus reuniens (RE) in control conditions and after injecting the D4R agonist A-412997 (3 and 5 mg/kg; systemic administration). We found that A-412997 elicited a lasting (~40 min) wake state and drastically enhanced narrow-band delta oscillations in the PFC and RE in a dose-dependent manner. It also preferentially enhanced delta synchrony over theta coupling within the PFC-RE-HC circuit, strongly strengthening PFC-RE coupling. Thus, our findings indicate that the D4R may contribute to cognitive processes, at least in part, through acting on wake delta oscillations and that the RE, providing an essential link between the PFC and HC, plays a prominent role in this mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J. Kuang
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (J.K.); (V.K.)
| | - V. Kafetzopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (J.K.); (V.K.)
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Richard Deth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328, USA;
| | - B. Kocsis
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (J.K.); (V.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wang A, Guo D, Cheng H, Jiang H, Liu X, Tie M. Regulatory mechanism of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi on bone cancer pain based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14394. [PMID: 36415861 PMCID: PMC9676018 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Context Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (SBG) may relieve bone cancer pain (BCP) by regulating cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Objective The mechanism of SBG in the treatment of BCP remains to be further explored. Methods The active compounds and targets of SBG were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction databases. BCP-related targets were screened from NCBI and GeneCards databases. Additionally, Cytoscape software was applied to construct network diagrams, and OmicShare platform was used to enrich Gene Ontology (GO) and pathways. Finally, the verification of active compounds and core targets was performed based on quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Results Interestingly, we identified baicalein and wogonin as the main active components of SBG. A total of 41 SBG targets, including VEGFA, IL6, MAPK3, JUN and TNF, were obtained in the treatment of BCP. In addition, pathways in cancer may be an essential way of SBG in the treatment of BCP. Experimental verification had shown that baicalein and wogonin were significantly related to BCP core targets. Conclusions The active components of SBG have been clarified, and the mechanism of the active components in treating BCP has been predicted and verified, which provides an experimental and theoretical basis for the in-depth elucidation of the pharmacodynamics material basis and mechanism of SBG.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aitao Wang
- Inner Mongolia People’s Hospital, Hohhot, China
| | - Dongmei Guo
- Inner Mongolia People’s Hospital, Hohhot, China
| | - Hongyu Cheng
- Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot, China
| | - Hui Jiang
- Baotou Medical College, Baotou, China
| | | | - Muer Tie
- Inner Mongolia People’s Hospital, Hohhot, China
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bogdanova OV, Bogdanov VB, Pizano A, Bouvard M, Cazalets JR, Mellen N, Amestoy A. The Current View on the Paradox of Pain in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:910824. [PMID: 35935443 PMCID: PMC9352888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.910824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which affects 1 in 44 children and may cause severe disabilities. Besides socio-communicational difficulties and repetitive behaviors, ASD also presents as atypical sensorimotor function and pain reactivity. While chronic pain is a frequent co-morbidity in autism, pain management in this population is often insufficient because of difficulties in pain evaluation, worsening their prognosis and perhaps driving higher mortality rates. Previous observations have tended to oversimplify the experience of pain in autism as being insensitive to painful stimuli. Various findings in the past 15 years have challenged and complicated this dogma. However, a relatively small number of studies investigates the physiological correlates of pain reactivity in ASD. We explore the possibility that atypical pain perception in people with ASD is mediated by alterations in pain perception, transmission, expression and modulation, and through interactions between these processes. These complex interactions may account for the great variability and sometimes contradictory findings from the studies. A growing body of evidence is challenging the idea of alterations in pain processing in ASD due to a single factor, and calls for an integrative view. We propose a model of the pain cycle that includes the interplay between the molecular and neurophysiological pathways of pain processing and it conscious appraisal that may interfere with pain reactivity and coping in autism. The role of social factors in pain-induced response is also discussed. Pain assessment in clinical care is mostly based on subjective rather than objective measures. This review clarifies the strong need for a consistent methodology, and describes innovative tools to cope with the heterogeneity of pain expression in ASD, enabling individualized assessment. Multiple measures, including self-reporting, informant reporting, clinician-assessed, and purely physiological metrics may provide more consistent results. An integrative view on the regulation of the pain cycle offers a more robust framework to characterize the experience of pain in autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olena V. Bogdanova
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Volodymyr B. Bogdanov
- Laboratoire EA 4136 – Handicap Activité Cognition Santé HACS, Collège Science de la Sante, Institut Universitaire des Sciences de la Réadaptation, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Adrien Pizano
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Manuel Bouvard
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jean-Rene Cazalets
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Nicholas Mellen
- Department of Neurology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
| | - Anouck Amestoy
- CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neuroscience, INCIA, UMR 5287, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Centre Hospitalier Charles-Perrens, Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l’Enfant et de l’Adolescent, Bordeaux, France
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cardoso-Cruz H, Laranjeira I, Monteiro C, Galhardo V. Altered prefrontal-striatal theta-band oscillatory dynamics underlie working memory deficits in neuropathic pain rats. Eur J Pain 2022; 26:1546-1568. [PMID: 35603472 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex (PL-mPFC) and nucleus accumbens core region (NAcc) play an important role in supporting several executive cognitive mechanisms, such as spatial working-memory (WM). Recently, this circuit has been also associated with both sensory and affective components of pain. However, it is still unclear whether this circuit is endogenously engaged in neuropathic pain-related cognitive dysfunctions. METHODS To answer this question, we induced the expression of halorhodopsin in local PL-mPFC neurons projecting to NAcc, and then selectively inhibited the terminals of these neurons in the NAcc while recording neural activity during the performance of a delayed non-match to sample (DNMS) spatial WM task. Within-subject behavioral performance and PL-mPFC to NAcc circuit neural activity was assessed after the onset of a persistent rodent neuropathic pain model - spared nerve injury (SNI). RESULTS Our results revealed that the induction of the neuropathy reduced WM performance, and altered the interplay between PL-mPFC and NAcc neurons namely in increasing the functional connectivity from NAcc to PL-mPFC, particularly in the theta-band spontaneous oscillations; in addition, these behavioral and functional perturbations were partially reversed by selective optogenetic inhibition of PL-mPFC neuron terminals into the NAcc during the DNMS task delay-period, without significant antinociceptive effects. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these results strongly suggest that the PL-mPFC excitatory output into the NAcc plays an important role in the deregulation of WM under pain conditions. SIGNIFICANCE Selective optogenetic inhibition of prefrontal-striatal microcircuit reverses pain-related working memory deficits, but has no significant impact on pain responses. Neuropathic pain underlies an increase of functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens core area and the prelimbic medial prefrontal cortex mediated by theta-band activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helder Cardoso-Cruz
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Inês Laranjeira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal.,Mestrado em Neurobiologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto. 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Monteiro
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vasco Galhardo
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Pain Neurobiology Group; Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Universidade do Porto, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina (FMUP), Departamento de Biomedicina - Unidade de Biologia Experimental; Universidade do Porto, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Guo F, Du Y, Qu FH, Lin SD, Chen Z, Zhang SH. Dissecting the Neural Circuitry for Pain Modulation and Chronic Pain: Insights from Optogenetics. Neurosci Bull 2022; 38:440-452. [PMID: 35249185 PMCID: PMC9068856 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00835-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage. The processing of pain involves complicated modulation at the levels of the periphery, spinal cord, and brain. The pathogenesis of chronic pain is still not fully understood, which makes the clinical treatment challenging. Optogenetics, which combines optical and genetic technologies, can precisely intervene in the activity of specific groups of neurons and elements of the related circuits. Taking advantage of optogenetics, researchers have achieved a body of new findings that shed light on the cellular and circuit mechanisms of pain transmission, pain modulation, and chronic pain both in the periphery and the central nervous system. In this review, we summarize recent findings in pain research using optogenetic approaches and discuss their significance in understanding the pathogenesis of chronic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Guo
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yu Du
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Feng-Hui Qu
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Shi-Da Lin
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Zhong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Neuropharmacology and Translational Medicine of Zhejiang Province, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China.
| | - Shi-Hong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Jefferson T, Kelly CJ, Martina M. Differential Rearrangement of Excitatory Inputs to the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Chronic Pain Models. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 15:791043. [PMID: 35002635 PMCID: PMC8738091 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.791043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain patients suffer a disrupted quality of life not only from the experience of pain itself, but also from comorbid symptoms such as depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, and sleep disturbances. The heterogeneity of these symptoms support the idea of a major involvement of the cerebral cortex in the chronic pain condition. Accordingly, abundant evidence shows that in chronic pain the activity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region that is critical for executive function and working memory, is severely impaired. Excitability of the mPFC depends on the integrated effects of intrinsic excitability and excitatory and inhibitory inputs. The main extracortical sources of excitatory input to the mPFC originate in the thalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala, which allow the mPFC to integrate multiple information streams necessary for cognitive control of pain including sensory information, context, and emotional salience. Recent techniques, such as optogenetic methods of circuit dissection, have made it possible to tease apart the contributions of individual circuit components. Here we review the synaptic properties of these main glutamatergic inputs to the rodent mPFC, how each is altered in animal models of chronic pain, and how these alterations contribute to pain-associated mPFC deactivation. By understanding the contributions of these individual circuit components, we strive to understand the broad spectrum of chronic pain and comorbid pathologies, how they are generated, and how they might be alleviated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Jefferson
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Marco Martina
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Wei X, Centeno MV, Ren W, Borruto AM, Procissi D, Xu T, Jabakhanji R, Mao Z, Kim H, Li Y, Yang Y, Gutruf P, Rogers JA, Surmeier DJ, Radulovic J, Liu X, Martina M, Apkarian AV. Activation of the dorsal, but not the ventral, hippocampus relieves neuropathic pain in rodents. Pain 2021; 162:2865-2880. [PMID: 34160168 PMCID: PMC8464622 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Accumulating evidence suggests hippocampal impairment under the chronic pain phenotype. However, it is unknown whether neuropathic behaviors are related to dysfunction of the hippocampal circuitry. Here, we enhanced hippocampal activity by pharmacological, optogenetic, and chemogenetic techniques to determine hippocampal influence on neuropathic pain behaviors. We found that excitation of the dorsal (DH), but not the ventral (VH) hippocampus induces analgesia in 2 rodent models of neuropathic pain (SNI and SNL) and in rats and mice. Optogenetic and pharmacological manipulations of DH neurons demonstrated that DH-induced analgesia was mediated by N-Methyl-D-aspartate and μ-opioid receptors. In addition to analgesia, optogenetic stimulation of the DH in SNI mice also resulted in enhanced real-time conditioned place preference for the chamber where the DH was activated, a finding consistent with pain relief. Similar manipulations in the VH were ineffective. Using chemo-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), where awake resting-state fMRI was combined with viral vector-mediated chemogenetic activation (PSAM/PSEM89s) of DH neurons, we demonstrated changes of functional connectivity between the DH and thalamus and somatosensory regions that tracked the extent of relief from tactile allodynia. Moreover, we examined hippocampal functional connectivity in humans and observe differential reorganization of its anterior and posterior subdivisions between subacute and chronic back pain. Altogether, these results imply that downregulation of the DH circuitry during chronic neuropathic pain aggravates pain-related behaviors. Conversely, activation of the DH reverses pain-related behaviors through local excitatory and opioidergic mechanisms affecting DH functional connectivity. Thus, this study exhibits a novel causal role for the DH but not the VH in controlling neuropathic pain-related behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuhong Wei
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
- Departments of Physiology and
| | | | | | | | - Daniele Procissi
- Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Ting Xu
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | | | | | - Yajing Li
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Yiyuan Yang
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Philipp Gutruf
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - John A. Rogers
- Departments of Materials Science and Engineering and
- Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | | | - Jelena Radulovic
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Xianguo Liu
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Marco Martina
- Departments of Physiology and
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Apkar Vania Apkarian
- Departments of Physiology and
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Anesthesia, at Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Barroso J, Branco P, Apkarian AV. Brain mechanisms of chronic pain: critical role of translational approach. Transl Res 2021; 238:76-89. [PMID: 34182187 PMCID: PMC8572168 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2021.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide and its prevalence is likely to increase over the next decades. Treatment for chronic pain remains insufficient and therapeutical advances have not made comparable progress with that for many chronic disorders, thus amplifying the concern on the future burden of the disease. At the same time, and even after decades of intense research, the underlying pathophysiology of chronic pain remains minimally understood. We believe advancing our current understanding of chronic pain requires mechanistically explicit, hypothesis-driven, and clinically focused models. In this review we highlight some of the main findings over the last decades that have contributed to the present knowledge of brain mechanisms of chronic pain, and how such advances were possible due to a reverse translational research approach. We argue that this approach is essential in the chronic pain field, in order to generate new scientific hypotheses, probe physiological mechanisms, develop therapeutic strategies and translate findings back into promising human clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joana Barroso
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Paulo Branco
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Apkar Vania Apkarian
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Entrainment of Astrocytic and Neuronal Ca 2+ Population Dynamics During Information Processing of Working Memory in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2021; 38:474-488. [PMID: 34699030 PMCID: PMC9106780 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00782-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are increasingly recognized to play an active role in learning and memory, but whether neural inputs can trigger event-specific astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics in real time to participate in working memory remains unclear due to the difficulties in directly monitoring astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics in animals performing tasks. Here, using fiber photometry, we showed that population astrocytic Ca2+ dynamics in the hippocampus were gated by sensory inputs (centered at the turning point of the T-maze) and modified by the reward delivery during the encoding and retrieval phases. Notably, there was a strong inter-locked and antagonistic relationship between the astrocytic and neuronal Ca2+ dynamics with a 3-s phase difference. Furthermore, there was a robust synchronization of astrocytic Ca2+ at the population level among the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and striatum. The inter-locked, bidirectional communication between astrocytes and neurons at the population level may contribute to the modulation of information processing in working memory.
Collapse
|
14
|
Bansal H, Gupta N, Roy S. Theoretical Analysis of Low-power Bidirectional Optogenetic Control of High-frequency Neural Codes with Single Spike Resolution. Neuroscience 2020; 449:165-188. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
15
|
Functional interrogation of neural circuits with virally transmitted optogenetic tools. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 345:108905. [PMID: 32795553 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate brain comprises a plethora of cell types connected by intertwined pathways. Optogenetics enriches the neuroscientific tool set for disentangling these neuronal circuits in a manner which exceeds the spatio-temporal precision of previously existing techniques. Technically, optogenetics can be divided in three types of optical and genetic combinations: (1) it is primarily understood as the manipulation of the activity of genetically modified cells (typically neurons) with light, i.e. optical actuators. (2) A second combination refers to visualizing the activity of genetically modified cells (again typically neurons), i.e. optical sensors. (3) A completely different interpretation of optogenetics refers to the light activated expression of a genetically induced construct. Here, we focus on the first two types of optogenetics, i.e. the optical actuators and sensors in an attempt to give an overview into the topic. We first cover methods to express opsins into neurons and introduce strategies of targeting specific neuronal populations in different animal species. We then summarize combinations of optogenetics with behavioral read out and neuronal imaging. Finally, we give an overview of the current state-of-the-art and an outlook on future perspectives.
Collapse
|
16
|
Guida F, De Gregorio D, Palazzo E, Ricciardi F, Boccella S, Belardo C, Iannotta M, Infantino R, Formato F, Marabese I, Luongo L, de Novellis V, Maione S. Behavioral, Biochemical and Electrophysiological Changes in Spared Nerve Injury Model of Neuropathic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093396. [PMID: 32403385 PMCID: PMC7246983 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a pathological condition induced by a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system, with symptoms like allodynia and hyperalgesia. It has a multifaceted pathogenesis as it implicates several molecular signaling pathways involving peripheral and central nervous systems. Affective and cognitive dysfunctions have been reported as comorbidities of neuropathic pain states, supporting the notion that pain and mood disorders share some common pathogenetic mechanisms. The understanding of these pathophysiological mechanisms requires the development of animal models mimicking, as far as possible, clinical neuropathic pain symptoms. Among them, the Spared Nerve Injury (SNI) model has been largely characterized in terms of behavioral and functional alterations. This model is associated with changes in neuronal firing activity at spinal and supraspinal levels, and induces late neuropsychiatric disorders (such as anxious-like and depressive-like behaviors, and cognitive impairments) comparable to an advanced phase of neuropathy. The goal of this review is to summarize current findings in preclinical research, employing the SNI model as a tool for identifying pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropathic pain and testing pharmacological agent.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Guida
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
- Correspondence: (F.G.); (S.M.)
| | - Danilo De Gregorio
- Neurobiological Psychiatry Unit, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A1A1, Canada;
| | - Enza Palazzo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Flavia Ricciardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Serena Boccella
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Carmela Belardo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Monica Iannotta
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Rosmara Infantino
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Federica Formato
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Ida Marabese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Livio Luongo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Vito de Novellis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
| | - Sabatino Maione
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Division of Pharmacology, University of Campania Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy; (E.P.); (F.R.); (S.B.); (C.B.); (M.I.); (R.I.); (F.F.); (I.M.); (L.L.); (V.d.N.)
- Correspondence: (F.G.); (S.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Abstract
Closed-loop optogenetic stimulation devices deliver optical stimulations based on real-time measurement and analysis of neural responses to stimulations. However, the use of large bench-top and tethered devices hinders the naturalistic test environment, which is crucial in pre-clinical neuroscience studies involving small rodent subjects. This paper presents a tetherless, lightweight and miniaturized head-mountable closed-loop optogenetic stimulation device. The device consists of three hardware modules: a hybrid electrode, an action potential detector, and an optogenetic stimulator. In addition, the device includes three software modules: a feature extractor, a control algorithm, and a pulse generator. The details of the design, implementation, and bench-testing of the device are presented. Furthermore, an in vitro test environment is formed using synthetic neural signals, wherein the device is validated for its closed-loop performance. During the in vitro validation, the device was able to identify abnormal neural signals, and trigger optical stimulation. On the other hand, it was able to also distinguish normal neural signals and inhibit optical stimulation. The overall power consumption of the device is 24 mW. The device measures 6 mm in radius and weighs 0.44 g excluding the power source.
Collapse
|