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Mogil JS, Parisien M, Esfahani SJ, Diatchenko L. Sex differences in mechanisms of pain hypersensitivity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105749. [PMID: 38838876 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105749] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of sex-as-a-biological-variable policies at funding agencies around the world has led to an explosion of very recent observations of sex differences in the biology underlying pain. This review considers evidence of sexually dimorphic mechanisms mediating pain hypersensitivity, derived from modern assays of persistent pain in rodent animal models. Three well-studied findings are described in detail: the male-specific role of spinal cord microglia, the female-specific role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and the female-specific role of prolactin and its receptor. Other findings of sex-specific molecular involvement in pain are subjected to pathway analyses and reveal at least one novel hypothesis: that females may preferentially use Th1 and males Th2 T cell activity to mediate chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey S Mogil
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada.
| | - Marc Parisien
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Sahel J Esfahani
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
| | - Luda Diatchenko
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada
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2
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Zurek NA, Thiyagarajan S, Ehsanian R, Goins AE, Goyal S, Shilling M, Lambert CG, Westlund KN, Alles SRA. Machine learning elucidates electrophysiological properties predictive of multi- and single-firing human and mouse dorsal root ganglia neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.03.597213. [PMID: 38895314 PMCID: PMC11185744 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.03.597213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Human and mouse dorsal root ganglia (hDRG and mDRG) neurons are important tools in understanding the molecular and electrophysiological mechanisms that underlie nociception and drive pain behaviors. One of the simplest differences in firing phenotypes is that neurons are single-firing (exhibit only one action potential) or multi-firing (exhibit 2 or more action potentials). To determine if single- and multi-firing hDRG exhibit differences in intrinsic properties, firing phenotypes, and AP waveform properties, and if these properties could be used to predict multi-firing, we measured 22 electrophysiological properties by whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology of 94 hDRG neurons from 6 male and 4 female donors. We then analyzed the data using several machine learning models to determine if these properties could be used to predict multi-firing. We used 1000 iterations of Monte Carlo Cross Validation to split the data into different train and test sets and tested the Logistic Regression, k-Nearest Neighbors, Random Forest, Supported Vector Classification, and XGBoost machine learning models. All models tested had a greater than 80% accuracy on average, with Supported Vector Classification and XGBoost performing the best. We found that several properties correlated with multi-firing hDRG neurons and together could be used to predict multi-firing neurons in hDRG including a long decay time, a low rheobase, and long first spike latency. We also found that the hDRG models were able to predict multi-firing with 90% accuracy in mDRG. Targeting the neuronal properties that lead to multi-firing could elucidate better targets for treatment of chronic pain.
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3
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Zurek NA, Ehsanian R, Goins AE, Adams IM, Petersen T, Goyal S, Shilling M, Westlund KN, Alles SRA. Electrophysiological Analyses of Human Dorsal Root Ganglia and Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Sensory Neurons From Male and Female Donors. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024; 25:104451. [PMID: 38154622 PMCID: PMC11128351 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.12.008] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons (hiPSC-SNs) and human dorsal root ganglia neurons (hDRG-N) are popular tools in the field of pain research; however, few groups make use of both approaches. For screening and analgesic validation purposes, important characterizations can be determined of the similarities and differences between hDRG-N and hiPSC-SNs. This study focuses specifically on the electrophysiology properties of hDRG-N in comparison to hiPSC-SNs. We also compared hDRG-N and hiPSC-SNs from both male and female donors to evaluate potential sex differences. We recorded neuronal size, rheobase, resting membrane potential, input resistance, and action potential waveform properties from 83 hiPSCs-SNs (2 donors) and 108 hDRG-N neurons (8 donors). We observed several statistically significant electrophysiological differences between hDRG-N and hiPSC-SNs, such as size, rheobase, input resistance, and several action potential waveform properties. Correlation analysis also revealed many properties that were positively or negatively correlated, some of which were differentially correlated between hDRG-N and hiPSC-SNs. This study shows several differences between hDRG-N and hiPSC-SNs and allows a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of both for use in pain research. We hope this study will be a valuable resource for pain researchers considering the use of these human in vitro systems for mechanistic studies and/or drug development projects. PERSPECTIVE: hiPSC-SNs and hDRG-N are popular tools in the field of pain research. This study allows for a better functional understanding of the pros and cons of both tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nesia A Zurek
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Reza Ehsanian
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Aleyah E Goins
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Ian M Adams
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Timothy Petersen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Sachin Goyal
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Mark Shilling
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Karin N Westlund
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Sascha R A Alles
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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4
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Arendt-Tranholm A, Mwirigi JM, Price TJ. RNA isoform expression landscape of the human dorsal root ganglion generated from long-read sequencing. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00606. [PMID: 38809314 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Splicing is a posttranscriptional RNA processing mechanism that enhances genomic complexity by creating multiple isoforms from the same gene. We aimed to characterize the isoforms expressed in the human peripheral nervous system, with the goal of creating a resource to identify novel isoforms of functionally relevant genes associated with somatosensation and nociception. We used long-read sequencing to document isoform expression in the human dorsal root ganglia from 3 organ donors and validated in silico by confirming expression in short-read sequencing from 3 independent organ donors. Nineteen thousand five hundred forty-seven isoforms of protein-coding genes were detected and validated. We identified 763 isoforms with at least one previously undescribed splice junction. Previously unannotated isoforms of multiple pain-associated genes, including ASIC3, MRGPRX1, and HNRNPK, were identified. In the novel isoforms of ASIC3, a region comprising approximately 35% of the 5'UTR was excised. By contrast, a novel splice junction was used in isoforms of MRGPRX1 to include an additional exon upstream of the start codon, consequently adding a region to the 5'UTR. Novel isoforms of HNRNPK were identified, which used previously unannotated splice sites to both excise exon 14 and include a sequence in the 3' end of exon 13. This novel insertion is predicted to introduce a tyrosine phosphorylation site potentially phosphorylated by SRC. We also independently confirm a recently reported DRG-specific splicing event in WNK1 that gives insight into how painless peripheral neuropathy occurs when this gene is mutated. Our findings give a clear overview of mRNA isoform diversity in the human dorsal root ganglia obtained using long-read sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asta Arendt-Tranholm
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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Allison RL, Welby E, Ehlers V, Burand A, Isaeva O, Nieves Torres D, Highland J, Brandow AM, Stucky CL, Ebert AD. Sickle cell disease iPSC-derived sensory neurons exhibit increased excitability and sensitization to patient plasma. Blood 2024; 143:2037-2052. [PMID: 38427938 PMCID: PMC11143522 DOI: 10.1182/blood.2023022591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD) experience severe recurrent acute and chronic pain. Challenges to gaining mechanistic insight into pathogenic SCD pain processes include differential gene expression and function of sensory neurons between humans and mice with SCD, and extremely limited availability of neuronal tissues from patients with SCD. Here, we used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), derived from patients with SCD, differentiated into sensory neurons (SCD iSNs) to begin to overcome these challenges. We characterize key gene expression and function of SCD iSNs to establish a model to investigate intrinsic and extrinsic factors that may contribute to SCD pain. Despite similarities in receptor gene expression, SCD iSNs show pronounced excitability using patch clamp electrophysiology. Furthermore, we find that plasma taken from patients with SCD during acute pain associated with a vaso-occlusive event increases the calcium responses to the nociceptive stimulus capsaicin in SCD iSNs compared with those treated with paired plasma from patients with SCD at steady state baseline or healthy control plasma samples. We identified high levels of the polyamine spermine in baseline and acute pain states of plasma from patients with SCD, which sensitizes SCD iSNs to subthreshold concentrations of capsaicin. Together, these data identify potential intrinsic mechanisms within SCD iSNs that may extend beyond a blood-based pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reilly L. Allison
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Emily Welby
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Vanessa Ehlers
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Anthony Burand
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Olena Isaeva
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Damaris Nieves Torres
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Janelle Highland
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Amanda M. Brandow
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Cheryl L. Stucky
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
| | - Allison D. Ebert
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
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6
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Kamei T, Kudo T, Yamane H, Ishibashi F, Takada Y, Honda S, Maezawa Y, Ikeda K, Oyamada Y. Unique electrophysiological property of a novel Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 sodium channel blocker, ANP-230. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2024; 721:150126. [PMID: 38776832 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2024.150126] [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: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Voltage-gated sodium channel subtypes, Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 are predominantly expressed in peripheral sensory neurons. Recent genetic studies have revealed that they are involved in pathological pain processing and that the blockade of Nav1.7, Nav1.8, or Nav1.9 will become a promising pharmacotherapy especially for neuropathic pain. A growing number of drug discovery programs have targeted either of the subtypes to obtain a selective inhibitor which can provide pain relief without affecting the cardiovascular and central nervous systems, though none of them has been approved yet. Here we describe the in vitro characteristics of ANP-230, a novel sodium channel blocker under clinical development. Surprisingly, ANP-230 was shown to block three pain-related subtypes, human Nav1.7, Nav1.8, and Nav1.9 with similar potency, but had only low inhibitory activity to human cardiac Nav1.5 channel and rat central Nav channels. The voltage clamp experiments using different step pulse protocols revealed that ANP-230 had a "tonic block" mode of action without state- and use-dependency. In addition, ANP-230 caused a depolarizing shift of the activation curve and decelerated gating kinetics in human Nav1.7-stably expressing cells. The depolarizing shift of activation curve was commonly observed in human Nav1.8-stably expressing cells as well as rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. These data suggested a quite unique mechanism of Nav channel inhibition by ANP-230. Finally, ANP-230 reduced excitability of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons in a concentration dependent manner. Collectively, these promising results indicate that ANP-230 could be a potent drug for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Kamei
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Takehiro Kudo
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Hana Yamane
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; Regenerative & Cellular Medicine Kobe Center, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Kobe, 650-0047, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Ishibashi
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; Platform Technology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Takada
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; Global Corporate Strategy, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Tokyo, 104-8356, Japan
| | - Shigeyuki Honda
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; Sumika Chemical Analysis Service, Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Yasuyo Maezawa
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Kazuhito Ikeda
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; Platform Technology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Oyamada
- Pharmacology Research Unit, Research Division, Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., Osaka, 554-0022, Japan; AlphaNavi Pharma Inc., Osaka, 564-0053, Japan
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7
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Bai Z, Bartelo N, Aslam M, Murphy EA, Hale CR, Blachere NE, Parveen S, Spolaore E, DiCarlo E, Gravallese EM, Smith MH, Frank MO, Jiang CS, Zhang H, Pyrgaki C, Lewis MJ, Sikandar S, Pitzalis C, Lesnak JB, Mazhar K, Price TJ, Malfait AM, Miller RE, Zhang F, Goodman S, Darnell RB, Wang F, Orange DE. Synovial fibroblast gene expression is associated with sensory nerve growth and pain in rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Transl Med 2024; 16:eadk3506. [PMID: 38598614 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adk3506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
It has been presumed that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joint pain is related to inflammation in the synovium; however, recent studies reveal that pain scores in patients do not correlate with synovial inflammation. We developed a machine-learning approach (graph-based gene expression module identification or GbGMI) to identify an 815-gene expression module associated with pain in synovial biopsy samples from patients with established RA who had limited synovial inflammation at arthroplasty. We then validated this finding in an independent cohort of synovial biopsy samples from patients who had early untreated RA with little inflammation. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses indicated that most of these 815 genes were most robustly expressed by lining layer synovial fibroblasts. Receptor-ligand interaction analysis predicted cross-talk between human lining layer fibroblasts and human dorsal root ganglion neurons expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP+). Both RA synovial fibroblast culture supernatant and netrin-4, which is abundantly expressed by lining fibroblasts and was within the GbGMI-identified pain-associated gene module, increased the branching of pain-sensitive murine CGRP+ dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro. Imaging of solvent-cleared synovial tissue with little inflammation from humans with RA revealed CGRP+ pain-sensing neurons encasing blood vessels growing into synovial hypertrophic papilla. Together, these findings support a model whereby synovial lining fibroblasts express genes associated with pain that enhance the growth of pain-sensing neurons into regions of synovial hypertrophy in RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Bai
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | - Caryn R Hale
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Nathalie E Blachere
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Myles J Lewis
- Queen Mary University of London & NIHR BRC Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Shafaq Sikandar
- Queen Mary University of London & NIHR BRC Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Costantino Pitzalis
- Queen Mary University of London & NIHR BRC Barts Health NHS Trust, London E1 4NS, UK
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University & IRCC Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan 20072, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Fan Zhang
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Susan Goodman
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Robert B Darnell
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fei Wang
- Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Dana E Orange
- Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA
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8
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Tian J, Bavencoffe AG, Zhu MX, Walters ET. Readiness of nociceptor cell bodies to generate spontaneous activity results from background activity of diverse ion channels and high input resistance. Pain 2024; 165:893-907. [PMID: 37862056 PMCID: PMC10950548 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Nociceptor cell bodies generate "spontaneous" discharge that can promote ongoing pain in persistent pain conditions. Little is known about the underlying mechanisms. Recordings from nociceptor cell bodies (somata) dissociated from rodent and human dorsal root ganglia have shown that previous pain in vivo is associated with low-frequency discharge controlled by irregular depolarizing spontaneous fluctuations of membrane potential (DSFs), likely produced by transient inward currents across the somal input resistance. Using mouse nociceptors, we show that DSFs are associated with high somal input resistance over a wide range of membrane potentials, including depolarized levels where DSFs approach action potential (AP) threshold. Input resistance and both the amplitude and frequency of DSFs were increased in neurons exhibiting spontaneous activity. Ion substitution experiments indicated that the depolarizing phase of DSFs is generated by spontaneous opening of channels permeable to Na + or Ca 2+ and that Ca 2+ -permeable channels are especially important for larger DSFs. Partial reduction of the amplitude or frequency of DSFs by perfusion of pharmacological inhibitors indicated small but significant contributions from Nav1.7, Nav1.8, TRPV1, TRPA1, TRPM4, and N-type Ca 2+ channels. Less specific blockers suggested a contribution from NALCN channels, and global knockout suggested a role for Nav1.9. The combination of high somal input resistance plus background activity of diverse ion channels permeable to Na + or Ca 2+ produces DSFs that are poised to reach AP threshold if resting membrane potential depolarizes, AP threshold decreases, or DSFs become enhanced-all of which can occur under painful neuropathic and inflammatory conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbin Tian
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Alexis G. Bavencoffe
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Michael X. Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Edgar T. Walters
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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Franco-Enzástiga Ú, Inturi NN, Natarajan K, Mwirigi JM, Mazhar K, Schlachetzki JC, Schumacher M, Price TJ. Epigenomic landscape of the human dorsal root ganglion: sex differences and transcriptional regulation of nociceptive genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.27.587047. [PMID: 38586055 PMCID: PMC10996669 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.27.587047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Gene expression is influenced by chromatin architecture via controlled access of regulatory factors to DNA. To better understand regulation of gene expression in the human dorsal root ganglion (hDRG) we used bulk and spatial transposase-accessible chromatin technology followed by sequencing (ATAC-seq). We detected a total of 3005 differentially accessible chromatin regions (DARs) between sexes using bulk ATAC-seq. DARs in female hDRG mapped mainly to the X chromosome. In males, DARs were found in autosomal genes. We also found differential transcription factor binding motifs within DARs. EGR1/3 and SP1/4 were abundant in females, and JUN, FOS and other AP-1 family members in males. With the aim of dissecting the open chromatin profile in hDRG neurons, we used spatial ATAC-seq. Consistent with our bulk ATAC-seq data, most of the DARs in female hDRG were located in X chromosome genes. Neuron cluster showed higher chromatin accessibility in GABAergic, glutamatergic, and interferon-related genes in females, and in Ca2+-signaling-related genes in males. Sex differences in open chromatin transcription factor binding sites in neuron-proximal barcodes were consistent with the bulk data, having EGR1 transcription factor activity in females and AP-1 family members in males. Accordingly, we showed higher expression of EGR1 in female hDRG compared to male with in-situ hybridization. Our findings point to epigenomic sex differences in the hDRG that likely underlie divergent transcriptional responses that determine mechanistic sex differences in pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Úrzula Franco-Enzástiga
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Nikhil N. Inturi
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Keerthana Natarajan
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Juliet M. Mwirigi
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Khadja Mazhar
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
| | - Johannes C.M. Schlachetzki
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093-0651, USA
| | - Mark Schumacher
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care and the UCSF Pain and Addiction Research Center, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143 USA
| | - Theodore J. Price
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, Texas 75080
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10
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Wang Y, Shu J, Yang H, Hong K, Yang X, Guo W, Fang J, Li F, Liu T, Shan Z, Shi T, Cai S, Zhang J. Nav1.7 Modulator Bearing a 3-Hydroxyindole Backbone Holds the Potential to Reverse Neuropathic Pain. ACS Chem Neurosci 2024; 15:1063-1073. [PMID: 38449097 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a growing global health problem affecting at least 10% of the world's population. However, current chronic pain treatments are inadequate. Voltage-gated sodium channels (Navs) play a pivotal role in regulating neuronal excitability and pain signal transmission and thus are main targets for nonopioid painkiller development, especially those preferentially expressed in dorsal root ganglial (DRG) neurons, such as Nav1.6, Nav1.7, and Nav1.8. In this study, we screened in virtual hits from dihydrobenzofuran and 3-hydroxyoxindole hybrid molecules against Navs via a veratridine (VTD)-based calcium imaging method. The results showed that one of the molecules, 3g, could inhibit VTD-induced neuronal activity significantly. Voltage clamp recordings demonstrated that 3g inhibited the total Na+ currents of DRG neurons in a concentration-dependent manner. Biophysical analysis revealed that 3g slowed the activation, meanwhile enhancing the inactivation of the Navs. Additionally, 3g use-dependently blocked Na+ currents. By combining with selective Nav inhibitors and a heterozygous expression system, we demonstrated that 3g preferentially inhibited the TTX-S Na+ currents, specifically the Nav1.7 current, other than the TTX-R Na+ currents. Molecular docking experiments implicated that 3g binds to a known allosteric site at the voltage-sensing domain IV(VSDIV) of Nav1.7. Finally, intrathecal injection of 3g significantly relieved mechanical pain behavior in the spared nerve injury (SNI) rat model, suggesting that 3g is a promising candidate for treating chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Jirong Shu
- Guangdong Chiral Drug Engineering Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Haoyi Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Kemiao Hong
- Guangdong Chiral Drug Engineering Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Xiangji Yang
- Guangdong Chiral Drug Engineering Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Weijie Guo
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Jie Fang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fuyi Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Tao Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Zhiming Shan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology; The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University), Shenzhen 518020, China
- Laboratory and Clinical Research Institute for Pain, Department of Anaesthesiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Taoda Shi
- Guangdong Chiral Drug Engineering Laboratory, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510000, China
| | - Song Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Science Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
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11
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Tyszkiewicz C, Hwang SK, DaSilva JK, Kovi RC, Fader KA, Sirivelu MP, Liu J, Somps C, Cook J, Liu CN, Wang H. Absence of functional deficits in rats following systemic administration of an AAV9 vector despite moderate peripheral nerve and dorsal root ganglia findings: A clinically silent peripheral neuropathy. Neurotoxicology 2024; 101:46-53. [PMID: 38316190 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2024.02.001] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors are commonly used for delivering transgenes in gene therapy studies, but they are also known to cause dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and peripheral nerve toxicities in animals. However, the functional implications of these pathologic findings and their time course remain unclear. At 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks following a single dose of an AAV9 vector carrying human frataxin transgene in rats, non-standard functional assessments, including von Frey filament, electrophysiology, and Rotarod tests, were conducted longitudinally to measure allodynia, nerve conduction velocity, and coordination, respectively. Additionally, DRGs, peripheral nerves, brain and spinal cord were evaluated histologically and circulating neurofilament light chain (NfL) was quantified at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively. At 2 and 4 weeks after dosing, minimal-to-moderate nerve fiber degeneration and neuronal degeneration were observed in the DRGs in some of the AAV9 vector-dosed animals. At 8 weeks, nerve fiber degeneration was observed in DRGs, with or without neuronal degeneration, and in sciatic nerves of all AAV9 vector-dosed animals. NfL values were higher in AAV9 vector-treated animals at weeks 4 and 8 compared with controls. However, there were no significant differences in the three functional endpoints evaluated between the AAV9 vector- and vehicle-dosed animals, or in a longitudinal comparison between baseline (predose), 4, and 8 week values in the AAV9 vector-dose animals. These findings demonstrate that there is no detectable functional consequence to the minimal-to-moderate neurodegeneration observed with our AAV9 vector treatment in rats, suggesting a functional tolerance or reserve for loss of DRG neurons after systemic administration of AAV9 vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl Tyszkiewicz
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Seo-Kyoung Hwang
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Jamie K DaSilva
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Ramesh C Kovi
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kelly A Fader
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Madhu P Sirivelu
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - June Liu
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Chris Somps
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Jon Cook
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA
| | - Chang-Ning Liu
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Groton, CT 06340, USA.
| | - Helen Wang
- Drug Safety Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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12
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Estivill-Torrús G, Martínez-Padilla AB, Sánchez-Salido L, Evercooren ABV, García-Díaz B. The dorsal root ganglion as a target for neurorestoration in neuropathic pain. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:296-301. [PMID: 37488881 PMCID: PMC10503598 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.374655] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a severe and chronic condition widely found in the general population. The reason for this is the extensive variety of damage or diseases that can spark this unpleasant constant feeling in patients. During the processing of pain, the dorsal root ganglia constitute an important region where dorsal root ganglion neurons play a crucial role in the transmission and propagation of sensory electrical stimulation. Furthermore, the dorsal root ganglia have recently exhibited a regenerative capacity that should not be neglected in the understanding of the development and resolution of neuropathic pain and in the elucidation of innovative therapies. Here, we will review the complex interplay between cells (satellite glial cells and inflammatory cells) and factors (cytokines, neurotrophic factors and genetic factors) that takes place within the dorsal root ganglia and accounts for the generation of the aberrant excitation of primary sensory neurons occurring in neuropathic pain. More importantly, we will summarize an updated view of the current pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic therapies targeting the dorsal root ganglia for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Estivill-Torrús
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina (IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND), Málaga, Spain
- Unidad Clínica de Neurociencias, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | | | - Lourdes Sánchez-Salido
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina (IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND), Málaga, Spain
- Unidad Clínica de Neurociencias, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Anne Baron-Van Evercooren
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute-ICM, INSERM, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Beatriz García-Díaz
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina (IBIMA Plataforma BIONAND), Málaga, Spain
- Unidad Clínica de Neurociencias, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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13
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Yeh TY, Chang MF, Kan YY, Chiang H, Hsieh ST. HSP27 Modulates Neuropathic Pain by Inhibiting P2X3 Degradation. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:707-724. [PMID: 37656312 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03582-7] [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: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
The role of heat shock protein 27 (HSP27), a chaperone, in neuropathic pain after nerve injury has not been systematically surveyed despite its neuroprotective and regeneration-promoting effects. In this study, we found that HSP27 expression in sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) mediated nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain behaviors were alleviated by silencing HSP27 in the DRG of a rat spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model. Local injection of an HSP27-overexpression construct into the DRG of naïve rats elicited neuropathic pain behaviors. HSP27 interacted with a purinergic receptor, P2X3, and their expression patterns corroborated the induction and reversal of neuropathic pain according to two lines of evidence: colocalization immunohistochemically and immunoprecipitation biochemically. In a cell model cotransfected with HSP27 and P2X3, the degradation rate of P2X3 was reduced in the presence of HSP27. Such an alteration was mediated by reducing P2X3 ubiquitination in SNL rats and was reversed after silencing HSP27 in the DRGs of SNL rats. In summary, the interaction of HSP27 with P2X3 provides a new mechanism of injury-induced neuropathic pain that could serve as an alternative therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ti-Yen Yeh
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Fong Chang
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Yu Kan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, 80424, Taiwan
| | | | - Sung-Tsang Hsieh
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.
- Center of Precision Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10051, Taiwan.
- Department of Neurology, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, 10002, Taiwan.
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14
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Bavencoffe AG, Lopez ER, Johnson KN, Tian J, Gorgun FM, Shen BQ, Zhu MX, Dessauer CW, Walters ET. Widespread latent hyperactivity of nociceptors outlasts enhanced avoidance behavior following incision injury. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.30.578108. [PMID: 38352319 PMCID: PMC10862851 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.30.578108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Nociceptors with somata in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) exhibit an unusual readiness to switch from an electrically silent state to a hyperactive state of tonic, nonaccommodating, low-frequency, irregular discharge of action potentials (APs). Ongoing activity (OA) during this state is present in vivo in rats months after spinal cord injury (SCI), and has been causally linked to SCI pain. OA induced by various neuropathic conditions in rats, mice, and humans is retained in nociceptor somata after dissociation and culturing, providing a powerful tool for investigating its mechanisms and functions. An important question is whether similar nociceptor OA is induced by painful conditions other than neuropathy. The present study shows that probable nociceptors dissociated from DRGs of rats subjected to postsurgical pain (induced by plantar incision) exhibit OA. The OA was most apparent when the soma was artificially depolarized to a level within the normal range of membrane potentials where large, transient depolarizing spontaneous fluctuations (DSFs) can approach AP threshold. This latent hyperactivity persisted for at least 3 weeks, whereas behavioral indicators of affective pain - hindpaw guarding and increased avoidance of a noxious substrate in an operant conflict test - persisted for 1 week or less. An unexpected discovery was latent OA in neurons from thoracic DRGs that innervate dermatomes distant from the injured tissue. The most consistent electrophysiological alteration associated with OA was enhancement of DSFs. Potential in vivo functions of widespread, low-frequency nociceptor OA consistent with these and other findings are to amplify hyperalgesic priming and to drive anxiety-related hypervigilance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis G. Bavencoffe
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Elia R. Lopez
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Kayla N. Johnson
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Jinbin Tian
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Falih M. Gorgun
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Breanna Q. Shen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Michael X. Zhu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Carmen W. Dessauer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | - Edgar T. Walters
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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15
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Naratadam GT, Mecklenburg J, Shein SA, Zou Y, Lai Z, Tumanov AV, Price TJ, Akopian AN. Degenerative and regenerative peripheral processes are associated with persistent painful chemotherapy-induced neuropathies in males and females. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.25.577218. [PMID: 38328207 PMCID: PMC10849728 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the time course of gene expression changes during the progression of persistent painful neuropathy caused by paclitaxel (PTX) in male and female mouse hind paws and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Bulk RNA-seq was used to investigate the gene expression changes in the paw and DRG collected at 1, 16, and 31 days post-PTX. At these time points, differentially expressed DEGs were predominantly related to reduction or increase in epithelial, skin, bone, and muscle development and to angiogenesis, myelination, axonogenesis, and neurogenesis. These processes were accompanied by regulation of DEGs related to cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix organization and cellular energy production. This gene plasticity during persistent painful neuropathy progression likely represents biological processes linked to tissue regeneration and degeneration. Unlike regeneration/degeneration, gene plasticity related to immune processes was minimal at 1-31 days post-PTX. It was also noted that despite similarities in biological processes and pain chronicity in males and females, specific DEGs showed dramatic sex-dependency. The main conclusions of this study are that gene expression plasticity in paws and DRG during PTX neuropathy progression relates to tissue regeneration and degeneration, minimally affects the immune system processes, and is heavily sex-dependent at the individual gene level.
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16
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Zhu X, Liu S, Tian L, Li X, Yao R, Zhao Y, Gao Z, Liu XR, Liu XQ, Huo FQ, Liang L. Spinal interleukin-16 mediates inflammatory pain via promoting glial activation. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 127:111411. [PMID: 38113689 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111411] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Proinflammatory cytokines are crucial contributors to neuroinflammation in the development of chronic pain. Here, we identified il16, which encodes interleukin-16 (IL-16), as a differentially expressed gene in spinal dorsal horn of a complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) inflammatory pain model in mice by RNA sequencing. We further investigated whether and how IL-16 regulates pain transmission in the spinal cord and contributes to the development of inflammatory pain hypersensitivity. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed elevated IL-16 transcript levels in the spinal dorsal horn after CFA injection. This increase was further confirmed by qPCR, immunofluorescence, and western blotting. Knockdown of IL-16 by intrathecal injection of IL-16 siRNA not only attenuated CFA-induced mechanical and thermal pain hypersensitivity, but also inhibited enhanced c-fos expression and glial activation in the spinal dorsal horn in male mice injected with CFA. Moreover, exogenous IL-16 induced nociceptive responses and increased c-fos expression and glial activation in spinal dorsal horn. This effect was largely impaired when CD4, the binding receptor for IL-16, was inhibited. In addition, CD4 expression was upregulated in the spinal dorsal horn after CFA injection and CD4 was present in microglia and in contact with astrocytes and activated spinal neurons. Taken together, these results suggest that enhanced IL-16-CD4 signaling triggers pain and activates microglia and astrocytes in the spinal dorsal horn, thus contributing to inflammatory pain. IL-16 may serve as a promising target for the treatment of inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Zhu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Department of Anesthesiology, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Siyi Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Lixia Tian
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Rongrong Yao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Yunhan Zhao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Zihao Gao
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Xue-Ru Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Xin-Qi Liu
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Fu-Quan Huo
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China
| | - Lingli Liang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Institute of Neuroscience, Translational Medicine Institute, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China; Key Laboratory of Environment and Genes Related to Diseases (Xi'an Jiaotong University), Ministry of Education, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, China.
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17
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Mali SS, Silva R, Gong Z, Cronce M, Vo U, Vuong C, Moayedi Y, Cox JS, Bautista DM. SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease activates nociceptors to drive sneeze and pain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.10.575114. [PMID: 38260476 PMCID: PMC10802627 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.10.575114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, triggers symptoms such as sneezing, aches and pain.1 These symptoms are mediated by a subset of sensory neurons, known as nociceptors, that detect noxious stimuli, densely innervate the airway epithelium, and interact with airway resident epithelial and immune cells.2-6 However, the mechanisms by which viral infection activates these neurons to trigger pain and airway reflexes are unknown. Here, we show that the coronavirus papain-like protease (PLpro) directly activates airway-innervating trigeminal and vagal nociceptors in mice and human iPSC-derived nociceptors. PLpro elicits sneezing and acute pain in mice and triggers the release of neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from airway afferents. We find that PLpro-induced sneeze and pain requires the host TRPA1 ion channel that has been previously demonstrated to mediate pain, cough, and airway inflammation.7-9 Our findings are the first demonstration of a viral product that directly activates sensory neurons to trigger pain and airway reflexes and highlight a new role for PLpro and nociceptors in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali S. Mali
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Ricardo Silva
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Zhongyan Gong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Michael Cronce
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Uyen Vo
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
| | - Cliff Vuong
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Yalda Moayedi
- Pain Research Center, Department of Molecular Pathobiology, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY
| | - Jeffery S. Cox
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
| | - Diana M. Bautista
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute
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18
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Yi J, Bertels Z, Del Rosario JS, Widman AJ, Slivicki RA, Payne M, Susser HM, Copits BA, Gereau RW. Bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-mediated sensitization of human sensory neurons. Pain 2024; 165:202-215. [PMID: 37703419 PMCID: PMC10723647 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003013] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Bradykinin is a peptide implicated in inflammatory pain in both humans and rodents. In rodent sensory neurons, activation of B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors induces neuronal hyperexcitability. Recent evidence suggests that human and rodent dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons, differ in the expression and function of key GPCRs and ion channels; whether bradykinin receptor expression and function are conserved across species has not been studied in depth. In this study, we used human DRG tissue from organ donors to provide a detailed characterization of bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-induced changes in the excitability of human sensory neurons. We found that B2 and, to a lesser extent, B1 receptors are expressed by human DRG neurons and satellite glial cells. B2 receptors were enriched in the nociceptor subpopulation. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology, we found that acute bradykinin increases the excitability of human sensory neurons, whereas prolonged exposure to bradykinin decreases neuronal excitability in a subpopulation of human DRG neurons. Finally, our analyses suggest that donor's history of chronic pain and age may be predictors of higher B1 receptor expression in human DRG neurons. Together, these results indicate that acute bradykinin-induced hyperexcitability, first identified in rodents, is conserved in humans and provide further evidence supporting bradykinin signaling as a potential therapeutic target for treating pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Yi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Zachariah Bertels
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - John Smith Del Rosario
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Allie J. Widman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Richard A. Slivicki
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Maria Payne
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Henry M. Susser
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Bryan A. Copits
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Robert W. Gereau
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
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19
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Hovhannisyan AH, Lindquist KA, Belugin S, Mecklenburg J, Ibrahim T, Tram M, Corey TM, Salmon AB, Perez D, Ruparel S, Akopian AN. Sensory innervation of masseter, temporal and lateral pterygoid muscles in common marmosets. Sci Rep 2023; 13:23062. [PMID: 38155190 PMCID: PMC10754842 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49882-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Myogenous temporomandibular disorders is associated with an increased responsiveness of nerves innervating the masseter (MM), temporal (TM), and lateral pterygoid muscles (LPM). This study aimed to examine sensory nerve types innervating MM, TM and LPM of adult non-human primate-common marmosets. Sensory nerves were localized in specific regions of these muscles. Pgp9.5, marker for all nerves, and NFH, a marker for A-fibers, showed that masticatory muscles were primarily innervated with A-fibers. The proportion of C- to A-fibers was highest in LPM, and lowest in MM. All C-fibers (pgp9.5+/NFH-) observed in masticatory muscles were peptidergic (CGRP+) and lacked mrgprD and CHRNA3, a silent nociceptive marker. TrpV1 was register in 17% of LPM nerves. All fibers in masticatory muscles were labeled with GFAP+, a myelin sheath marker. There were substantially more peptidergic A-fibers (CGRP+/NFH+) in TM and LPM compared to MM. MM, TM and LPM NFH+ fibers contained different percentages of trkC+ and parvalbumin+, but not trkB+ fibers. Tyrosine hydroxylase antibodies, which did not label TG, highlighted sympathetic fibers around blood vessels of the masticatory muscles. Overall, masticatory muscle types of marmosets have similarities and differences in innervation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahit H Hovhannisyan
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Karen A Lindquist
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Sergei Belugin
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Jennifer Mecklenburg
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Tarek Ibrahim
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
| | - Meilinn Tram
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Tatiana M Corey
- Departments of Laboratory Animal Resources, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Adam B Salmon
- Departments of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Daniel Perez
- Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Shivani Ruparel
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
- Departments of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Armen N Akopian
- Departments of Endodontics, The School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, San Antonio, TX, 78229-3900, USA.
- Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Program, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Departments of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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20
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Uniyal A, Tiwari V, Tsukamoto T, Dong X, Guan Y, Raja SN. Targeting sensory neuron GPCRs for peripheral neuropathic pain. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2023; 44:1009-1027. [PMID: 37977131 PMCID: PMC10657387 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2023.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Despite the high prevalence of peripheral neuropathic pain (NP) conditions and significant progress in understanding its underlying mechanisms, the management of peripheral NP remains inadequate. Existing pharmacotherapies for NP act primarily on the central nervous system (CNS) and are often associated with CNS-related adverse effects, limiting their clinical effectiveness. Mounting preclinical evidence indicates that reducing the heightened activity in primary sensory neurons by targeting G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), without activating these receptors in the CNS, relieves pain without central adverse effects. In this review, we focus on recent advancements in GPCR-mediated peripheral pain relief and discuss strategies to advance the development of more effective and safer therapies for peripheral NP by shifting from traditional CNS modulatory approaches toward selective targeting of GPCRs on primary sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Uniyal
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vinod Tiwari
- Neuroscience and Pain Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology (B.H.U), Varanasi, India
| | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Department of Neurology and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Xinzhong Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yun Guan
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurological Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Srinivasa N Raja
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology and Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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21
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Walters ET. Exaptation and Evolutionary Adaptation in Nociceptor Mechanisms Driving Persistent Pain. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2023; 98:314-330. [PMID: 38035556 PMCID: PMC10922759 DOI: 10.1159/000535552] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Several evolutionary explanations have been proposed for why chronic pain is a major clinical problem. One is that some mechanisms important for driving chronic pain, while maladaptive for modern humans, were adaptive because they enhanced survival. Evidence is reviewed for persistent nociceptor hyperactivity (PNH), known to promote chronic pain in rodents and humans, being an evolutionarily adaptive response to significant bodily injury, and primitive molecular mechanisms related to cellular injury and stress being exapted (co-opted or repurposed) to drive PNH and consequent pain. SUMMARY PNH in a snail (Aplysia californica), squid (Doryteuthis pealeii), fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster), mice, rats, and humans has been documented as long-lasting enhancement of action potential discharge evoked by peripheral stimuli, and in some of these species as persistent extrinsically driven ongoing activity and/or intrinsic spontaneous activity (OA and SA, respectively). In mammals, OA and SA are often initiated within the protected nociceptor soma long after an inducing injury. Generation of OA or SA in nociceptor somata may be very rare in invertebrates, but prolonged afterdischarge in nociceptor somata readily occurs in sensitized Aplysia. Evidence for the adaptiveness of injury-induced PNH has come from observations of decreased survival of injured squid exposed to predators when PNH is blocked, from plausible survival benefits of chronic sensitization after severe injuries such as amputation, and from the functional coherence and intricacy of mammalian PNH mechanisms. Major contributions of cAMP-PKA signaling (with associated calcium signaling) to the maintenance of PNH both in mammals and molluscs suggest that this ancient stress signaling system was exapted early during the evolution of nociceptors to drive hyperactivity following bodily injury. Vertebrates have retained core cAMP-PKA signaling modules for PNH while adding new extracellular modulators (e.g., opioids) and cAMP-regulated ion channels (e.g., TRPV1 and Nav1.8 channels). KEY MESSAGES Evidence from multiple phyla indicates that PNH is a physiological adaptation that decreases the risk of attacks on injured animals. Core cAMP-PKA signaling modules make major contributions to the maintenance of PNH in molluscs and mammals. This conserved signaling has been linked to ancient cellular responses to stress, which may have been exapted in early nociceptors to drive protective hyperactivity that can persist while bodily functions recover after significant injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar T Walters
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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22
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Yuan H, Yi X. Lumbar Spinal Stenosis and Minimally Invasive Lumbar Decompression: A Narrative Review. J Pain Res 2023; 16:3707-3724. [PMID: 37954472 PMCID: PMC10637222 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s428112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common pain condition that causes lumbar back pain, radiating leg pain, and possible functional impairment. MILD is an emerging minimally invasive treatment for LSS. It is an image-guided percutaneous procedure designed to debulk hypertrophied ligamentum flavum. However, the exact short- and long-term efficacy, safety profile, indication criteria, and certain procedure details reported in medical literature vary. Objective This narrative review was to elucidate efficacy, safety profile, certain procedure details, advantages, and limitations of MILD. Study Design This is a narrative review. Setting All included articles are clinic trials including analytic studies and descriptive studies. Methods PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus were searched. Only clinical trials of MILD procedure were included. Information of indications, contraindications, VAS scores, ODI scores, effective rate, efficacy durations, and certain procedure details was focused on. Results According to the literature, for the MILD procedure, the VAS score could be reduced from a pre-treatment level of 6.3-9.6 to a post-treatment level of 2.3-5.8. The ODI score could be reduced from a pre-treatment level of 38.8-55.3 to a post-treatment level of 27.4-39.8. The effective rate of the MILD procedure was reported to be 57.1%-88%. A 2-year postoperative stability of efficacy was also supported. One RCT study testified superior efficacy of MILD over epidural steroid injection. Limitations There is few high-quality literature in the review. Moreover, the long-term efficacy of MILD cannot be revealed according to the current literature. Conclusion Based on the reviewed literature, MILD is an effective and safe procedure. MILD can reduce pain intensity and improve functional status significantly. Therefore, it is a preferable option for LSS patients who failed conservative treatments, but not for those who require immediate invasive decompression surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjie Yuan
- Department of Pain Medicine, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaobin Yi
- Pain Division, Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
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23
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Zurek NA, Ehsanian R, Goins AE, Adams IM, Petersen T, Goyal S, Shilling M, Westlund KN, Alles SRA. Electrophysiological analyses of human dorsal root ganglia and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons from male and female donors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.03.565343. [PMID: 37961669 PMCID: PMC10635102 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.03.565343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons (hiPSC-SNs) and human dorsal root ganglia (hDRG) neurons are popular tools in the field of pain research; however, few groups make use of both approaches. For screening and analgesic validation purposes, important characterizations can be determined of the similarities and differences between hDRG and hiPSC-SNs. This study focuses specifically on electrophysiology properties of hDRG in comparison to hiPSC-SNs. We also compared hDRG and hiPSC-SNs from both male and female donors to evaluate potential sex differences. We recorded neuronal size, rheobase, resting membrane potential, input resistance, and action potential waveform properties from 83 hiPSCs-SNs (2 donors) and 108 hDRG neurons (9 donors). We observed several statistically significant electrophysiological differences between hDRG and hiPSC-SNs, such as size, rheobase, input resistance, and several actional potential (AP) waveform properties. Correlation analysis also revealed many properties that were positively or negatively correlated, some of which were differentially correlated between hDRG and hiPSC-SNs. This study shows several differences between hDRG and hiPSC-SNs and allows better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of both for use in pain research. We hope this study will be a valuable resource for pain researchers considering the use of these human in vitro systems for mechanistic studies and/or drug development projects.
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24
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Ghazisaeidi S, Muley MM, Tu Y, Finn DP, Kolahdouzan M, Pitcher GM, Kim D, Sengar AS, Ramani AK, Brudno M, Salter MW. Conserved transcriptional programming across sex and species after peripheral nerve injury predicts treatments for neuropathic pain. Br J Pharmacol 2023; 180:2822-2836. [PMID: 37336547 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Chronic pain is a devastating problem affecting one in five individuals around the globe, with neuropathic pain the most debilitating and poorly treated type of chronic pain. Advances in transcriptomics have contributed to cataloguing diverse cellular pathways and transcriptomic alterations in response to peripheral nerve injury but have focused on phenomenology and classifying transcriptomic responses. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH To identifying new types of pain-relieving agents, we compared transcriptional reprogramming changes in the dorsal spinal cord after peripheral nerve injury cross-sex and cross-species, and imputed commonalities, as well as differences in cellular pathways and gene regulation. KEY RESULTS We identified 93 transcripts in the dorsal horn that were increased by peripheral nerve injury in male and female mice and rats. Following gene ontology and transcription factor analyses, we constructed a pain interactome for the proteins encoded by the differentially expressed genes, discovering new, conserved signalling nodes. We investigated the interactome with the Drug-Gene database to predict FDA-approved medications that may modulate key nodes within the network. The top hit from the analysis was fostamatinib, the molecular target of which is the non-receptor spleen associated tyrosine kinase (Syk), which our analysis had identified as a key node in the interactome. We found that intrathecally administrating the active metabolite of fostamatinib, R406 and another Syk inhibitor P505-15, significantly reversed pain hypersensitivity in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Thus, we have identified and shown the efficacy of an agent that could not have been previously predicted to have analgesic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrzad Ghazisaeidi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Milind M Muley
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - YuShan Tu
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - David P Finn
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Centre for Pain Research, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Mahshad Kolahdouzan
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Graham M Pitcher
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Doyeon Kim
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ameet S Sengar
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arun K Ramani
- Centre for Computational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael Brudno
- Centre for Computational Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Techna Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
- Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Toronto, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Program in Neuroscience & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Arendt-Tranholm A, Mwirigi JM, Price TJ. RNA isoform expression landscape of the human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) generated from long read sequencing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.28.564535. [PMID: 37961262 PMCID: PMC10634934 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.28.564535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Splicing is a post-transcriptional RNA processing mechanism that enhances genomic complexity by creating multiple isoforms from the same gene. Diversity in splicing in the mammalian nervous system is associated with neuronal development, synaptic function and plasticity, and is also associated with diseases of the nervous system ranging from neurodegeneration to chronic pain. We aimed to characterize the isoforms expressed in the human peripheral nervous system, with the goal of creating a resource to identify novel isoforms of functionally relevant genes associated with somatosensation and nociception. We used long read sequencing (LRS) to document isoform expression in the human dorsal root ganglia (hDRG) from 3 organ donors. Isoforms were validated in silico by confirming expression in hDRG short read sequencing (SRS) data from 3 independent organ donors. 19,547 isoforms of protein-coding genes were detected using LRS and validated with SRS and strict expression cutoffs. We identified 763 isoforms with at least one previously undescribed splice-junction. Previously unannotated isoforms of multiple pain-associated genes, including ASIC3, MRGPRX1 and HNRNPK were identified. In the novel isoforms of ASIC3, a region comprising ~35% of the 5'UTR was excised. In contrast, a novel splice-junction was utilized in isoforms of MRGPRX1 to include an additional exon upstream of the start-codon, consequently adding a region to the 5'UTR. Novel isoforms of HNRNPK were identified which utilized previously unannotated splice-sites to both excise exon 14 and include a sequence in the 5' end of exon 13. The insertion and deletion in the coding region was predicted to excise a serine-phosphorylation site favored by cdc2, and replace it with a tyrosine-phosphorylation site potentially phosphorylated by SRC. We also independently confirm a recently reported DRG-specific splicing event in WNK1 that gives insight into how painless peripheral neuropathy occurs when this gene is mutated. Our findings give a clear overview of mRNA isoform diversity in the hDRG obtained using LRS. Using this work as a foundation, an important next step will be to use LRS on hDRG tissues recovered from people with a history of chronic pain. This should enable identification of new drug targets and a better understanding of chronic pain that may involve aberrant splicing events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asta Arendt-Tranholm
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
| | - Juliet M. Mwirigi
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
| | - Theodore J. Price
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
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26
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Perez-Sanchez J, Middleton SJ, Pattison LA, Hilton H, Awadelkareem MA, Zuberi SR, Renke MB, Hu H, Yang X, Clark AJ, Smith ESJ, Bennett DL. A humanized chemogenetic system inhibits murine pain-related behavior and hyperactivity in human sensory neurons. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadh3839. [PMID: 37792955 PMCID: PMC7615191 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adh3839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Hyperexcitability in sensory neurons is known to underlie many of the maladaptive changes associated with persistent pain. Chemogenetics has shown promise as a means to suppress such excitability, yet chemogenetic approaches suitable for human applications are needed. PSAM4-GlyR is a modular system based on the human α7 nicotinic acetylcholine and glycine receptors, which responds to inert chemical ligands and the clinically approved drug varenicline. Here, we demonstrated the efficacy of this channel in silencing both mouse and human sensory neurons by the activation of large shunting conductances after agonist administration. Virally mediated expression of PSAM4-GlyR in mouse sensory neurons produced behavioral hyposensitivity upon agonist administration, which was recovered upon agonist washout. Stable expression of the channel led to similar reversible suppression of pain-related behavior even after 10 months of viral delivery. Mechanical and spontaneous pain readouts were also ameliorated by PSAM4-GlyR activation in acute and joint pain inflammation mouse models. Furthermore, suppression of mechanical hypersensitivity generated by a spared nerve injury model of neuropathic pain was also observed upon activation of the channel. Effective silencing of behavioral hypersensitivity was reproduced in a human model of hyperexcitability and clinical pain: PSAM4-GlyR activation decreased the excitability of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons and spontaneous activity due to a gain-of-function NaV1.7 mutation causing inherited erythromelalgia. Our results demonstrate the contribution of sensory neuron hyperexcitability to neuropathic pain and the translational potential of an effective, stable, and reversible humanized chemogenetic system for the treatment of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jimena Perez-Sanchez
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Steven J. Middleton
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Luke A. Pattison
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | - Helen Hilton
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge; Cambridge CB2 1PD, UK
| | | | - Sana R. Zuberi
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Maria B. Renke
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Huimin Hu
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Xun Yang
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Alex J. Clark
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry; London E1 2AT, UK
| | | | - David L. Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford; Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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27
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Tibbs GR, Uprety R, Warren JD, Beyer NP, Joyce RL, Ferrer MA, Mellado W, Wong VSC, Goldberg DC, Cohen MW, Costa CJ, Li Z, Zhang G, Dephoure NE, Barman DN, Sun D, Ingólfsson HI, Sauve AA, Willis DE, Goldstein PA. An anchor-tether 'hindered' HCN1 inhibitor is antihyperalgesic in a rat spared nerve injury neuropathic pain model. Br J Anaesth 2023; 131:745-763. [PMID: 37567808 PMCID: PMC10541997 DOI: 10.1016/j.bja.2023.06.067] [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: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropathic pain impairs quality of life, is widely prevalent, and incurs significant costs. Current pharmacological therapies have poor/no efficacy and significant adverse effects; safe and effective alternatives are needed. Hyperpolarisation-activated cyclic nucleotide-regulated (HCN) channels are causally implicated in some forms of peripherally mediated neuropathic pain. Whilst 2,6-substituted phenols, such as 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (26DTB-P), selectively inhibit HCN1 gating and are antihyperalgesic, the development of therapeutically tolerable, HCN-selective antihyperalgesics based on their inverse agonist activity requires that such drugs spare the cardiac isoforms and do not cross the blood-brain barrier. METHODS In silico molecular dynamics simulation, in vitro electrophysiology, and in vivo rat spared nerve injury methods were used to test whether 'hindered' variants of 26DTB-P (wherein a hydrophilic 'anchor' is attached in the para-position of 26DTB-P via an acyl chain 'tether') had the desired properties. RESULTS Molecular dynamics simulation showed that membrane penetration of hindered 26DTB-Ps is controlled by a tethered diol anchor without elimination of head group rotational freedom. In vitro and in vivo analysis showed that BP4L-18:1:1, a variant wherein a diol anchor is attached to 26DTB-P via an 18-carbon tether, is an HCN1 inverse agonist and an orally available antihyperalgesic. With a CNS multiparameter optimisation score of 2.25, a >100-fold lower drug load in the brain vs blood, and an absence of adverse cardiovascular or CNS effects, BP4L-18:1:1 was shown to be poorly CNS penetrant and cardiac sparing. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide a proof-of-concept demonstration that anchor-tethered drugs are a new chemotype for treatment of disorders involving membrane targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth R Tibbs
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rajendra Uprety
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - J David Warren
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nicole P Beyer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca L Joyce
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Matthew A Ferrer
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Zhucui Li
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guoan Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noah E Dephoure
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dipti N Barman
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Delin Sun
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, USA
| | | | - Anthony A Sauve
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dianna E Willis
- Burke Neurological Institute, White Plains, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Peter A Goldstein
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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28
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Du T, Ni B, Shu W, Ren Z, Guo S, Zhang X, Zhu H, Hu Y. Dorsal Root Entry Zone Lesioning Following Unresponsive Spinal Cord Stimulation for Post-Traumatic Neuropathic Pain. World Neurosurg 2023; 178:e300-e306. [PMID: 37473865 DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2023.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) lesioning are important therapeutic options for intractable post-traumatic neuropathic pain (PNP). However, surgical choice is controversial due to the need to maximize pain relief and reduce complications. This study aims to retrospectively analyze the effect and complications of DREZ lesioning for patients with PNP who were unresponsive to SCS and provide a surgical reference. METHODS Demographic data and surgical characteristics of patients with PNP who underwent DREZ lesioning after an unresponsive SCS were reviewed. Long-term outcomes including numeric rating scale, global impression of change, and long-term complications were assessed. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate pain-free survival. RESULTS Of 19 patients with PNP, 8 had brachial plexus injury (BPI), 7 had spinal cord injury, 2 had cauda equina injury, 1 had intercostal nerve injury, and 1 had lumbosacral plexus injury. All patients were unresponsive or had a recurrence of pain after SCS, with an average pain-relief rate of 9.3%. After DREZ lesioning, the mean numeric rating scale scores significantly decreased from 7.6 ± 1.5 to 1.8 ± 1.7, with an average pain-relief rate of 75.3%. Seven patients (36.8%) experienced worsened neurologic dysfunction at the last follow-up. Patients with BPI had a significantly better outcome than other pathologies (P < 0.001) after DREZ lesioning. CONCLUSIONS DREZ lesioning is an effective alternative procedure to SCS for patients with PNP who have lost limb function. Particularly for those with BPI, DREZ lesioning has shown good efficacy and can be considered a preferred surgical option.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Du
- Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Ni
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Shu
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiwei Ren
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Song Guo
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohua Zhang
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Zhu
- Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yongsheng Hu
- Beijing Institute of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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29
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Barry AM, Zhao N, Yang X, Bennett DL, Baskozos G. Deep RNA-seq of male and female murine sensory neuron subtypes after nerve injury. Pain 2023; 164:2196-2215. [PMID: 37318015 PMCID: PMC10502896 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002934] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons have been well described for their role in driving both acute and chronic pain. Although nerve injury is known to cause transcriptional dysregulation, how this differs across neuronal subtypes and the impact of sex is unclear. Here, we study the deep transcriptional profiles of multiple murine DRG populations in early and late pain states while considering sex. We have exploited currently available transgenics to label numerous subpopulations for fluorescent-activated cell sorting and subsequent transcriptomic analysis. Using bulk tissue samples, we are able to circumvent the issues of low transcript coverage and drop-outs seen with single-cell data sets. This increases our power to detect novel and even subtle changes in gene expression within neuronal subtypes and discuss sexual dimorphism at the neuronal subtype level. We have curated this resource into an accessible database for other researchers ( https://livedataoxford.shinyapps.io/drg-directory/ ). We see both stereotyped and unique subtype signatures in injured states after nerve injury at both an early and late timepoint. Although all populations contribute to a general injury signature, subtype enrichment changes can also be seen. Within populations, there is not a strong intersection of sex and injury, but previously unknown sex differences in naïve states-particularly in Aβ-RA + Aδ-low threshold mechanoreceptors-still contribute to differences in injured neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M. Barry
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Na Zhao
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Xun Yang
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David L. Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Baskozos
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Dourson AJ, Jankowski MP. Developmental impact of peripheral injury on neuroimmune signaling. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 113:156-165. [PMID: 37442302 PMCID: PMC10530254 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
A peripheral injury drives neuroimmune interactions at the level of the injury and throughout the neuraxis. Understanding these systems will be beneficial in the pursuit to target persistent pain that involves both neural and immune components. In this review, we discuss the impact of injury on the development of neuroimmune signaling, along with data that suggest a possible cellular immune memory. We also discuss the parallel effects of injury in the nervous system and immune related areas including bone marrow, lymph node and central nervous system-related cells. Finally, we relate these findings to patient populations and current research that evaluates human tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Dourson
- Department of Anesthesia, Division of Pain Management, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Michael P Jankowski
- Department of Anesthesia, Division of Pain Management, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Pediatric Pain Research Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States.
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31
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Yu H, Usoskin D, Nagi SS, Hu Y, Kupari J, Bouchatta O, Cranfill SL, Gautam M, Su Y, Lu Y, Wymer J, Glanz M, Albrecht P, Song H, Ming GL, Prouty S, Seykora J, Wu H, Ma M, Rice FL, Olausson H, Ernfors P, Luo W. Single-Soma Deep RNA sequencing of Human DRG Neurons Reveals Novel Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms Underlying Somatosensation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.17.533207. [PMID: 36993480 PMCID: PMC10055202 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.17.533207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The versatility of somatosensation arises from heterogeneous dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. However, soma transcriptomes of individual human DRG (hDRG) neurons-critical in-formation to decipher their functions-are lacking due to technical difficulties. Here, we developed a novel approach to isolate individual hDRG neuron somas for deep RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). On average, >9,000 unique genes per neuron were detected, and 16 neuronal types were identified. Cross-species analyses revealed remarkable divergence among pain-sensing neurons and the existence of human-specific nociceptor types. Our deep RNA-seq dataset was especially powerful for providing insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying human somatosensation and identifying high potential novel drug targets. Our dataset also guided the selection of molecular markers to visualize different types of human afferents and the discovery of novel functional properties using single-cell in vivo electrophysiological recordings. In summary, by employing a novel soma sequencing method, we generated an unprecedented hDRG neuron atlas, providing new insights into human somatosensation, establishing a critical foundation for translational work, and clarifying human species-species properties.
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32
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Smith PA. Neuropathic pain; what we know and what we should do about it. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2023; 4:1220034. [PMID: 37810432 PMCID: PMC10559888 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1220034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain can result from injury to, or disease of the nervous system. It is notoriously difficult to treat. Peripheral nerve injury promotes Schwann cell activation and invasion of immunocompetent cells into the site of injury, spinal cord and higher sensory structures such as thalamus and cingulate and sensory cortices. Various cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, monoamines and neuropeptides effect two-way signalling between neurons, glia and immune cells. This promotes sustained hyperexcitability and spontaneous activity in primary afferents that is crucial for onset and persistence of pain as well as misprocessing of sensory information in the spinal cord and supraspinal structures. Much of the current understanding of pain aetiology and identification of drug targets derives from studies of the consequences of peripheral nerve injury in rodent models. Although a vast amount of information has been forthcoming, the translation of this information into the clinical arena has been minimal. Few, if any, major therapeutic approaches have appeared since the mid 1990's. This may reflect failure to recognise differences in pain processing in males vs. females, differences in cellular responses to different types of injury and differences in pain processing in humans vs. animals. Basic science and clinical approaches which seek to bridge this knowledge gap include better assessment of pain in animal models, use of pain models which better emulate human disease, and stratification of human pain phenotypes according to quantitative assessment of signs and symptoms of disease. This can lead to more personalized and effective treatments for individual patients. Significance statement: There is an urgent need to find new treatments for neuropathic pain. Although classical animal models have revealed essential features of pain aetiology such as peripheral and central sensitization and some of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved, they do not adequately model the multiplicity of disease states or injuries that may bring forth neuropathic pain in the clinic. This review seeks to integrate information from the multiplicity of disciplines that seek to understand neuropathic pain; including immunology, cell biology, electrophysiology and biophysics, anatomy, cell biology, neurology, molecular biology, pharmacology and behavioral science. Beyond this, it underlines ongoing refinements in basic science and clinical practice that will engender improved approaches to pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A. Smith
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Pacifico P, Coy-Dibley JS, Miller RJ, Menichella DM. Peripheral mechanisms of peripheral neuropathic pain. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1252442. [PMID: 37781093 PMCID: PMC10537945 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1252442] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP), neuropathic pain that arises from a damage or disease affecting the peripheral nervous system, is associated with an extremely large disease burden, and there is an increasing and urgent need for new therapies for treating this disorder. In this review we have highlighted therapeutic targets that may be translated into disease modifying therapies for PNP associated with peripheral neuropathy. We have also discussed how genetic studies and novel technologies, such as optogenetics, chemogenetics and single-cell RNA-sequencing, have been increasingly successful in revealing novel mechanisms underlying PNP. Additionally, consideration of the role of non-neuronal cells and communication between the skin and sensory afferents is presented to highlight the potential use of drug treatment that could be applied topically, bypassing drug side effects. We conclude by discussing the current difficulties to the development of effective new therapies and, most importantly, how we might improve the translation of targets for peripheral neuropathic pain identified from studies in animal models to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Pacifico
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - James S. Coy-Dibley
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Richard J. Miller
- Department of Pharmacology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Daniela M. Menichella
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Parisien M, Buxbaum C, Granovsky Y, Yarnitsky D, Diatchenko L. Prospective Blood Transcriptomics Study in a Motor Vehicle Collision Cohort Identified a Protective Function of the SAMD15 Gene Against Chronic Pain. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:1604-1616. [PMID: 37116672 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2023.04.009] [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: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries following motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) are ubiquitous. Surprisingly, there are no correlates between concussion impact force and long-term pain outcomes. To study the molecular underpinnings of chronic pain after MVC, we assembled a prospective cohort of 36 subjects that experienced MVC and suffered documented mild traumatic brain injuries. For each participant, a first blood sample was drawn within 72 hours of the collision, then a second one at the 6-month mark. Pain was also assessed at the second blood draw to determine if pain became chronic or resolved. Blood samples enabled transcriptomics analyses for immune cells. At the transcriptome-wide level, we found that Sterile Alpha Motif Domain Containing 15 (SAMD15) mRNA was significantly upregulated with time in subjects who resolved their pain whereas unregulated in those with persistent pain. Using several large publicly available datasets, such as the UK Biobank and the GTeX portal, we then linked elevated SAMD15 gene expression, elevated neutrophils cell counts, and decreased risk for chronic pain to increased dosage of the T allele at SNP rs4903580, situated within SAMD15's gene locus. The causality between the components of our model was established and supported by Mendelian randomization. Overall, our results support the role of SAMD15 as a potential gene effector for neutrophil-dependent chronic pain development. PERSPECTIVE: This article highlights the potential protective role of the SAMD15 gene against chronic pain following a mild traumatic brain injury. The expression of the gene is associated with a SNP rs4903580, which is itself associated with neutrophils counts as well as chronic pain in large genetic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Parisien
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Chen Buxbaum
- Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, and Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yelena Granovsky
- Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, and Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - David Yarnitsky
- Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, and Clinical Neurophysiology Lab, Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel
| | - Luda Diatchenko
- Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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35
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Bai Z, Bartelo N, Aslam M, Hale C, Blachere NE, Parveen S, Spolaore E, DiCarlo E, Gravallese E, Smith MH, Frank MO, Jiang CS, Zhang H, Lewis MJ, Sikandar S, Pitzalis C, Malfait AM, Miller RE, Zhang F, Goodman S, Darnell R, Wang F, Orange DE. Machine Learning Reveals Synovial Fibroblast Genes Associated with Pain Affect Sensory Nerve Growth in Rheumatoid Arthritis. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.08.17.23294232. [PMID: 37662384 PMCID: PMC10473790 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.17.23294232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
It has been presumed that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joint pain is related to inflammation in the synovium; however, recent studies reveal that pain scores in patients do not correlate with synovial inflammation. We identified a module of 815 genes associated with pain, using a novel machine learning approach, Graph-based Gene expression Module Identification (GbGMI), in samples from patients with longstanding RA, but limited synovial inflammation at arthroplasty, and validated this finding in an independent cohort of synovial biopsy samples from early, untreated RA patients. Single-cell RNA-seq analyses indicated these genes were most robustly expressed by lining layer fibroblasts and receptor-ligand interaction analysis predicted robust lining layer fibroblast crosstalk with pain sensitive CGRP+ dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons. Netrin-4, which is abundantly expressed by lining fibroblasts and associated with pain, significantly increased the branching of pain-sensitive CGRP+ neurons in vitro . We conclude GbGMI is a useful method for identifying a module of genes that associate with a clinical feature of interest. Using this approach, we find that Netrin-4 is produced by synovial fibroblasts in the absence of inflammation and can enhance the outgrowth of CGRP+ pain sensitive nerve fibers. One Sentence Summary Machine Learning reveals synovial fibroblast genes related to pain affect sensory nerve growth in Rheumatoid Arthritis addresses unmet clinical need.
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36
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Joyce RL, Tibbs GR, David Warren J, Costa CJ, Aromolaran K, Lea Sanford R, Andersen OS, Li Z, Zhang G, Willis DE, Goldstein PA. Probucol is anti-hyperalgesic in a mouse peripheral nerve injury model of neuropathic pain. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100141. [PMID: 38099280 PMCID: PMC10719523 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (2,6-DTBP) ameliorates mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia produced by partial sciatic nerve ligation in mice, and selectively inhibits HCN1 channel gating. We hypothesized that the clinically utilized non-anesthetic dimerized congener of 2,6-DTBP, probucol (2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-[2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfanylpropan-2-ylsulfanyl]phenol), would relieve the neuropathic phenotype that results from peripheral nerve damage, and that the anti-hyperalgesic efficacy in vivo would correlate with HCN1 channel inhibition in vitro. A single oral dose of probucol (800 mg/kg) relieved mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in a mouse spared-nerve injury neuropathic pain model. While the low aqueous solubility of probucol precluded assessment of its possible interaction with HCN1 channels, our results, in conjunction with recent data demonstrating that probucol reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, support the testing/development of probucol as a non-opioid, oral antihyperalgesic albeit one of unknown mechanistic action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Joyce
- Dept. of Anesthesiology, 1300 York Ave., Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gareth R. Tibbs
- Dept. of Anesthesiology, 1300 York Ave., Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - J. David Warren
- Dept. of Biochemistry, 413 E. 69th Street, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Kelly Aromolaran
- Dept. of Anesthesiology, 1300 York Ave., Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - R. Lea Sanford
- Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics, 1300 York Ave., Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Olaf S. Andersen
- Dept. of Physiology & Biophysics, 1300 York Ave., Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhucui Li
- Dept. of Biochemistry, 413 E. 69th Street, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Guoan Zhang
- Dept. of Biochemistry, 413 E. 69th Street, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dianna E. Willis
- Burke Neurological Institute, 785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, NY, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
| | - Peter A. Goldstein
- Dept. of Anesthesiology, 1300 York Ave., Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, NY, USA
- Dept. of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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37
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Tram M, Ibrahim T, Hovhannisyan A, Akopian A, Ruparel S. Lingual innervation in male and female marmosets. NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100134. [PMID: 38099285 PMCID: PMC10719518 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Several gaps in knowledge exists in our understanding of orofacial pain. Some of these include type of peripheral sensory innervation in specific tissues, differences in innervation between sexes and validation of rodent studies in higher order species. The current study addresses these gaps by validating mouse studies for sensory innervation of tongue tissue in non-human primates as well as assesses sex-specific differences. Tongue and trigeminal ganglia were collected from naïve male and female marmosets and tested for nerve fibers using specific markers by immunohistochemistry and number of fibers quantified. We also tested whether specific subgroups of nerve fibers belonged to myelinating or non-myelinating axons. We observed that similar to findings in mice, marmoset tongue was innervated with nerve filaments expressing nociceptor markers like CGRP and TRPV1 as well as non-nociceptor markers like TrkB, parvalbumin (PV) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Furthermore, we found that while portion of TrkB and PV may be sensory fibers, TH-positive fibers were primarily sympathetic nerve fibers. Moreover, number of CGRP, TrkB and TH-positive nerve fibers were similar in both sexes. However, we observed a higher proportion of myelinated TRPV1 positive fibers in females than in males as well as increased number of PV + fibers in females. Taken together, the study for the first time characterizes sensory innervation in non-human primates as well as evaluates sex-differences in innervation of tongue tissue, thereby laying the foundation for future orofacial pain research with new world smaller NHPs like the common marmoset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meilinn Tram
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, USA
| | - Tarek Ibrahim
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, USA
| | - Anahit Hovhannisyan
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, USA
| | - Armen Akopian
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, USA
| | - Shivani Ruparel
- Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of Texas Health San Antonio, USA
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Kumar M, Handy G, Kouvaros S, Zhao Y, Brinson LL, Wei E, Bizup B, Doiron B, Tzounopoulos T. Cell-type-specific plasticity of inhibitory interneurons in the rehabilitation of auditory cortex after peripheral damage. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4170. [PMID: 37443148 PMCID: PMC10345144 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39732-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Peripheral sensory organ damage leads to compensatory cortical plasticity that is associated with a remarkable recovery of cortical responses to sound. The precise mechanisms that explain how this plasticity is implemented and distributed over a diverse collection of excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons remain unknown. After noise trauma and persistent peripheral deficits, we found recovered sound-evoked activity in mouse A1 excitatory principal neurons (PNs), parvalbumin- and vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing neurons (PVs and VIPs), but reduced activity in somatostatin-expressing neurons (SOMs). This cell-type-specific recovery was also associated with cell-type-specific intrinsic plasticity. These findings, along with our computational modelling results, are consistent with the notion that PV plasticity contributes to PN stability, SOM plasticity allows for increased PN and PV activity, and VIP plasticity enables PN and PV recovery by inhibiting SOMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj Kumar
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| | - Gregory Handy
- Departments of Neurobiology and Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Stylianos Kouvaros
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Yanjun Zhao
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Lovisa Ljungqvist Brinson
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Eric Wei
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Brandon Bizup
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Brent Doiron
- Departments of Neurobiology and Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Thanos Tzounopoulos
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
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Khan Z, Jung M, Crow M, Mohindra R, Maiya V, Kaminker JS, Hackos DH, Chandler GS, McCarthy MI, Bhangale T. Whole genome sequencing across clinical trials identifies rare coding variants in GPR68 associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Genome Med 2023; 15:45. [PMID: 37344884 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01193-4] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dose-limiting toxicities significantly impact the benefit/risk profile of many drugs. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) in patients receiving drugs with dose-limiting toxicities can identify therapeutic hypotheses to prevent these toxicities. Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common dose-limiting neurological toxicity of chemotherapies with no effective approach for prevention. METHODS We conducted a genetic study of time-to-first peripheral neuropathy event using 30× germline WGS data from whole blood samples from 4900 European-ancestry cancer patients in 14 randomized controlled trials. A substantial number of patients in these trials received taxane and platinum-based chemotherapies as part of their treatment regimen, either standard of care or in combination with the PD-L1 inhibitor atezolizumab. The trials spanned several cancers including renal cell carcinoma, triple negative breast cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma. RESULTS We identified a locus consisting of low-frequency variants in intron 13 of GRID2 associated with time-to-onset of first peripheral neuropathy (PN) indexed by rs17020773 (p = 2.03 × 10-8, all patients, p = 6.36 × 10-9, taxane treated). Gene-level burden analysis identified rare coding variants associated with increased PN risk in the C-terminus of GPR68 (p = 1.59 × 10-6, all patients, p = 3.47 × 10-8, taxane treated), a pH-sensitive G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR). The variants driving this signal were found to alter predicted arrestin binding motifs in the C-terminus of GPR68. Analysis of snRNA-seq from human dorsal root ganglia (DRG) indicated that expression of GPR68 was highest in mechano-thermo-sensitive nociceptors. CONCLUSIONS Our genetic study provides insight into the impact of low-frequency and rare coding genetic variation on PN risk and suggests that further study of GPR68 in sensory neurons may yield a therapeutic hypothesis for prevention of CIPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zia Khan
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, 94080, USA.
| | - Min Jung
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, 94080, USA
| | - Megan Crow
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, 94080, USA
| | - Rajat Mohindra
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vidya Maiya
- Genentech, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, 94080, USA
| | | | | | - G Scott Chandler
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
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40
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Xie K, Cheng X, Zhu T, Zhang D. Single-cell transcriptomic profiling of dorsal root ganglion: an overview. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1162049. [PMID: 37405309 PMCID: PMC10315536 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1162049] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The somatosensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) are responsible to detect peripheral physical and noxious stimuli, and then transmit these inputs into the central nervous system. DRG neurons are composed of various subpopulations, which are suggested to respond to different stimuli, such as mechanical, thermal, and cold perception. For a long time, DRG neurons were classified based on anatomical criteria. Recently, single-cell (scRNA-seq) and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) has advanced our understanding of the composition and functional heterogeneity of both human and rodent DRG neurons at single-cell resolution. In this review, we summarized the current literature regarding single-cell transcriptomic profiling of DRG to provide an integral understanding in the molecular transcriptomes, cell types, and functional annotations of DRG neurons in humans and rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyu Xie
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Chengdu Second People’s Hospital, Chengdu, China
| | - Xu Cheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Donghang Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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McIlvried LA, Del Rosario JS, Pullen MY, Wangzhou A, Sheahan TD, Shepherd AJ, Slivicki RA, Lemen JA, Price TJ, Copits BA, Gereau RW. Intrinsic Homeostatic Plasticity in Mouse and Human Sensory Neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544829. [PMID: 37398430 PMCID: PMC10312743 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
In response to changes in activity induced by environmental cues, neurons in the central nervous system undergo homeostatic plasticity to sustain overall network function during abrupt changes in synaptic strengths. Homeostatic plasticity involves changes in synaptic scaling and regulation of intrinsic excitability. Increases in spontaneous firing and excitability of sensory neurons are evident in some forms of chronic pain in animal models and human patients. However, whether mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity are engaged in sensory neurons under normal conditions or altered after chronic pain is unknown. Here, we showed that sustained depolarization induced by 30mM KCl induces a compensatory decrease in the excitability in mouse and human sensory neurons. Moreover, voltage-gated sodium currents are robustly reduced in mouse sensory neurons contributing to the overall decrease in neuronal excitability. Decreased efficacy of these homeostatic mechanisms could potentially contribute to the development of the pathophysiology of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A. McIlvried
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - John Smith Del Rosario
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Melanie Y. Pullen
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
| | - Andi Wangzhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; The University of Texas at Dallas; Dallas, TX, 75080; USA
| | - Tayler D. Sheahan
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
| | - Andrew J. Shepherd
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
| | - Richard A. Slivicki
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
| | | | - Theodore J. Price
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Advanced Pain Studies; The University of Texas at Dallas; Dallas, TX, 75080; USA
| | - Bryan A. Copits
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
| | - Robert W. Gereau
- Washington University Pain Center and Department of Anesthesiology; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Department of Biomedical Engineering; Washington University School of Medicine; St. Louis, MO, 63110; USA
- Lead contact
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Li Y, Uhelski ML, North RY, Mwirigi JM, Tatsui CE, Cata JP, Corrales G, Price TJ, Dougherty PM. MNK inhibitor eFT508 (Tomivosertib) suppresses ectopic activity in human dorsal root ganglion neurons from dermatomes with radicular neuropathic pain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544811. [PMID: 37398249 PMCID: PMC10312735 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous activity in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons is a key driver of neuropathic pain in preclinical models and in patients suffering from this largely untreated disease. While many intracellular signaling mechanisms have been examined in preclinical models that drive this spontaneous activity (SA), none of these have been tested directly on spontaneously active human nociceptors. Using cultured DRG neurons recovered during thoracic vertebrectomy surgeries, we show that inhibition of mitogen activated protein kinase interacting kinase (MNK) with eFT508 (25 nM) reverses SA in human sensory neurons associated with painful dermatomes. MNK inhibition in spontaneously active nociceptors decreased action potential amplitude and produced alterations in the magnitude of afterhyperpolarizing currents suggesting modification of Na+ and K+ channel activity downstream of MNK inhibition. The effects of MNK inhibition on SA took minutes to emerge and were reversible over time with eFT508 washout. MNK inhibition with eFT508 led to a profound loss of eIF4E Serine 209 phosphorylation, a specific target of the kinase, within 2 min of drug treatment, consistent with the rapid action of the drug on SA in electrophysiology experiments. Our results create a compelling case for the future testing of MNK inhibitors in clinical trials for neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Li
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
| | - Megan L. Uhelski
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
| | - Robert Y. North
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
| | - Juliet M. Mwirigi
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
| | - Claudio E. Tatsui
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
| | - Juan P. Cata
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
| | - German Corrales
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
| | - Theodore J. Price
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, The University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W Campbell Rd, Richardson, Texas, 75080
| | - Patrick M. Dougherty
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA, 77030
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Inyang KE, Sim J, Clark KB, Matan G, Monahan K, Evans C, Beng P, Ma JV, Heijnen CJ, Dantzer R, Scherrer G, Kavelaars A, Bernard M, Aldhamen Y, Folger JK, Laumet G. Tonic Meningeal Interleukin-10 Upregulates Delta Opioid Receptor to Prevent Relapse to Pain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544200. [PMID: 37333074 PMCID: PMC10274865 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain often alternates between transient remission and relapse of severe pain. While most research on chronic pain has focused on mechanisms maintaining pain, there is a critical unmet need to understand what prevents pain from re-emerging in those who recover from acute pain. We found that interleukin (IL)-10, a pain resolving cytokine, is persistently produced by resident macrophages in the spinal meninges during remission from pain. IL-10 upregulated expression and analgesic activity of δ-opioid receptor (δOR) in the dorsal root ganglion. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of IL-10 signaling or δOR triggered relapse to pain in both sexes. These data challenge the widespread assumption that remission of pain is simply a return to the naïve state before pain was induced. Instead, our findings strongly suggest a novel concept that: remission is a state of lasting pain vulnerability that results from a long-lasting neuroimmune interactions in the nociceptive system.
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Tiwari MN, Hall BE, Terse A, Amin N, Chung MK, Kulkarni AB. ACTIVATION OF CYCLIN-DEPENDENT KINASE 5 BROADENS ACTION POTENTIALS IN HUMAN SENSORY NEURONS. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.31.543017. [PMID: 37398398 PMCID: PMC10312556 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.31.543017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain is one of the most devastating and unpleasant conditions, associated with many pathological conditions. Tissue or nerve injuries induce comprehensive neurobiological plasticity in nociceptive neurons, which leads to chronic pain. Recent studies suggest that cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) in primary afferents is a key neuronal kinase that modulates nociception through phosphorylation-dependent manner under pathological conditions. However, the impact of the CDK5 on nociceptor activity especially in human sensory neurons are not known. To determine the CDK5-mediated regulation of human dorsal root ganglia (hDRG) neuronal properties, we have performed the whole-cell patch clamp recordings in neurons dissociated from hDRG. CDK5 activation induced by overexpression of p35 depolarized the resting membrane potential and reduced the rheobase currents as compared to the uninfected neurons. CDK5 activation evidently changed the shape of the action potential (AP) by increasing AP rise time, AP fall time, and AP half width. The application of a prostaglandin E2 (PG) and bradykinin (BK) cocktail in uninfected hDRG neurons induced the depolarization of RMP and the reduction of rheobase currents along with increased AP rise time. However, PG and BK applications failed to induce any further significant changes in addition to the aforementioned changes of the membrane properties and AP parameters in the p35-overexpressing group. We conclude that CDK5 activation through the overexpression of p35 in dissociated hDRG neurons broadens AP in hDRG neurons and that CDK5 may play important roles in the modulation of AP properties in human primary afferents under pathological conditions, contributing to chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manindra Nath Tiwari
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, Program in Neuroscience, Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Bradford E. Hall
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
| | - Anita Terse
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
| | - Niranjana Amin
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Man-Kyo Chung
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, Program in Neuroscience, Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, The University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
| | - Ashok B. Kulkarni
- Functional Genomics Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
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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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Cuevas-Diaz Duran R, Li Y, Garza Carbajal A, You Y, Dessauer CW, Wu J, Walters ET. Major Differences in Transcriptional Alterations in Dorsal Root Ganglia Between Spinal Cord Injury and Peripheral Neuropathic Pain Models. J Neurotrauma 2023; 40:883-900. [PMID: 36178348 PMCID: PMC10150729 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic, often intractable, pain is caused by neuropathic conditions such as traumatic peripheral nerve injury (PNI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). These conditions are associated with alterations in gene and protein expression correlated with functional changes in somatosensory neurons having cell bodies in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Most studies of DRG transcriptional alterations have utilized PNI models where axotomy-induced changes important for neural regeneration may overshadow changes that drive neuropathic pain. Both PNI and SCI produce DRG neuron hyperexcitability linked to pain, but contusive SCI produces little peripheral axotomy or peripheral nerve inflammation. Thus, comparison of transcriptional signatures of DRGs across PNI and SCI models may highlight pain-associated transcriptional alterations in sensory ganglia that do not depend on peripheral axotomy or associated effects such as peripheral Wallerian degeneration. Data from our rat thoracic SCI experiments were combined with meta-analysis of published whole-DRG RNA-seq datasets from prominent rat PNI models. Striking differences were found between transcriptional responses to PNI and SCI, especially in regeneration-associated genes (RAGs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Many transcriptomic changes after SCI also were found after corresponding sham surgery, indicating they were caused by injury to surrounding tissue, including bone and muscle, rather than to the spinal cord itself. Another unexpected finding was of few transcriptomic similarities between rat neuropathic pain models and the only reported transcriptional analysis of human DRGs linked to neuropathic pain. These findings show that DRGs exhibit complex transcriptional responses to central and peripheral neural injury and associated tissue damage. Although only a few genes in DRG cells exhibited similar changes in expression across all the painful conditions examined here, these genes may represent a core set whose transcription in various DRG cell types is sensitive to significant bodily injury, and which may play a fundamental role in promoting neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cuevas-Diaz Duran
- Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
| | - Yong Li
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Anibal Garza Carbajal
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yanan You
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, UT Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Carmen W. Dessauer
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jiaqian Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, UT Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Edgar T. Walters
- Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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Haberberger RV, Kuramatilake J, Barry CM, Matusica D. Ultrastructure of dorsal root ganglia. Cell Tissue Res 2023:10.1007/s00441-023-03770-w. [PMID: 37079097 PMCID: PMC10115609 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-023-03770-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) contains thousands of sensory neurons that transmit information about our external and internal environment to the central nervous system. This includes signals related to proprioception, temperature, and nociception. Our understanding of DRG has increased tremendously over the last 50 years and has established the DRG as an active participant in peripheral processes. This includes interactions between neurons and non-neuronal cells such as satellite glia cells and macrophages that contribute to an increasingly complex cellular environment that modulates neuronal function. Early ultrastructural investigations of the DRG have described subtypes of sensory neurons based on differences in the arrangement of organelles such as the Golgi apparatus and the endoplasmic reticulum. The neuron-satellite cell complex and the composition of the axon hillock in DRG have also been investigated, but, apart from basic descriptions of Schwann cells, ultrastructural investigations of other cell types in DRG are limited. Furthermore, detailed descriptions of key components of DRG, such as blood vessels and the capsule that sits at the intersection of the meninges and the connective tissue covering the peripheral nervous system, are lacking to date. With rising interest in DRG as potential therapeutic targets for aberrant signalling associated with chronic pain conditions, gaining further insights into DRG ultrastructure will be fundamental to understanding cell-cell interactions that modulate DRG function. In this review, we aim to provide a synopsis of the current state of knowledge on the ultrastructure of the DRG and its components, as well as to identify areas of interest for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rainer Viktor Haberberger
- Division of Anatomy and Pathology, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Jaliya Kuramatilake
- Division of Anatomy and Pathology, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Christine M Barry
- Anatomy, Histology & Pathology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Dusan Matusica
- Anatomy, Histology & Pathology, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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Wang L, Ishihara S, Li J, Miller RE, Malfait AM. Notch signaling is activated in knee-innervating dorsal root ganglia in experimental models of osteoarthritis joint pain. Arthritis Res Ther 2023; 25:63. [PMID: 37061736 PMCID: PMC10105425 DOI: 10.1186/s13075-023-03039-1] [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: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to explore activation of the Notch signaling pathway in knee-innervating lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in the course of experimental osteoarthritis (OA) in mice, and its role in knee hyperalgesia. METHODS Cultured DRG cells were stimulated with the TLR4 agonist, lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Notch signaling in the cells was either inhibited with the γ-secretase inhibitor, DAPT, or with soluble Jagged1, or activated through immobilized Jagged1. CCL2 production was analyzed at mRNA and protein levels. In in vivo experiments, knee hyperalgesia was induced in naïve mice through intra-articular (IA) injection of LPS. The effect of inhibiting Notch signaling was examined by pre-injecting DAPT one hour before LPS. OA was induced through surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in male C57BL/6 mice. Gene expression in DRG was analyzed by qRT-PCR and RNAscope in situ hybridization. Activated Notch protein (NICD) expression in DRG was evaluated by ELISA and immunofluorescence staining. DAPT was injected IA 12 weeks post DMM to inhibit Notch signaling, followed by assessing knee hyperalgesia and CCL2 expression in the DRG. RESULTS In DRG cell cultures, LPS increased NICD in neuronal cells. Inhibition of Notch signaling with either DAPT or soluble Jagged1 attenuated LPS-induced increases of Ccl2 mRNA and CCL2 protein. Conversely, activating Notch signaling with immobilized Jagged1 enhanced these LPS effects. In vivo, IA injection of LPS increased expression of Notch genes and NICD in the DRG. Pre-injection of DAPT prior to LPS alleviated LPS-induced knee hyperalgesia, and decreased LPS-induced CCL2 expression in the DRG. Notch signaling genes were differentially expressed in the DRG from late-stage experimental OA. Notch1, Hes1, and NICD were increased in the neuronal cell bodies in DRG after DMM surgery. IA administration of DAPT alleviated knee hyperalgesia post DMM, and decreased CCL2 expression in the DRG. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest a synergistic effect of Notch signaling with TLR4 in promoting CCL2 production and mediating knee hyperalgesia. Notch signaling is activated in knee-innervating lumbar DRG in mice with experimental OA, and is involved in mediating knee hyperalgesia. The pathway may therefore be explored as a target for alleviating OA pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lai Wang
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 West Harrison Street, Suite 510, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Shingo Ishihara
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 West Harrison Street, Suite 510, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Jun Li
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 West Harrison Street, Suite 510, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Rachel E Miller
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 West Harrison Street, Suite 510, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Anne-Marie Malfait
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, 1611 West Harrison Street, Suite 510, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
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Yi J, Bertels Z, Del Rosario JS, Widman AJ, Slivicki RA, Payne M, Susser HM, Copits BA, Gereau RW. Bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-mediated sensitization of human sensory neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.31.534820. [PMID: 37034782 PMCID: PMC10081334 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.31.534820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Bradykinin is a peptide implicated in inflammatory pain in both humans and rodents. In rodent sensory neurons, activation of B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors induces neuronal hyperexcitability. Recent evidence suggests that human and rodent dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons, differ in the expression and function of key GPCRs and ion channels; whether BK receptor expression and function are conserved across species has not been studied in depth. In this study, we used human DRG tissue from organ donors to provide a detailed characterization of bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-induced changes in the excitability of human sensory neurons. We found that B2 and, to a lesser extent, B1 receptors are expressed by human DRG neurons and satellite glial cells. B2 receptors were enriched in the nociceptor subpopulation. Using patch-clamp electrophysiology, we found that acute bradykinin increases the excitability of human sensory neurons, while prolonged exposure to bradykinin decreases neuronal excitability in a subpopulation of human DRG neurons. Finally, our analyses suggest that donor’s history of chronic pain and age may be predictors of higher B1 receptor expression in human DRG neurons. Together, these results indicate that acute BK-induced hyperexcitability, first identified in rodents, is conserved in humans and provide further evidence supporting BK signaling as a potential therapeutic target for treating pain in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiwon Yi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Division of Biology & Biomedical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Zachariah Bertels
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - John Smith Del Rosario
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Allie J. Widman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Richard A. Slivicki
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Maria Payne
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Henry M. Susser
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Bryan A. Copits
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Robert W. Gereau
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
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50
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Shiers S, Sahn JJ, Price TJ. MNK1 and MNK2 Expression in the Human Dorsal Root and Trigeminal Ganglion. Neuroscience 2023; 515:96-107. [PMID: 36764601 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Mitogen activated protein kinase interacting kinases (MNK) 1 and 2 are serine/threonine protein kinases that play an important role in translation of mRNAs through their phosphorylation of the RNA 5'-cap binding protein, eukaryotic translation initiation factor (eIF) 4E. These kinases are downstream targets for mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), extracellular activity regulated protein kinase (ERK) and p38. MNKs have been implicated in the sensitization of peripheral nociceptors of the dorsal root and trigeminal ganglion (DRG and TG) using transgenic mouse lines and through the use of specific inhibitors of MNK1 and MNK2. While specific knockout of the Mknk1 gene suggests that it is the key isoform for regulation of nociceptor excitability and nociceptive behaviors in mice, both MKNK1 and MKNK2 genes are expressed in the DRG and TG of mice and humans based on RNA sequencing experiments. Single cell sequencing in mice suggests that Mknk1 and Mknk2 may be expressed in different populations of nociceptors. We sought to characterize mRNA expression in human DRG and TG (N = 3 ganglia for both DRG and TG) for both MNK1 and MNK2. Our results show that both genes are expressed by nearly all neurons in both human ganglia with expression in other cell types as well. Our findings provide evidence that MNK1 and MNK2 are expressed by human nociceptors of males and females and suggest that efforts to pharmacologically target MNKs for pain would likely be translatable due its conserved expression in both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Shiers
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | | | - Theodore J Price
- Center for Advanced Pain Studies, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
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