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Tam TH, Zhang W, Tu Y, Hicks JL, Farcas S, Kim D, Salter MW. Pain hypersensitivity is dependent on autophagy protein Beclin 1 in males but not females. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114293. [PMID: 38814784 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is associated with alterations in fundamental cellular processes. Here, we investigate whether Beclin 1, a protein essential for initiating the cellular process of autophagy, is involved in pain processing and is targetable for pain relief. We find that monoallelic deletion of Becn1 increases inflammation-induced mechanical hypersensitivity in male mice. However, in females, loss of Becn1 does not affect inflammation-induced mechanical hypersensitivity. In males, intrathecal delivery of a Beclin 1 activator, tat-beclin 1, reverses inflammation- and nerve injury-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and prevents mechanical hypersensitivity induced by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a mediator of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Pain signaling pathways converge on the enhancement of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) in spinal dorsal horn neurons. The loss of Becn1 upregulates synaptic NMDAR-mediated currents in dorsal horn neurons from males but not females. We conclude that inhibition of Beclin 1 in the dorsal horn is critical in mediating inflammatory and neuropathic pain signaling pathways in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa H Tam
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - YuShan Tu
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Janice L Hicks
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sophia Farcas
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Doyeon Kim
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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2
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Cao B, Xu Q, Shi Y, Zhao R, Li H, Zheng J, Liu F, Wan Y, Wei B. Pathology of pain and its implications for therapeutic interventions. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2024; 9:155. [PMID: 38851750 PMCID: PMC11162504 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-024-01845-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Pain is estimated to affect more than 20% of the global population, imposing incalculable health and economic burdens. Effective pain management is crucial for individuals suffering from pain. However, the current methods for pain assessment and treatment fall short of clinical needs. Benefiting from advances in neuroscience and biotechnology, the neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms critically involved in pain modulation have been elucidated. These research achievements have incited progress in identifying new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. In this review, we first introduce fundamental knowledge about pain, setting the stage for the subsequent contents. The review next delves into the molecular mechanisms underlying pain disorders, including gene mutation, epigenetic modification, posttranslational modification, inflammasome, signaling pathways and microbiota. To better present a comprehensive view of pain research, two prominent issues, sexual dimorphism and pain comorbidities, are discussed in detail based on current findings. The status quo of pain evaluation and manipulation is summarized. A series of improved and innovative pain management strategies, such as gene therapy, monoclonal antibody, brain-computer interface and microbial intervention, are making strides towards clinical application. We highlight existing limitations and future directions for enhancing the quality of preclinical and clinical research. Efforts to decipher the complexities of pain pathology will be instrumental in translating scientific discoveries into clinical practice, thereby improving pain management from bench to bedside.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cao
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Qixuan Xu
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Yajiao Shi
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ruiyang Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Hanghang Li
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, 100853, China
| | - Jie Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Fengyu Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - You Wan
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Bo Wei
- Department of General Surgery, First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, China.
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3
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Merighi A. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Nociception, and Pain. Biomolecules 2024; 14:539. [PMID: 38785946 PMCID: PMC11118093 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
This article examines the involvement of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the control of nociception and pain. BDNF, a neurotrophin known for its essential role in neuronal survival and plasticity, has garnered significant attention for its potential implications as a modulator of synaptic transmission. This comprehensive review aims to provide insights into the multifaceted interactions between BDNF and pain pathways, encompassing both physiological and pathological pain conditions. I delve into the molecular mechanisms underlying BDNF's involvement in pain processing and discuss potential therapeutic applications of BDNF and its mimetics in managing pain. Furthermore, I highlight recent advancements and challenges in translating BDNF-related research into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adalberto Merighi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Turin, Italy
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4
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Smith PA. BDNF in Neuropathic Pain; the Culprit that Cannot be Apprehended. Neuroscience 2024; 543:49-64. [PMID: 38417539 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
In males but not in females, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an obligatory role in the onset and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Afferent terminals of injured peripheral nerves release colony stimulating factor (CSF-1) and other mediators into the dorsal horn. These transform the phenotype of dorsal horn microglia such that they express P2X4 purinoceptors. Activation of these receptors by neuron-derived ATP promotes BDNF release. This microglial-derived BDNF increases synaptic activation of excitatory dorsal horn neurons and decreases that of inhibitory neurons. It also alters the neuronal chloride gradient such the normal inhibitory effect of GABA is converted to excitation. By as yet undefined processes, this attenuated inhibition increases NMDA receptor function. BDNF also promotes the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from astrocytes. All of these actions culminate in the increase dorsal horn excitability that underlies many forms of neuropathic pain. Peripheral nerve injury also alters excitability of structures in the thalamus, cortex and mesolimbic system that are responsible for pain perception and for the generation of co-morbidities such as anxiety and depression. The weight of evidence from male rodents suggests that this preferential modulation of excitably of supra-spinal pain processing structures also involves the action of microglial-derived BDNF. Possible mechanisms promoting the preferential release of BDNF in pain signaling structures are discussed. In females, invading T-lymphocytes increase dorsal horn excitability but it remains to be determined whether similar processes operate in supra-spinal structures. Despite its ubiquitous role in pain aetiology neither BDNF nor TrkB receptors represent potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Smith
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute and Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
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5
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Chen O, Jiang C, Berta T, Powell Gray B, Furutani K, Sullenger BA, Ji RR. MicroRNA let-7b enhances spinal cord nociceptive synaptic transmission and induces acute and persistent pain through neuronal and microglial signaling. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00548. [PMID: 38452223 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Secreted microRNAs (miRNAs) have been detected in various body fluids including the cerebrospinal fluid, yet their direct role in regulating synaptic transmission remains uncertain. We found that intrathecal injection of low dose of let-7b (1 μg) induced short-term (<24 hours) mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia, a response that is compromised in Tlr7-/- or Trpa1-/- mice. Ex vivo and in vivo calcium imaging in GCaMP6-report mice revealed increased calcium signal in spinal cord afferent terminals and doral root ganglion/dorsal root ganglia neurons following spinal perfusion and intraplantar injection of let-7b. Patch-clamp recordings also demonstrated enhanced excitatory synaptic transmission (miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents [EPSCs]) in spinal nociceptive neurons following let-7b perfusion or optogenetic activation of axonal terminals. The elevation in spinal calcium signaling and EPSCs was dependent on the presence of toll-like receptor-7 (TLR7) and transient receptor potential ion channel subtype A1 (TRPA1). In addition, endogenous let-7b is enriched in spinal cord synaptosome, and peripheral inflammation increased let-7b in doral root ganglion/dorsal root ganglia neurons, spinal cord tissue, and the cerebrospinal fluid. Notably, let-7b antagomir inhibited inflammatory pain and inflammation-induced synaptic plasticity (EPSC increase), suggesting an endogenous role of let-7b in regulating pain and synaptic transmission. Furthermore, intrathecal injection of let-7b, at a higher dose (10 μg), induced persistent mechanical allodynia for >2 weeks, which was abolished in Tlr7-/- mice. The high dose of let-7b also induced microgliosis in the spinal cord. Of interest, intrathecal minocycline only inhibited let-7b-induced mechanical allodynia in male but not female mice. Our findings indicate that the secreted microRNA let-7b has the capacity to provoke pain through both neuronal and glial signaling, thereby establishing miRNA as an emerging neuromodulator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouyang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Changyu Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Temugin Berta
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain Research Center, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Bethany Powell Gray
- Department of Surgery, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kenta Furutani
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Bruce A Sullenger
- Department of Surgery, Duke Cancer Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ru-Rong Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Translational Pain Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
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6
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Huang 黄玉莹 Y, Chen 陈红 H, Shao 邵建英 JY, Zhou 周京京 JJ, Chen 陈少瑞 SR, Pan 潘惠麟 HL. Constitutive KCC2 Cell- and Synapse-Specifically Regulates NMDA Receptor Activity in the Spinal Cord. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1943232023. [PMID: 38124193 PMCID: PMC10860486 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1943-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
K+-Cl- cotransporter-2 (KCC2) critically controls neuronal chloride homeostasis and maintains normal synaptic inhibition by GABA and glycine. Nerve injury diminishes synaptic inhibition in the spinal cord via KCC2 impairment. However, how KCC2 regulates nociceptive input to spinal excitatory and inhibitory neurons remains elusive. Here, we show that basal GABA reversal potentials were significantly more depolarized in vesicular GABA transporter (VGAT)-expressing inhibitory neurons than those in vesicular glutamate transporter-2 (VGluT2)-expressing excitatory neurons in spinal cords of male and female mice. Strikingly, inhibiting KCC2 with VU0463271 increased currents elicited by puff NMDA and the NMDAR-mediated frequency of mEPSCs in VGluT2, but not in VGAT, dorsal horn neurons. Notably, VU0463271 had no effect on EPSCs monosynaptically evoked from the dorsal root in VGluT2 neurons. Furthermore, VU0463271 augmented α2δ-1-NMDAR interactions and their protein levels in spinal cord synaptosomes. In Cacna2d1 KO mice, VU0463271 had no effect on puff NMDA currents or the mEPSC frequency in dorsal horn neurons. Disrupting α2δ-1-NMDAR interactions with α2δ-1 C-terminus mimicking peptide diminished VU0463271-induced potentiation in the mEPSC frequency and puff NMDA currents in VGluT2 neurons. Additionally, intrathecal injection of VU0463271 reduced mechanical and thermal thresholds in wild-type mice, but not in Cacna2d1 KO mice. VU0463271-induced pain hypersensitivity in mice was abrogated by co-treatment with the NMDAR antagonist, pregabalin (an α2δ-1 inhibitory ligand), or α2δ-1 C-terminus mimicking peptide. Our findings suggest that KCC2 controls presynaptic and postsynaptic NMDAR activity specifically in excitatory dorsal horn neurons. KCC2 impairment preferentially potentiates nociceptive transmission between spinal excitatory interneurons via α2δ-1-bound NMDARs.Significance statementImpaired function of potassium-chloride cotransporter-2 (KCC2), a key regulator of neuronal inhibition, in the spinal cord plays a major role in neuropathic pain. This study unveils that KCC2 controls spinal nociceptive synaptic strength via NMDA receptors in a cell type- and synapse type-specific manner. KCC2 inhibition preferentially augments presynaptic and postsynaptic NMDA receptor activity in spinal excitatory interneurons via α2δ-1 (previously known as a calcium channel subunit). Importantly, spinal KCC2 impairment triggers pain hypersensitivity through α2δ-1-coupled NMDA receptors. These findings pinpoint the cell and molecular substrates for the reciprocal relationship between spinal synaptic inhibition and excitation in chronic neuropathic pain. Targeting both KCC2 and α2δ-1–NMDA receptor complexes could be an effective strategy in managing neuropathic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Huang 黄玉莹
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Pain Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, Texas
| | - Hong Chen 陈红
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Pain Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, Texas
| | - Jian-Ying Shao 邵建英
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Pain Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, Texas
| | - Jing-Jing Zhou 周京京
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Pain Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, Texas
| | - Shao-Rui Chen 陈少瑞
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Pain Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, Texas
| | - Hui-Lin Pan 潘惠麟
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience and Pain Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, Texas
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7
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Dedek A, Hildebrand ME. Characterizing Functional Contributions of Specific GluN2 Subunits to Individual Postsynaptic NMDAR Responses Using Biophysical Parameters. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2799:257-267. [PMID: 38727912 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3830-9_14] [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: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The NMDAR is a heterotetramer composed of two GluN1 subunits and two GluN2 and/or GluN3 subunits, with the GluN2 subunits exhibiting significant diversity in their structure and function. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of characterizing the specific roles of each GluN2 subunit across central nervous system regions and developmental stages, as well as their unique contributions to NMDAR-mediated signaling and plasticity. Understanding the distinct functions of GluN2 subunits is critical for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for NMDAR-related disorders. However, measuring the functional contribution of individual GluN2 subtypes in ex vivo slices is challenging. Conventionally, pharmacological or genetic approaches are used, but, in many cases, this is not possible or is restricted to population-level NMDAR responses. Here, we describe a technique for using biophysical properties of miniature synaptic NMDAR responses as a proxy to measure the functional contribution of specific GluN2-NMDAR subunits to individual synapses within a neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Dedek
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael E Hildebrand
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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8
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Parnell J, Martin N, Dedek A, Rudyk C, Landrigan J, Bellavance J, VanDerLoo S, Tsai EC, Hildebrand ME. Cannabinoid CB1 Receptor Expression and Localization in the Dorsal Horn of Male and Female Rat and Human Spinal Cord. Can J Pain 2023; 7:2264895. [PMID: 38170158 PMCID: PMC10761112 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2023.2264895] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Background Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that cannabis has potential analgesic properties. However, cannabinoid receptor expression and localization within spinal cord pain processing circuits remain to be characterized across sex and species. Aims We aimed to investigate the differential expression of the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor across dorsal horn laminae and cell populations in male and female adult rats and humans. Methods To investigate and quantify CB1 receptor expression in the spinal dorsal horn across species, we refined immunohistochemical procedures for successful rat and human fixed tissue staining and confocal imaging. Immunohistochemical results were complemented with analysis of CB1 gene (CNR1) expression within rodent and human dorsal horn using single-cell/nuclei RNA sequencing data sets. Results We found that CB1 was preferentially localized to the neuropil within the superficial dorsal horn of both rats and humans, with CB1 somatic staining across dorsal horn laminae. CB1 receptor immunoreactivity was significantly higher in the superficial dorsal horn compared to the deeper dorsal horn laminae for both rats and humans, which was conserved across sex. Interestingly, we found that CB1 immunoreactivity was not primarily localized to peptidergic afferents in rats and humans and that CNR1 (CB1) but not CNR2 (CB2) was robustly expressed in dorsal horn neuron subpopulations of both rodents and humans. Conclusions The conserved preferential expression of CB1 receptors in the superficial dorsal horn in male and female rodents and humans has significant implications for understanding the roles of this cannabinoid receptor in spinal mechanisms of nociception and analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Parnell
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Newton Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annemarie Dedek
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christopher Rudyk
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jeffrey Landrigan
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Justin Bellavance
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Simon VanDerLoo
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eve C. Tsai
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael E. Hildebrand
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Zhang F, Liu M, Tuo J, Zhang L, Zhang J, Yu C, Xu Z. Levodopa-induced dyskinesia: interplay between the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor and neuroinflammation. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1253273. [PMID: 37860013 PMCID: PMC10582719 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1253273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder of middle-aged and elderly people, clinically characterized by resting tremor, myotonia, reduced movement, and impaired postural balance. Clinically, patients with PD are often administered levodopa (L-DOPA) to improve their symptoms. However, after years of L-DOPA treatment, most patients experience complications of varying severity, including the "on-off phenomenon", decreased efficacy, and levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). The development of LID can seriously affect the quality of life of patients, but its pathogenesis is unclear and effective treatments are lacking. Glutamic acid (Glu)-mediated changes in synaptic plasticity play a major role in LID. The N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptor (NMDAR), an ionotropic glutamate receptor, is closely associated with synaptic plasticity, and neuroinflammation can modulate NMDAR activation or expression; in addition, neuroinflammation may be involved in the development of LID. However, it is not clear whether NMDA receptors are co-regulated with neuroinflammation during LID formation. Here we review how neuroinflammation mediates the development of LID through the regulation of NMDA receptors, and assess whether common anti-inflammatory drugs and NMDA receptor antagonists may be able to mitigate the development of LID through the regulation of central neuroinflammation, thereby providing a new theoretical basis for finding new therapeutic targets for LID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanshi Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Mei Liu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jinmei Tuo
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Changyin Yu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Zucai Xu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
- The Collaborative Innovation Center of Tissue Damage Repair and Regeneration Medicine of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
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10
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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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11
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Martin LF, Cheng K, Washington SM, Denton M, Goel V, Khandekar M, Largent-Milnes TM, Patwardhan A, Ibrahim MM. Green Light Exposure Elicits Anti-inflammation, Endogenous Opioid Release and Dampens Synaptic Potentiation to Relieve Post-surgical Pain. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:509-529. [PMID: 36283655 PMCID: PMC9991952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Light therapy improves multiple conditions such as seasonal affective disorders, circadian rhythm dysregulations, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, little is known about its potential benefits in pain management. While current pharmacologic methods are effective in many cases, the associated side effects can limit their use. Non-pharmacological methods would minimize drug dependence, facilitating a reduction of the opioid burden. Green light therapy has been shown to be effective in reducing chronic pain in humans and rodents. However, its underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. In this study, we demonstrate that green light exposure reduced postsurgical hypersensitivity in rats. Moreover, this therapy potentiated the antinociceptive effects of morphine and ibuprofen on mechanical allodynia in male rats. Importantly, in female rats, GLED potentiated the antinociceptive effects of morphine but did not affect that of ibuprofen. We showed that green light increases endogenous opioid levels while lessening synaptic plasticity and neuroinflammation. Importantly, this study reveals new insights into how light exposure can affect neuroinflammation and plasticity in both genders. Clinical translation of these results could provide patients with improved pain control and decrease opioid consumption. Given the noninvasive nature of green light, this innovative therapy would be readily implementable in hospitals. PERSPECTIVE: This study provides a potential additional therapy to decrease postsurgical pain. Given the safety, availability, and the efficacy of green light therapy, there is a significant potential for advancing the green light therapy to clinical trials and eventual translation to clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent F Martin
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Kevin Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Stephanie M Washington
- Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Millie Denton
- Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Vasudha Goel
- Department of Anesthesiology, The University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Maithili Khandekar
- Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Tally M Largent-Milnes
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Amol Patwardhan
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Mohab M Ibrahim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Department of Neurosurgery, College of Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona; Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.
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12
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Yadav A, Matson KJE, Li L, Hua I, Petrescu J, Kang K, Alkaslasi MR, Lee DI, Hasan S, Galuta A, Dedek A, Ameri S, Parnell J, Alshardan MM, Qumqumji FA, Alhamad SM, Wang AP, Poulen G, Lonjon N, Vachiery-Lahaye F, Gaur P, Nalls MA, Qi YA, Maric D, Ward ME, Hildebrand ME, Mery PF, Bourinet E, Bauchet L, Tsai EC, Phatnani H, Le Pichon CE, Menon V, Levine AJ. A cellular taxonomy of the adult human spinal cord. Neuron 2023; 111:328-344.e7. [PMID: 36731429 PMCID: PMC10044516 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian spinal cord functions as a community of cell types for sensory processing, autonomic control, and movement. While animal models have advanced our understanding of spinal cellular diversity, characterizing human biology directly is important to uncover specialized features of basic function and human pathology. Here, we present a cellular taxonomy of the adult human spinal cord using single-nucleus RNA sequencing with spatial transcriptomics and antibody validation. We identified 29 glial clusters and 35 neuronal clusters, organized principally by anatomical location. To demonstrate the relevance of this resource to human disease, we analyzed spinal motoneurons, which degenerate in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other diseases. We found that compared with other spinal neurons, human motoneurons are defined by genes related to cell size, cytoskeletal structure, and ALS, suggesting a specialized molecular repertoire underlying their selective vulnerability. We include a web resource to facilitate further investigations into human spinal cord biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Yadav
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kaya J E Matson
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins University Department of Biology, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Li Li
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isabelle Hua
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Joana Petrescu
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristy Kang
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mor R Alkaslasi
- Unit on the Development of Neurodegeneration, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Dylan I Lee
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Saadia Hasan
- Inherited Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ahmad Galuta
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Annemarie Dedek
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sara Ameri
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jessica Parnell
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Saud M Alhamad
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Alick Pingbei Wang
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Gaetan Poulen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Lonjon
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
| | - Florence Vachiery-Lahaye
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France
| | - Pallavi Gaur
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mike A Nalls
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Data Tecnica International LLC, Glen Echo, MD, USA
| | - Yue A Qi
- Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dragan Maric
- Flow and Imaging Cytometry Core Facility, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael E Ward
- Inherited Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael E Hildebrand
- Inherited Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA; Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Pierre-Francois Mery
- Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Emmanuel Bourinet
- Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Luc Bauchet
- Department of Neurosurgery, Gui de Chauliac Hospital, and Donation and Transplantation Coordination Unit, Montpellier University Medical Center, Montpellier, France; Institute of Functional Genomics, Montpellier University, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Eve C Tsai
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hemali Phatnani
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Claire E Le Pichon
- Unit on the Development of Neurodegeneration, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vilas Menon
- Department of Neurology, Center for Translational and Computational Neuroimmunology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Ariel J Levine
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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13
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Pan L, Li T, Wang R, Deng W, Pu H, Deng M. Roles of Phosphorylation of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor in Chronic Pain. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023; 43:155-175. [PMID: 35032275 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-022-01188-6] [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: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) is widely regarded as a vital modification of synaptic function. Various protein kinases are responsible for direct phosphorylation of NMDAR, such as cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase A, protein kinase C, Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, Src family protein tyrosine kinases, cyclin-dependent kinase 5, and casein kinase II. The detailed function of these kinases on distinct subunits of NMDAR has been reported previously and contributes to phosphorylation at sites predominately within the C-terminal of NMDAR. Phosphorylation underlies both structural and functional changes observed in chronic pain, and studies have demonstrated that inhibitors of kinases are significantly effective in alleviating pain behavior in different chronic pain models. In addition, the exploration of drugs that aim to disrupt the interaction between kinases and NMDAR is promising in clinical research. Based on research regarding the modulation of NMDAR in chronic pain models, this review provides an overview of the phosphorylation of NMDAR-related mechanisms underlying chronic pain to elucidate molecular and pharmacologic references for chronic pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangyu Pan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Tiansheng Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Weiheng Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China
| | - Huangsheng Pu
- College of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, 410073, Hunan, China.
| | - Meichun Deng
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Hematology, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China. .,Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, Hunan, China.
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14
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Gale JR, Gedeon JY, Donnelly CJ, Gold MS. Local translation in primary afferents and its contribution to pain. Pain 2022; 163:2302-2314. [PMID: 35438669 PMCID: PMC9579217 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Chronic pain remains a significant problem due to its prevalence, impact, and limited therapeutic options. Progress in addressing chronic pain is dependent on a better understanding of underlying mechanisms. Although the available evidence suggests that changes within the central nervous system contribute to the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain, it also suggests that the primary afferent plays a critical role in all phases of the manifestation of chronic pain in most of those who suffer. Most notable among the changes in primary afferents is an increase in excitability or sensitization. A number of mechanisms have been identified that contribute to primary afferent sensitization with evidence for both increases in pronociceptive signaling molecules, such as voltage-gated sodium channels, and decreases in antinociceptive signaling molecules, such as voltage-dependent or calcium-dependent potassium channels. Furthermore, these changes in signaling molecules seem to reflect changes in gene expression as well as posttranslational processing. A mechanism of sensitization that has received far less attention, however, is the local or axonal translation of these signaling molecules. A growing body of evidence indicates that this process not only is dynamically regulated but also contributes to the initiation and maintenance of chronic pain. Here, we review the biology of local translation in primary afferents and its relevance to pain pathobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna R Gale
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Jeremy Y Gedeon
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | | | - Michael S Gold
- Corresponding author: Michael S Gold, PhD, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, P: 412-383-5367,
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15
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Yeo M, Zhang Q, Ding L, Shen X, Chen Y, Liedtke W. Spinal cord dorsal horn sensory gate in preclinical models of chemotherapy-induced painful neuropathy and contact dermatitis chronic itch becomes less leaky with Kcc2 gene expression-enhancing treatments. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:911606. [PMID: 36504679 PMCID: PMC9731339 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.911606] [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: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Low intraneuronal chloride in spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH) pain relay neurons is of critical relevance for physiological transmission of primary sensory afferents because low intraneuronal chloride dictates GABA-ergic and glycin-ergic neurotransmission to be inhibitory. If neuronal chloride rises to unphysiological levels, the primary sensory gate in the spinal cord dorsal horn becomes corrupted, with resulting behavioral hallmarks of hypersensitivity and allodynia, for example in pathological pain. Low chloride in spinal cord dorsal horn neurons relies on the robust gene expression of Kcc2 and sustained transporter function of the KCC2 chloride-extruding electroneutral transporter. Based on a recent report where we characterized the GSK3-inhibitory small molecule, kenpaullone, as a Kcc2 gene expression-enhancer that potently repaired diminished Kcc2 expression and KCC2 transporter function in SCDH pain relay neurons, we extend our recent findings by reporting (i) effective pain control in a preclinical model of taxol-induced painful peripheral neuropathy that was accomplished by topical application of a TRPV4/TRPA1 dual-inhibitory compound (compound 16-8), and was associated with the repair of diminished Kcc2 gene expression in the SCDH; and (ii) potent functioning of kenpaullone as an antipruritic in a DNFB contact dermatitis preclinical model. These observations suggest that effective peripheral treatment of chemotherapy-induced painful peripheral neuropathy impacts the pain-transmitting neural circuit in the SCDH in a beneficial manner by enhancing Kcc2 gene expression, and that chronic pruritus might be relayed in the primary sensory gate of the spinal cord, following similar principles as pathological pain, specifically relating to the critical functioning of Kcc2 gene expression and the KCC2 transporter function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Yeo
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Qiaojuan Zhang
- Departments of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - LeAnne Ding
- Departments of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Xiangjun Shen
- Departments of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Yong Chen
- Departments of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Yong Chen
| | - Wolfgang Liedtke
- Departments of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States,Wolfgang Liedtke
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16
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Hegarty SV, Stanicka J. K +/Cl - co-transporter-2 upmodulation: a multi-modal therapy to treat spinal cord injury. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:1984-1986. [PMID: 35142685 PMCID: PMC8848609 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.335155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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17
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Chronic Pain after Bone Fracture: Current Insights into Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12081056. [PMID: 36009119 PMCID: PMC9406150 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12081056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Bone fracture following traumatic injury or due to osteoporosis is characterized by severe pain and motor impairment and is a major cause of global mortality and disability. Fracture pain often originates from mechanical distortion of somatosensory nerve terminals innervating bones and muscles and is maintained by central sensitization. Chronic fracture pain (CFP) after orthopedic repairs is considered one of the most critical contributors to interference with the physical rehabilitation and musculoskeletal functional recovery. Analgesics available for CFP in clinics not only have poor curative potency but also have considerable side effects; therefore, it is important to further explore the pathogenesis of CFP and identify safe and effective therapies. The typical physiopathological characteristics of CFP are a neuroinflammatory response and excitatory synaptic plasticity, but the specific molecular mechanisms involved remain poorly elucidated. Recent progress has deepened our understanding of the emerging properties of chemokine production, proinflammatory mediator secretion, caspase activation, neurotransmitter release, and neuron-glia interaction in initiating and sustaining synaptogenesis, synaptic strength, and signal transduction in central pain sensitization, indicating the possibility of targeting neuroinflammation to prevent and treat CFP. This review summarizes current literature on the excitatory synaptic plasticity, microgliosis, and microglial activation-associated signaling molecules and discusses the unconventional modulation of caspases and stimulator of interferon genes (STING) in the pathophysiology of CFP. We also review the mechanisms of action of analgesics in the clinic and their side effects as well as promising therapeutic candidates (e.g., specialized pro-resolving mediators, a caspase-6 inhibitor, and a STING agonist) for pain relief by the attenuation of neuroinflammation with the aim of better managing patients undergoing CFP in the clinical setting.
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18
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Su PYP, Zhang L, He L, Zhao N, Guan Z. The Role of Neuro-Immune Interactions in Chronic Pain: Implications for Clinical Practice. J Pain Res 2022; 15:2223-2248. [PMID: 35957964 PMCID: PMC9359791 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s246883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Po-Yi Paul Su
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lingyi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Liangliang He
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pain Management, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Na Zhao
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Zhonghui Guan
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Correspondence: Zhonghui Guan, Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA, Tel +415.885.7246, Fax +415.885.7575, Email
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19
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Aby F, Lorenzo LE, Grivet Z, Bouali-Benazzouz R, Martin H, Valerio S, Whitestone S, Isabel D, Idi W, Bouchatta O, De Deurwaerdere P, Godin AG, Herry C, Fioramonti X, Landry M, De Koninck Y, Fossat P. Switch of serotonergic descending inhibition into facilitation by a spinal chloride imbalance in neuropathic pain. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo0689. [PMID: 35895817 PMCID: PMC9328683 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo0689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Descending control from the brain to the spinal cord shapes our pain experience, ranging from powerful analgesia to extreme sensitivity. Increasing evidence from both preclinical and clinical studies points to an imbalance toward descending facilitation as a substrate of pathological pain, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. We used an optogenetic approach to manipulate serotonin (5-HT) neurons of the nucleus raphe magnus that project to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. We found that 5-HT neurons exert an analgesic action in naïve mice that becomes proalgesic in an experimental model of neuropathic pain. We show that spinal KCC2 hypofunction turns this descending inhibitory control into paradoxical facilitation; KCC2 enhancers restored 5-HT-mediated descending inhibition and analgesia. Last, combining selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) with a KCC2 enhancer yields effective analgesia against nerve injury-induced pain hypersensitivity. This uncovers a previously unidentified therapeutic path for SSRIs against neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franck Aby
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Louis-Etienne Lorenzo
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Zoé Grivet
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Rabia Bouali-Benazzouz
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Hugo Martin
- NutriNeuro, UMR, INRAe, 1286 Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Sara Whitestone
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Dominique Isabel
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Walid Idi
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Otmane Bouchatta
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- NutriNeuro, UMR, INRAe, 1286 Bordeaux, France
- Aquineuro, SA, Bordeaux, France
- Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Philippe De Deurwaerdere
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des neurosciences cognitives et intégratives d’aquitaine (INCIA) CNRS UMR 5287, Bordeaux, France
| | - Antoine G. Godin
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Cyril Herry
- Neurocentre Magendie, INSERM, U862, Bordeaux, France
| | | | - Marc Landry
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Yves De Koninck
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Pascal Fossat
- Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut des maladies neurodégénératives (IMN), CNRS UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
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20
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Dong CR, Zhang WJ, Luo HL. Association between P2X3 receptors and neuropathic pain: As a potential therapeutic target for therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 150:113029. [PMID: 35489283 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a common clinical symptom of various diseases, and it seriously affects the physical and mental health of patients. Owing to the complex pathological mechanism of neuropathic pain, clinical treatment of pain is challenging. Therefore, there is growing interest among researchers to explore potential therapeutic strategies for neuropathic pain. A large number of studies have shown that development of neuropathic pain is related to nerve conduction and related signaling molecules. P2X3 receptors (P2X3R) are ATP-dependent ion channels that participate in the transmission of neural information and related signaling pathways, sensitize the central nervous system, and play a key role in the development of neuropathic pain. In this paper, we summarized the structure and biological characteristics of the P2X3R gene and discussed the role of P2X3R in the nervous system. Moreover, we outlined the related pathological mechanisms of pain and described the relationship between P2X3R and chronic pain to provide valuable information for development of novel treatment strategies for pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cai-Rong Dong
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 343000, China
| | - Wen-Jun Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 343000, China.
| | - Hong-Liang Luo
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 343000, China
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21
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Liedtke W. Long March Toward Safe and Effective Analgesia by Enhancing Gene Expression of Kcc2: First Steps Taken. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:865600. [PMID: 35645734 PMCID: PMC9137411 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.865600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Low intraneuronal chloride in spinal cord dorsal horn pain relay neurons is critical for physiologic transmission of primary pain afferents because low intraneuronal chloride dictates whether GABA-ergic and glycin-ergic neurotransmission is inhibitory. If the neuronal chloride elevates to pathologic levels, then spinal cord primary pain relay becomes leaky and exhibits the behavioral hallmarks of pathologic pain, namely hypersensitivity and allodynia. Low chloride in spinal cord dorsal horn neurons is maintained by proper gene expression of Kcc2 and sustained physiologic function of the KCC2 chloride extruding electroneutral transporter. Peripheral nerve injury and other forms of neural injury evoke greatly diminished Kcc2 gene expression and subsequent corruption of inhibitory neurotransmission in the spinal cord dorsal horn, thus causing derailment of the gate function for pain. Here I review key discoveries that have helped us understand these fundamentals, and focus on recent insights relating to the discovery of Kcc2 gene expression enhancing compounds via compound screens in neurons. One such study characterized the kinase inhibitor, kenpaullone, more in-depth, revealing its function as a robust and long-lasting analgesic in preclinical models of nerve injury and cancer bone pain, also elucidating its mechanism of action via GSK3β inhibition, diminishing delta-catenin phosphorylation, and facilitating its nuclear transfer and subsequent enhancement of Kcc2 gene expression by de-repressing Kaiso epigenetic transcriptional regulator. Future directions re Kcc2 gene expression enhancement are discussed, namely combination with other analgesics and analgesic methods, such as spinal cord stimulation and electroacupuncture, gene therapy, and leveraging Kcc2 gene expression-enhancing nanomaterials.
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22
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Dedek A, Xu J, Lorenzo LÉ, Godin AG, Kandegedara CM, Glavina G, Landrigan JA, Lombroso PJ, De Koninck Y, Tsai EC, Hildebrand ME. Sexual dimorphism in a neuronal mechanism of spinal hyperexcitability across rodent and human models of pathological pain. Brain 2022; 145:1124-1138. [PMID: 35323848 PMCID: PMC9050559 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and severity of many chronic pain syndromes differ across sex, and recent studies have identified differences in immune signalling within spinal nociceptive circuits as a potential mediator. Although it has been proposed that sex-specific pain mechanisms converge once they reach neurons within the superficial dorsal horn, direct investigations using rodent and human preclinical pain models have been lacking. Here, we discovered that in the Freund’s adjuvant in vivo model of inflammatory pain, where both male and female rats display tactile allodynia, a pathological coupling between KCC2-dependent disinhibition and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) potentiation within superficial dorsal horn neurons was observed in male but not female rats. Unlike males, the neuroimmune mediator brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) failed to downregulate inhibitory signalling elements (KCC2 and STEP61) and upregulate excitatory elements (pFyn, GluN2B and pGluN2B) in female rats, resulting in no effect of ex vivo brain-derived neurotrophic factor on synaptic NMDAR responses in female lamina I neurons. Importantly, this sex difference in spinal pain processing was conserved from rodents to humans. As in rodents, ex vivo spinal treatment with BDNF downregulated markers of disinhibition and upregulated markers of facilitated excitation in superficial dorsal horn neurons from male but not female human organ donors. Ovariectomy in female rats recapitulated the male pathological pain neuronal phenotype, with BDNF driving a coupling between disinhibition and NMDAR potentiation in adult lamina I neurons following the prepubescent elimination of sex hormones in females. This discovery of sexual dimorphism in a central neuronal mechanism of chronic pain across species provides a foundational step towards a better understanding and treatment for pain in both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Dedek
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, K1S 5B6 Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, K1Y 4M9 Ontario, Canada
| | - Jian Xu
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | | | - Antoine G Godin
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Quebec G1E 1T2, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Quebec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Chaya M Kandegedara
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, K1S 5B6 Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, K1Y 4M9 Ontario, Canada
| | - Geneviève Glavina
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Quebec G1E 1T2, Canada
| | | | - Paul J Lombroso
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Yves De Koninck
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Quebec G1E 1T2, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Quebec G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Eve C Tsai
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, K1Y 4M9 Ontario, Canada.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada.,Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario K1Y 4E9, Canada
| | - Michael E Hildebrand
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, K1S 5B6 Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, K1Y 4M9 Ontario, Canada
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23
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Abstract
We aimed to investigate a sexually dimorphic role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in rodent models of pain. Based on findings in migraine where CGRP has a preferential pain-promoting effect in female rodents, we hypothesized that CGRP antagonists and antibodies would attenuate pain sensitization more efficaciously in female than male mice and rats. In hyperalgesic priming induced by activation of interleukin 6 signaling, CGRP receptor antagonists olcegepant and CGRP8-37 both given intrathecally, blocked, and reversed hyperalgesic priming only in females. A monoclonal antibody against CGRP, given systemically, blocked priming specifically in female rodents but failed to reverse it. In the spared nerve injury model, there was a transient effect of both CGRP antagonists, given intrathecally, on mechanical hypersensitivity in female mice only. Consistent with these findings, intrathecally applied CGRP caused a long-lasting, dose-dependent mechanical hypersensitivity in female mice but more transient effects in males. This CGRP-induced mechanical hypersensitivity was reversed by olcegepant and the KCC2 enhancer CLP257, suggesting a role for anionic plasticity in the dorsal horn in the pain-promoting effects of CGRP in females. In spinal dorsal horn slices, CGRP shifted GABAA reversal potentials to significantly more positive values, but, again, only in female mice. Therefore, CGRP may regulate KCC2 expression and/or activity downstream of CGRP receptors specifically in females. However, KCC2 hypofunction promotes mechanical pain hypersensitivity in both sexes because CLP257 alleviated hyperalgesic priming in male and female mice. We conclude that CGRP promotes pain plasticity in female rodents but has a limited impact in males.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The majority of patients impacted by chronic pain are women. Mechanistic studies in rodents are creating a clear picture that molecular events promoting chronic pain are different in male and female animals. We sought to build on evidence showing that CGRP is a more potent and efficacious promoter of headache in female than in male rodents. To test this, we used hyperalgesic priming and the spared nerve injury neuropathic pain models in mice. Our findings show a clear sex dimorphism wherein CGRP promotes pain in female but not male mice, likely via a centrally mediated mechanism of action. Our work suggests that CGRP receptor antagonists could be tested for efficacy in women for a broader variety of pain conditions.
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Abstract
Inflammatory pain is the perception of noxious stimuli that occurs during inflammation or an immune response. Glial cells are widespread in the central and peripheral nervous systems, supporting and guiding the migration of neurons, participating in the immune response, forming the myelin sheath and blood-brain barrier, and maintaining the concentration of potassium ions outside nerve cells. Recent studies have shown that glial cells have a significant connection with the production and development of inflammatory pain. This article reviews the relationship, mechanisms, therapeutic targets between five types of glial cells and inflammatory pain, and the medicine composition that can effectively inhibit inflammatory pain. It expands the study on the mechanism of glial cells regulating pain and provides new ideas for the therapy of inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongji Wang
- Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China
| | - Changshui Xu
- Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, P.R. China
- The Clinical Medical School, Jiangxi Medical College, Shangrao 334000, P.R. China
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25
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Innovations and advances in modelling and measuring pain in animals. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:70-85. [PMID: 34837072 PMCID: PMC9098196 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00536-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Best practices in preclinical algesiometry (pain behaviour testing) have shifted over the past decade as a result of technological advancements, the continued dearth of translational progress and the emphasis that funding institutions and journals have placed on rigour and reproducibility. Here we describe the changing trends in research methods by analysing the methods reported in preclinical pain publications from the past 40 years, with a focus on the last 5 years. We also discuss how the status quo may be hampering translational success. This discussion is centred on four fundamental decisions that apply to every pain behaviour experiment: choice of subject (model organism), choice of assay (pain-inducing injury), laboratory environment and choice of outcome measures. Finally, we discuss how human tissues, which are increasingly accessible, can be used to validate the translatability of targets and mechanisms identified in animal pain models.
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26
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Kopach O, Voitenko N. Spinal AMPA receptors: Amenable players in central sensitization for chronic pain therapy? Channels (Austin) 2021; 15:284-297. [PMID: 33565904 PMCID: PMC7889122 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2021.1885836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The activity-dependent trafficking of AMPA receptors (AMPAR) mediates synaptic strength and plasticity, while the perturbed trafficking of the receptors of different subunit compositions has been linked to memory impairment and to causing neuropathology. In the spinal cord, nociceptive-induced changes in AMPAR trafficking determine the central sensitization of the dorsal horn (DH): changes in AMPAR subunit composition compromise the balance between synaptic excitation and inhibition, rendering interneurons hyperexcitable to afferent inputs, and promoting Ca2+ influx into the DH neurons, thereby amplifying neuronal hyperexcitability. The DH circuits become over-excitable and carry out aberrant sensory processing; this causes an increase in pain sensation in central sensory pathways, giving rise to chronic pain syndrome. Current knowledge of the contribution of spinal AMPAR to the cellular mechanisms relating to chronic pain provides opportunities for developing target-based therapies for chronic pain intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Kopach
- Department of Sensory Signalling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Present Address: Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nana Voitenko
- Department of Sensory Signalling, Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Kyiv Academic University, Kyiv, Ukraine
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27
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Temi S, Rudyk C, Armstrong J, Landrigan JA, Dedek C, Salmaso N, Hildebrand ME. Differential expression of GluN2 NMDA receptor subunits in the dorsal horn of male and female rats. Channels (Austin) 2021; 15:179-192. [PMID: 33509021 PMCID: PMC7849732 DOI: 10.1080/19336950.2020.1871205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are excitatory ionotropic glutamate receptors expressed throughout the CNS, including in the spinal dorsal horn. The GluN2 subtypes of NMDAR subunit, which include GluN2A, GluN2B, and GluN2D in the dorsal horn, confer NMDARs with structural and functional variability, enabling heterogeneity in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Despite essential roles for NMDARs in physiological and pathological pain processing, the distribution and function of these specific GluN2 isoforms across dorsal horn laminae remain poorly understood. Surprisingly, there is a complete lack of knowledge of GluN2 expression in female rodents. We, therefore, investigated the relative expression of specific GluN2 variants in the dorsal horn of lumbar (L4/L5) spinal cord from both male and female rats. In order to detect synaptic GluN2 isoforms, we used pepsin antigen-retrieval to unmask these highly cross-linked protein complexes. We found that GluN2B and GluN2D are preferentially localized to the pain-processing superficial regions of the dorsal horn in males, while only GluN2B is predominantly localized to the superficial dorsal horn of female rats. The GluN2A subunit is diffusely localized to neuropil throughout the dorsal horn of both males and females, while GluN2B and GluN2D immunolabelling are found both in the neuropil and on the soma of dorsal horn neurons. Finally, we identified an unexpected enhanced expression of GluN2B in the medial division of the superficial dorsal horn, but in males only. These sex-specific localization patterns of GluN2-NMDAR subunits across dorsal horn laminae have significant implications for the understanding of divergent spinal mechanisms of pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santa Temi
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Chris Dedek
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | | | - Michael E. Hildebrand
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
- Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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28
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Yeo M, Chen Y, Jiang C, Chen G, Wang K, Chandra S, Bortsov A, Lioudyno M, Zeng Q, Wang P, Wang Z, Busciglio J, Ji RR, Liedtke W. Repurposing cancer drugs identifies kenpaullone which ameliorates pathologic pain in preclinical models via normalization of inhibitory neurotransmission. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6208. [PMID: 34707084 PMCID: PMC8551327 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26270-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory GABA-ergic neurotransmission is fundamental for the adult vertebrate central nervous system and requires low chloride concentration in neurons, maintained by KCC2, a neuroprotective ion transporter that extrudes intracellular neuronal chloride. To identify Kcc2 gene expression‑enhancing compounds, we screened 1057 cell growth-regulating compounds in cultured primary cortical neurons. We identified kenpaullone (KP), which enhanced Kcc2/KCC2 expression and function in cultured rodent and human neurons by inhibiting GSK3ß. KP effectively reduced pathologic pain-like behavior in mouse models of nerve injury and bone cancer. In a nerve-injury pain model, KP restored Kcc2 expression and GABA-evoked chloride reversal potential in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Delta-catenin, a phosphorylation-target of GSK3ß in neurons, activated the Kcc2 promoter via KAISO transcription factor. Transient spinal over-expression of delta-catenin mimicked KP analgesia. Our findings of a newly repurposed compound and a novel, genetically-encoded mechanism that each enhance Kcc2 gene expression enable us to re-normalize disrupted inhibitory neurotransmission through genetic re-programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michele Yeo
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Yong Chen
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Changyu Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kaiyuan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sharat Chandra
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrey Bortsov
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Maria Lioudyno
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (iMIND), Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Qian Zeng
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Zilong Wang
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jorge Busciglio
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders (iMIND), Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ru-Rong Ji
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Wolfgang Liedtke
- Department of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology (Center for Translational Pain Medicine), Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Neurology Clinics for Headache, Head-Pain and Trigeminal Sensory Disorders, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
- Duke Anesthesiology Clinics for Innovative Pain Therapy, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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29
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Harding EK, Dedek A, Bonin RP, Salter MW, Snutch TP, Hildebrand ME. The T-type calcium channel antagonist, Z944, reduces spinal excitability and pain hypersensitivity. Br J Pharmacol 2021; 178:3517-3532. [PMID: 33871884 PMCID: PMC8453510 DOI: 10.1111/bph.15498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Purpose T‐type voltage‐gated calcium channels are an emerging therapeutic target for neurological disorders including epilepsy and pain. Inhibition of T‐type channels reduces the excitability of peripheral nociceptive sensory neurons and reverses pain hypersensitivity in male rodent pain models. However, administration of peripherally restricted T‐type antagonists failed to show efficacy in multiple clinical and preclinical pain trials, suggesting that inhibition of peripheral T‐type channels alone may be insufficient for pain relief. Experimental Approach We utilized the selective and CNS‐penetrant T‐type channel antagonist, Z944, in electrophysiological, calcium imaging and behavioural paradigms to determine its effect on lamina I neuron excitability and inflammatory pain behaviours. Key Results Voltage‐clamp recordings from lamina I spinal neurons of adult rats revealed that approximately 80% of neurons possess a low threshold T‐type current, which was blocked by Z944. Due to this highly prevalent T‐type current, Z944 potently blocked action‐potential evoked somatic and dendritic calcium transients in lamina I neurons. Moreover, application of Z944 to spinal cord slices attenuated action potential firing rates in over half of laminae I/II neurons. Finally, we found that intraperitoneal injection of Z944 (1–10 mg·kg−1) dose‐dependently reversed mechanical allodynia in the complete Freund's adjuvant model of persistent inflammatory pain, with a similar magnitude and time course of analgesic effects between male and female rats. Conclusion and Implications T‐type calcium channels critically shape the excitability of lamina I pain processing neurons and inhibition of these channels by the clinical stage antagonist Z944 potently reverses pain hypersensitivity across sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika K Harding
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Annemarie Dedek
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert P Bonin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Terrance P Snutch
- Michael Smith Laboratories, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Djavad Mowafaghian Center for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael E Hildebrand
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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30
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Role of microglia and P2X4 receptors in chronic pain. Pain Rep 2021; 6:e864. [PMID: 33981920 PMCID: PMC8108579 DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
This study summarizes current understanding of the role of microglia and P2X4 receptor in chronic pain including neuropathic pain and of their therapeutic potential. Pain plays an indispensable role as an alarm system to protect us from dangers or injuries. However, neuropathic pain, a debilitating pain condition caused by damage to the nervous system, persists for a long period even in the absence of dangerous stimuli or after injuries have healed. In this condition, pain becomes a disease itself rather than the alarm system and is often resistant to currently available medications. A growing body of evidence indicates that microglia, a type of macrophages residing in the central nervous system, play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Whenever microglia in the spinal cord detect a damaging signal within the nervous system, they become activated and cause diverse alterations that change neural excitability, leading to the development of neuropathic pain. For over a decade, several lines of molecular and cellular mechanisms that define microglial activation and subsequently altered pain transmission have been proposed. In particular, P2X4 receptors (a subtype of purinergic receptors) expressed by microglia have been investigated as an essential molecule for neuropathic pain. In this review article, we describe our understanding of the mechanisms by which activated microglia cause neuropathic pain through P2X4 receptors, their involvement in several pathological contexts, and recent efforts to develop new drugs targeting microglia and P2X4 receptors.
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31
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Cho C, Deol HK, Martin LJ. Bridging the Translational Divide in Pain Research: Biological, Psychological and Social Considerations. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:603186. [PMID: 33935700 PMCID: PMC8082136 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.603186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A gap exists between translating basic science research into effective pain therapies in humans. While preclinical pain research has primarily used animal models to understand biological processes, a lesser focus has been toward using animal models to fully consider other components of the pain experience, such as psychological and social influences. Herein, we provide an overview of translational studies within pain research by breaking them down into purely biological, psychological and social influences using a framework derived from the biopsychosocial model. We draw from a wide landscape of studies to illustrate that the pain experience is highly intricate, and every attempt must be made to address its multiple components and interactors to aid in fully understanding its complexity. We highlight our work where we have developed animal models to assess the cognitive and social effects on pain modulation while conducting parallel experiments in people that provide proof-of-importance for human pain modulation. In some instances, human pain research has sparked the development of novel animal models, with these animal models used to better understand the complexity of phenomena considered to be uniquely human such as placebo responses and empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chulmin Cho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Harashdeep K Deol
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Loren J Martin
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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32
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Wang Z, Li H. Serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in patients with diabetic neuropathic pain. Neurosci Lett 2021; 752:135655. [PMID: 33485990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is one of the most common and severe complications in patients with diabetes. This study aimed to investigate serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in patients with DNP and to evaluate the association between BDNF and disease severity. METHODS A total of 143 T2DM patients were included, according to clinical characteristics and douleur neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaire are divided into the DNP group (n = 78) and without the DNP group (n = 65). BDNF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, other biochemical characteristics were measured using routine laboratory methods. RESULTS Serum levels of BDNF was increased significantly in the DNP group compared to without DNP group. Meanwhile, a binary logistic regression model identified as revealed BDNF (OR = 1.178, 95 %CI = 1.064-1.305,p = 0.002) was a risk factor in T2DM patients. Furthermore, the serum BDNF levels positively correlated with VAS score in the DNP patients. CONCLUSIONS Serum BDNF was elevated in DNP patients and increased gradually with the VAS score. BDNF was identified as risk factors for pain in all T2DM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
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33
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Duan H, Shen F, Li L, Tu Z, Chen P, Chen P, Wang Z, Liang W, Wang Y. Activation of the Notch signaling pathway in the anterior cingulate cortex is involved in the pathological process of neuropathic pain. Pain 2021; 162:263-274. [PMID: 32701650 PMCID: PMC7737863 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Plastic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) are critical in pain hypersensitivity caused by peripheral nerves injury. The Notch signaling pathway has been shown to regulate synaptic differentiation and transmission. Therefore, this study was to investigate the function of the Notch signaling pathway in the ACC during nociceptive transmission induced by neuropathic pain. We adopted Western blotting, N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) microinjections, RNA interference targeting Notch1, Hairy and enhancer of split (Hes) 1 or Hes5, electrophysiological recordings, and behavioral tests to verify the link between Notch signaling in ACC and neuropathic pain with adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Levels of the Notch intracellular domain were increased in ACC on day 7 after chronic constriction injury surgery or spared nerve injury. Meanwhile, the mRNA level of the downstream effector of Notch signaling Hes1 was increased, whereas the level of Hes5 mRNA did not change. Microinjection of DAPT, a γ-secretase (a key enzyme involved in Notch pathway) inhibitor, into ACC significantly reversed neuropathic pain behaviors. Intra-ACC injection of short hairpin RNA-Notch reduced Notch intracellular domain expression and decreased the potentiation of synaptic transmission in the ACC. Moreover, pain perceptions were also alleviated in rats subjected to chronic constriction injury or spared nerve injury. This process was mainly mediated by the downstream effector Hes1, but not Hes5. Based on these results, the activation of the Notch/Hes1 signaling pathway in the ACC participates in the development of neuropathic pain, indicating that the Notch pathway may be a new therapeutic target for treating chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Duan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fengyan Shen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiyi Tu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Pei Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiru Wang
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics-Ministry of Education, School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weimin Liang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yingwei Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Ferrini F, Salio C, Boggio EM, Merighi A. Interplay of BDNF and GDNF in the Mature Spinal Somatosensory System and Its Potential Therapeutic Relevance. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 19:1225-1245. [PMID: 33200712 PMCID: PMC8719296 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x18666201116143422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The growth factors BDNF and GDNF are gaining more and more attention as modulators of synaptic transmission in the mature central nervous system (CNS). The two molecules undergo a regulated secretion in neurons and may be anterogradely transported to terminals where they can positively or negatively modulate fast synaptic transmission. There is today a wide consensus on the role of BDNF as a pro-nociceptive modulator, as the neurotrophin has an important part in the initiation and maintenance of inflammatory, chronic, and/or neuropathic pain at the peripheral and central level. At the spinal level, BDNF intervenes in the regulation of chloride equilibrium potential, decreases the excitatory synaptic drive to inhibitory neurons, with complex changes in GABAergic/glycinergic synaptic transmission, and increases excitatory transmission in the superficial dorsal horn. Differently from BDNF, the role of GDNF still remains to be unraveled in full. This review resumes the current literature on the interplay between BDNF and GDNF in the regulation of nociceptive neurotransmission in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. We will first discuss the circuitries involved in such a regulation, as well as the reciprocal interactions between the two factors in nociceptive pathways. The development of small molecules specifically targeting BDNF, GDNF and/or downstream effectors is opening new perspectives for investigating these neurotrophic factors as modulators of nociceptive transmission and chronic pain. Therefore, we will finally consider the molecules of (potential) pharmacological relevance for tackling normal and pathological pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferrini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Chiara Salio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Elena M. Boggio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Adalberto Merighi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Grugliasco, Italy
- National Institute of Neuroscience, Grugliasco, Italy
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35
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Zhang L, Wang Z, Song C, Liu H, Li Y, Li J, Yu Y, Wang G, Cui W. Spinal NR2B phosphorylation at Tyr1472 regulates IRE(-)DMT1-mediated iron accumulation and spine morphogenesis via kalirin-7 in tibial fracture-associated postoperative pain after orthopedic surgery in female mice. Reg Anesth Pain Med 2020; 46:363-373. [PMID: 33443215 DOI: 10.1136/rapm-2020-101883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged postoperative pain is a major concern and occurs more frequently in women, but mechanisms remain elusive. NR2B-containging N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is a key component of nociception transduction. Divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1)-mediated iron overload involves NMDA-induced neurotoxicity in males. Kalirin-7 is vital in synaptic plasticity underlying pathological pain in males. Herein, the requirement for kalirin-7 in NR2B phosphorylation-dependent iron accumulation and spine plasticity in postoperative pain after tibial fracture in female mice has been examined. METHODS Pain-related behavior, spinal NR2B phosphorylation at Tyr1472, kalirin-7 expression, DMT1 with/without iron-responsive element (IRE (+) DMT1 and IRE (-) DMT1) level, iron concentration and spine morphology were assessed in females. NR2B antagonist Ro25-6981, iron chelator deferoxamine and kalirin-7 knockdown by short hairpin RNA were employed to assess the potential cascade. RESULTS Tibial fracture initiates long-term allodynia lasting at least 21 days postoperatively, and upregulates spinal NR2B phosphorylation, kalirin-7 and IRE (-) DMT1 expression, iron overload and spine density. Ro25-6981 reduces postoperative mechanical and cold allodynia, spinal NR2B phosphorylation, kalirin-7 level and IRE (-) DMT1-mediated iron overload. Kalirin-7 knockdown impairs fracture-associated allodynia, IRE (-) DMT1-mediated iron overload and spine plasticity. Deferoxamine also attenuates behavioral allodynia and spine plasticity. Spinal NMDA application elicits NR2B-dependent mechanical allodynia and iron overload, which is reversed by kalirin-7 knockdown or coadministration of deferoxamine. CONCLUSION Spinal NR2B phosphorylation at Tyr1472 upregulates kalirin-7 expression to facilitate IRE (-) DMT1-mediated iron accumulation and spine morphogenesis in the development of fracture-associated postoperative pain in female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linlin Zhang
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Chengcheng Song
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Haoyu Liu
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yize Li
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jing Li
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Yonghao Yu
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Guolin Wang
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Cui
- Anesthesiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
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36
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Tam TH, Salter MW. Purinergic signalling in spinal pain processing. Purinergic Signal 2020; 17:49-54. [PMID: 33169292 DOI: 10.1007/s11302-020-09748-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Purinergic signalling plays important roles in somatosensory and nociceptive transmission in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Physiologically, ATP mediates excitatory postsynaptic responses in nociceptive transmission in the superficial dorsal horn, and in transmission of innocuous primary afferent inputs in the deep dorsal horn. Additionally, extracellular conversion of ATP to adenosine mediates inhibitory postsynaptic responses from Pacinian corpuscle afferents, and is implicated in analgesia caused by transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in humans. In terms of pathological pain, P2X4 receptors de novo expressed on dorsal horn microglia are implicated in pain hypersensitivity following peripheral nerve injury. There is evidence that involvement of such P2X4 receptors is sexually dimorphic, occurring in males but not in females. Thus, the roles of purinergic signalling in physiological and pathological pain processing are complex and remain an ever-expanding field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa H Tam
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, Toronto, ON, Canada.,The Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,The University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,The Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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37
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Ferrini F, Perez-Sanchez J, Ferland S, Lorenzo LE, Godin AG, Plasencia-Fernandez I, Cottet M, Castonguay A, Wang F, Salio C, Doyon N, Merighi A, De Koninck Y. Differential chloride homeostasis in the spinal dorsal horn locally shapes synaptic metaplasticity and modality-specific sensitization. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3935. [PMID: 32769979 PMCID: PMC7414850 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17824-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
GABAA/glycine-mediated neuronal inhibition critically depends on intracellular chloride (Cl-) concentration which is mainly regulated by the K+-Cl- co-transporter 2 (KCC2) in the adult central nervous system (CNS). KCC2 heterogeneity thus affects information processing across CNS areas. Here, we uncover a gradient in Cl- extrusion capacity across the superficial dorsal horn (SDH) of the spinal cord (laminae I-II: LI-LII), which remains concealed under low Cl- load. Under high Cl- load or heightened synaptic drive, lower Cl- extrusion is unveiled in LI, as expected from the gradient in KCC2 expression found across the SDH. Blocking TrkB receptors increases KCC2 in LI, pointing to differential constitutive TrkB activation across laminae. Higher Cl- lability in LI results in rapidly collapsing inhibition, and a form of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity expressed as a continuous facilitation of excitatory responses. The higher metaplasticity in LI as compared to LII differentially affects sensitization to thermal and mechanical input. Thus, inconspicuous heterogeneity of Cl- extrusion across laminae critically shapes plasticity for selective nociceptive modalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ferrini
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
| | - Jimena Perez-Sanchez
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Samuel Ferland
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | - Antoine G Godin
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Isabel Plasencia-Fernandez
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Feng Wang
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Chiara Salio
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Nicolas Doyon
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Adalberto Merighi
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Yves De Koninck
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
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38
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Zhang WJ, Zhu ZM, Liu ZX. The role of P2X4 receptor in neuropathic pain and its pharmacological properties. Pharmacol Res 2020; 158:104875. [PMID: 32407956 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NPP) is a common symptom of most diseases in clinic, which seriously affects the mental health of patients and brings certain pain to patients. Due to its pathological mechanism is very complicated, and thus, its treatment has been one of the challenges in the field of medicine. Therefore, exploring the pathogenesis and treatment approach of NPP has aroused the interest of many researchers. ATP is an important energy information substance, which participates in the signal transmission in the body. The P2 × 4 receptor (P2 × 4R) is dependent on ATP ligand-gated cationic channel receptor, which can be activated by ATP and plays an important role in the transmission of information in the nervous system and the formation of pain. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of the structure and function of the P2 × 4R gene. We also discuss the pathogenesis of NPP and the intrinsic relationship between P2 × 4R and NPP. Moreover, we explore the pharmacological properties of P2 × 4R antagonists or inhibitors used as targeted therapies for NPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jun Zhang
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi province, 343000, China.
| | - Zheng-Ming Zhu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi province, 343000, China.
| | - Zeng-Xu Liu
- Basic Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi province, 343000, China
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39
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Mahmoud H, Martin N, Hildebrand ME. Conserved contributions of NMDA receptor subtypes to synaptic responses in lamina II spinal neurons across early postnatal development. Mol Brain 2020; 13:31. [PMID: 32138769 PMCID: PMC7057509 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00566-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
NMDA receptors are heteromeric complexes that contribute to excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity. The presence of specific variants of GluN2 subunits in these complexes enables diversity in NMDA receptor function and regulation. At brain synapses, there is a switch from slow GluN2B-mediated NMDA receptors to faster GluN2A-dominated NMDA receptors as well as an increase in the ratio of AMPA to NMDA receptors during early postnatal development. This glutamate receptor switch is observed across brain regions and is critical for synaptic maturation, circuit development, and associative learning. However, whether a similar receptor subunit switch occurs within pain processing neurons in the developing spinal cord remains untested. To investigate this, we performed whole-cell patch clamp recordings of excitatory synaptic responses from lamina II dorsal horn neurons of one to three week-old rats. We found that GluN2B and GluN2A both prominently contribute to NMDA receptor responses at neonatal lamina II synapses, with a small contribution from GluN2D as well. Surprisingly, we found that this molecular identity of NMDA receptor responses as well as the relative contribution of AMPA receptors versus NMDA receptors did not change at lamina II synapses across early postnatal development (P7 to P21). The lack of a developmental switch and persistence of slow-decaying GluN2B- and GluN2D-mediated synaptic responses throughout neuronal maturation in the dorsal horn has implications for understanding both the regulation of synaptic glutamatergic receptors as well as spinal mechanisms of pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadir Mahmoud
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Newton Martin
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael E Hildebrand
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada. .,Neuroscience Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada. .,Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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40
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Lorenzo LE, Godin AG, Ferrini F, Bachand K, Plasencia-Fernandez I, Labrecque S, Girard AA, Boudreau D, Kianicka I, Gagnon M, Doyon N, Ribeiro-da-Silva A, De Koninck Y. Enhancing neuronal chloride extrusion rescues α2/α3 GABA A-mediated analgesia in neuropathic pain. Nat Commun 2020; 11:869. [PMID: 32054836 PMCID: PMC7018745 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-14154-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal disinhibition has been hypothesized to underlie pain hypersensitivity in neuropathic pain. Apparently contradictory mechanisms have been reported, raising questions on the best target to produce analgesia. Here, we show that nerve injury is associated with a reduction in the number of inhibitory synapses in the spinal dorsal horn. Paradoxically, this is accompanied by a BDNF-TrkB-mediated upregulation of synaptic GABAARs and by an α1-to-α2GABAAR subunit switch, providing a mechanistic rationale for the analgesic action of the α2,3GABAAR benzodiazepine-site ligand L838,417 after nerve injury. Yet, we demonstrate that impaired Cl- extrusion underlies the failure of L838,417 to induce analgesia at high doses due to a resulting collapse in Cl- gradient, dramatically limiting the benzodiazepine therapeutic window. In turn, enhancing KCC2 activity not only potentiated L838,417-induced analgesia, it rescued its analgesic potential at high doses, revealing a novel strategy for analgesia in pathological pain, by combined targeting of the appropriate GABAAR-subtypes and restoring Cl- homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Etienne Lorenzo
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Antoine G Godin
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Francesco Ferrini
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Karine Bachand
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Isabel Plasencia-Fernandez
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Labrecque
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alexandre A Girard
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Ecole Polytechnique, IP Paris, Palaiseau, France
| | - Dominic Boudreau
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Irenej Kianicka
- Chlorion Pharma, Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
- Laurent Pharmaceuticals Inc., Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Gagnon
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Centre for Innovation, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Nicolas Doyon
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada
- Finite Element Interdisciplinary Research Group (GIREF), Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Yves De Koninck
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, Quebec Mental Health Institute, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Graduate program in Neuroscience, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.
- Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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41
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Zhang WJ, Zhu ZM, Liu ZX. The role and pharmacological properties of the P2X7 receptor in neuropathic pain. Brain Res Bull 2020; 155:19-28. [PMID: 31778766 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Neuropathic Pain (NPP) is caused by direct or indirect damage to the nervous system and is a common symptom of many diseases. Clinically, drugs are usually used to suppress pain, such as (lidocaine, morphine, etc.), but the effect is short-lived, poor analgesia, and there are certain dependence and side effects. Therefore, the investigation of the treatment of NPP has become an urgent problem in medical, attracting a lot of research attention. P2X7 is dependent on Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) ion channel receptors and has dual functions for the development of nerve damage and pain. In this review, we explored the link between the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) and NPP, providing insight into the P2X7R and NPP, discussing the pathological mechanism of P2 X7R in NPP and the biological characteristics of P2X7R antagonist inhibiting its over-expression for the targeted therapy of NPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jun Zhang
- The Second Affiliate Hospital. Nanchang University, Nanchang City. Jiangxi Province, China; Basic Medical School, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China
| | - Zheng-Ming Zhu
- The Second Affiliate Hospital. Nanchang University, Nanchang City. Jiangxi Province, China.
| | - Zeng-Xu Liu
- Basic Medical School, Nanchang University, Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province, China
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42
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Gousset S, Mouraux A, van den Broeke EN. Burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing secondary hyperalgesia in humans. J Neurophysiol 2020; 123:323-328. [PMID: 31825708 PMCID: PMC6985853 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00675.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation vs. continuous stimulation of cutaneous nociceptors for inducing increased pinprick sensitivity in the surrounding unstimulated skin (a phenomenon referred to as secondary hyperalgesia). In a first experiment (n = 30), we compared the increase in mechanical pinprick sensitivity induced by 50-Hz burst-like stimulation (n = 15) vs. 5-Hz continuous stimulation (n = 15) while maintaining constant the total number of stimuli and the total duration of stimulation. We found a significantly greater increase in mechanical pinprick sensitivity in the surrounding unstimulated skin after 50-Hz burst-like stimulation compared with 5-Hz continuous stimulation (P = 0.013, Cohen's d = 0.970). Importantly, to control for the different frequency of stimulation, we compared in a second experiment (n = 40) 5-Hz continuous stimulation (n = 20) vs. 5-Hz burst-like stimulation (n = 20), this time while keeping the total number of stimuli as well as the frequency of stimulation identical. Again, we found a significantly greater increase in pinprick sensitivity after 5-Hz burst-like stimulation compared with 5-Hz continuous stimulation (P = 0.009, Cohen's d = 0.868). To conclude, our data indicate that burst-like conditioning electrical stimulation is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing secondary hyperalgesia.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Burst-like electrical conditioning stimulation of cutaneous nociceptors is more efficacious than continuous stimulation for inducing heterosynaptic facilitation of mechanical nociceptive input in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Gousset
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - A Mouraux
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - E N van den Broeke
- System and Cognition Division, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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43
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Manion J, Waller MA, Clark T, Massingham JN, Neely GG. Developing Modern Pain Therapies. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:1370. [PMID: 31920521 PMCID: PMC6933609 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain afflicts as much as 50% of the population at any given time but our methods to address pain remain limited, ineffective and addictive. In order to develop new therapies an understanding of the mechanisms of painful sensitization is essential. We discuss here recent progress in the understanding of mechanisms underlying pain, and how these mechanisms are being targeted to produce modern, specific therapies for pain. Finally, we make recommendations for the next generation of targeted, effective, and safe pain therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Manion
- The Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew A. Waller
- The Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Teleri Clark
- The Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Joshua N. Massingham
- The Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G. Gregory Neely
- The Dr. John and Anne Chong Lab for Functional Genomics, Charles Perkins Centre and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Genome Editing Initiative, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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