Complex regulation of the regulator of synaptic plasticity histone deacetylase 2 in the rodent dorsal horn after peripheral injury

Pyroptosis in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy and its Therapeutic Regulation

Pyroptosis is a pro-inflammatory form of cell death resulting from the activation of gasdermins (GSDMs) pore-forming proteins and the release of several pro-inflammatory factors. However, inflammasomes are the intracellular protein complexes that cleave gasdermin D (GSDMD), leading to the formation of robust cell membrane pores and the initiation of pyroptosis. Inflammasome activation and gasdermin-mediated membrane pore formation are the important intrinsic processes in the classical pyroptotic signaling pathway. Overactivation of the NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome triggers pyroptosis and amplifies inflammation. Current evidence suggests that the overactivation of inflammasomes and pyroptosis may further induce the progression of cancers, nerve injury, inflammatory disorders and metabolic dysfunctions. Current evidence also indicates that pyroptosis-dependent cell death accelerates the progression of diabetes and its frequent consequences including diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Pyroptosis-mediated inflammatory reaction further exacerbates DPN-mediated CNS injury. Accumulating evidence shows that several molecular signaling mechanisms trigger pyroptosis in insulin-producing cells, further leading to the development of DPN. Numerous studies have suggested that certain natural compounds or drugs may possess promising pharmacological properties by modulating inflammasomes and pyroptosis, thereby offering potential preventive and practical therapeutic approaches for the treatment and management of DPN. This review elaborates on the underlying molecular mechanisms of pyroptosis and explores possible therapeutic strategies for regulating pyroptosis-regulated cell death in the pharmacological treatment of DPN.

Histone deacetylase as emerging pharmacological therapeutic target for neuropathic pain: From epigenetic to selective drugs

BACKGROUND

Neuropathic pain remains a formidable challenge for modern medicine. The first-line pharmacological therapies exhibit limited efficacy and unfavorable side effect profiles, highlighting an unmet need for effective therapeutic medications. The past decades have witnessed an explosion in efforts to translate epigenetic concepts into pain therapy and shed light on epigenetics as a promising avenue for pain research. Recently, the aberrant activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) has emerged as a key mechanism contributing to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain.

AIMS

In this review, we highlight the distinctive role of specific HDAC subtypes in a cell-specific manner in pain nociception, and outline the recent experimental evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of HDACi in neuropathic pain.

METHODS

We have summarized studies of HDAC in neuropathic pain in Pubmed.

RESULTS

HDACs, widely distributed in the neuronal and non-neuronal cells of the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord, regulate gene expression by deacetylation of histone or non-histone proteins and involving in increased neuronal excitability and neuroinflammation, thus promoting peripheral and central sensitization. Importantly, pharmacological manipulation of aberrant acetylation using HDAC-targeted inhibitors (HDACi) has shown promising pain-relieving properties in various preclinical models of neuropathic pain. Yet, many of which exhibit low-specificity that may induce off-target toxicities, underscoring the necessity for the development of isoform-selective HDACi in pain management.

CONCLUSIONS

Abnormally elevated HDACs promote neuronal excitability and neuroinflammation by epigenetically modulating pivotal gene expression in neuronal and immune cells, contributing to peripheral and central sensitization in the progression of neuropathic pain, and HDACi showed significant efficacy and great potential for alleviating neuropathic pain.

Ginger Polyphenols Reverse Molecular Signature of Amygdala Neuroimmune Signaling and Modulate Microbiome in Male Rats with Neuropathic Pain: Evidence for Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

Emerging evidence shows that the gut microbiota plays an important role in neuropathic pain (NP) via the gut-brain axis. Male rats were divided into sham, spinal nerve ligation (SNL), SNL + 200 mg GEG/kg BW (GEG200), and SNL + 600 mg GEG/kg BW (GEG600) for 5 weeks. The dosages of 200 and 600 mg GEG/kg BW for rats correspond to 45 g and 135 g raw ginger for human daily consumption, respectively. Both GEG groups mitigated SNL-induced NP behavior. GEG-supplemented animals had a decreased abundance of Rikenella, Muribaculaceae, Clostridia UCG-014, Mucispirillum schaedleri, RF39, Acetatifactor, and Clostridia UCG-009, while they had an increased abundance of Flavonifactor, Hungatella, Anaerofustis stercorihominis, and Clostridium innocuum group. Relative to sham rats, Fos and Gadd45g genes were upregulated, while Igf1, Ccl2, Hadc2, Rtn4rl1, Nfkb2, Gpr84, Pik3cg, and Abcc8 genes were downregulated in SNL rats. Compared to the SNL group, the GEG200 group and GEG600 group had increases/decreases in 16 (10/6) genes and 11 (1/10) genes, respectively. GEG downregulated Fos and Gadd45g genes and upregulated Hdac2 genes in the amygdala. In summary, GEG alleviates NP by modulating the gut microbiome and reversing a molecular neuroimmune signature.

Genetic and epigenetic targets of natural dietary compounds as anti-Alzheimer's agents

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia that principally affects older adults. Pathogenic factors, such as oxidative stress, an increase in acetylcholinesterase activity, mitochondrial dysfunction, genotoxicity, and neuroinflammation are present in this syndrome, which leads to neurodegeneration. Neurodegenerative pathologies such as Alzheimer's disease are considered late-onset diseases caused by the complex combination of genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. There are two main types of Alzheimer's disease, known as familial Alzheimer's disease (onset < 65 years) and late-onset or sporadic Alzheimer's disease (onset ≥ 65 years). Patients with familial Alzheimer's disease inherit the disease due to rare mutations on the amyloid precursor protein (APP), presenilin 1 and 2 (PSEN1 and PSEN2) genes in an autosomal-dominantly fashion with closely 100% penetrance. In contrast, a different picture seems to emerge for sporadic Alzheimer's disease, which exhibits numerous non-Mendelian anomalies suggesting an epigenetic component in its etiology. Importantly, the fundamental pathophysiological mechanisms driving Alzheimer's disease are interfaced with epigenetic dysregulation. However, the dynamic nature of epigenetics seems to open up new avenues and hope in regenerative neurogenesis to improve brain repair in Alzheimer's disease or following injury or stroke in humans. In recent years, there has been an increase in interest in using natural products for the treatment of neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer's disease. Through epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs, histone modification, and chromatin conformation regulation, natural compounds appear to exert neuroprotective effects. While we do not purport to cover every in this work, we do attempt to illustrate how various phytochemical compounds regulate the epigenetic effects of a few Alzheimer's disease-related genes.

The Epigenetics of Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Update

Epigenetics deals with alterations to the gene expression that occur without change in the nucleotide sequence in the DNA. Various covalent modifications of the DNA and/or the surrounding histone proteins have been revealed, including DNA methylation, histone acetylation, and methylation, which can either stimulate or inhibit protein expression at the transcriptional level. In the past decade, an exponentially increasing amount of data has been published on the association between epigenetic changes and the pathomechanism of pain, including its most challenging form, neuropathic pain. Epigenetic regulation of the chromatin by writer, reader, and eraser proteins has been revealed for diverse protein targets involved in the pathomechanism of neuropathic pain. They include receptors, ion channels, transporters, enzymes, cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, inflammasome proteins, etc. Most work has been invested in clarifying the epigenetic downregulation of mu opioid receptors and various K+ channels, two types of structures mediating neuronal inhibition. Conversely, epigenetic upregulation has been revealed for glutamate receptors, growth factors, and lymphokines involved in neuronal excitation. All these data cannot only help better understand the development of neuropathic pain but outline epigenetic writers, readers, and erasers whose pharmacological inhibition may represent a novel option in the treatment of pain.

Epigenetic regulation exerted by Caliphruria subedentata and galantamine: an in vitro and in silico approach for mimic Alzheimer's disease

At the interface between genes and environment, epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and histone modification, regulate neurogenic processes such as differentiation, proliferation, and maturation of neural stem cells. However, these mechanisms are altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD), a neurodegenerative condition that mainly affects older adults. Since epigenetic mechanisms are known to be reversible, a number of molecules from natural sources are being studied as epigenetic regulators in AD. Recently, in vitro and in silico studies have shown that C. subedentata and its alkaloids modulated neurotoxicity. However, studies exploring the epigenetic activity of these alkaloids are limited. We conducted a set of bioassays to evaluate neuronal differentiation and the sensitivity of undifferentiated SH-SY5 cells against a neurotoxic stimulus. In addition, we analyzed the methylation profiles in genes such as APP, PSI, and BACE1 due to their role in amyloid processing. Docking and molecular dynamic analysis were used to explore the effect exerted by C. subedentata alkaloids on the regulation of histone deacetylases (HDAC2, HDAC3 and HDAC7). The results demonstrated that C. subedentata and galantamine induce neuronal differentiation and protect the undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells against Aβ(1-42)-induced neurotoxicity. The methylation profiles of the studied genes show no statistically significant differences between C. subedentata, galantamine. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution, since small changes in methylation promoters in the brain could not be easily detected. Results from in silico approaches describe for the first time the potential promissing epigenetic effects of galantamine by regulating HDAC3 and HDAC7 modification.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Inflammation and histone modification in chronic pain

Increasing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms have great potential in the field of pain. The changes and roles of epigenetics of the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia in the chronic pain process may provide broad insights for future pain management. Pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines released by microglia and astrocytes, as well as blood-derived macrophages, play critical roles in inducing and maintaining chronic pain, while histone modifications may play an important role in inflammatory metabolism. This review provides an overview of neuroinflammation and chronic pain, and we systematically discuss the regulation of neuroinflammation and histone modifications in the context of chronic pain. Specifically, we analyzed the role of epigenetics in alleviating or exacerbating chronic pain by modulating microglia, astrocytes, and the proinflammatory mediators they release. This review aimed to contribute to the discovery of new therapeutic targets for chronic pain.

Dual HDAC/BRD4 Inhibitors Relieves Neuropathic Pain by Attenuating Inflammatory Response in Microglia After Spared Nerve Injury

Despite the effort on developing new treatments, therapy for neuropathic pain is still a clinical challenge and combination therapy regimes of two or more drugs are often needed to improve efficacy. Accumulating evidence shows an altered expression and activity of histone acetylation enzymes in chronic pain conditions and restoration of these aberrant epigenetic modifications promotes pain-relieving activity. Recent studies showed a synergistic activity in neuropathic pain models by combination of histone deacetylases (HDACs) and bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) inhibitors. On these premises, the present study investigated the pharmacological profile of new dual HDAC/BRD4 inhibitors, named SUM52 and SUM35, in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in mice as innovative strategy to simultaneously inhibit HDACs and BETs. Intranasal administration of SUM52 and SUM35 attenuated thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in the absence of locomotor side effects. Both dual inhibitors showed a preferential interaction with BRD4-BD2 domain, and SUM52 resulted the most active compound. SUM52 reduced microglia-mediated spinal neuroinflammation in spinal cord sections of SNI mice as showed by reduction of IBA1 immunostaining, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression, p65 nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and p38 MAPK over-phosphorylation. A robust decrease of the spinal proinflammatory cytokines content (IL-6, IL-1ß) was also observed after SUM52 treatment. Present results, showing the pain-relieving activity of HDAC/BRD4 dual inhibitors, indicate that the simultaneous modulation of BET and HDAC activity by a single molecule acting as multi-target agent might represent a promise for neuropathic pain relief.

Matrix metalloproteinases, purinergic signaling, and epigenetics: hubs in the spinal neuroglial network following peripheral nerve injury

Activation of glial cells (reactive gliosis) and the purinergic pathway, together with metalloproteinase (MMP)-induced remodeling of the neural extracellular matrix (nECM), drive maladaptive changes in the spinal cord following peripheral nerve injury (PNI). We evaluated the effects on spinal maladaptive plasticity through administration of oxidized ATP (oxATP), an antagonist of P2X receptors (P2XR), and/or GM6001, an inhibitor of MMPs, in rats following spared nerve injury (SNI) of the sciatic nerve. With morpho-molecular techniques, we demonstrated a reduction in spinal reactive gliosis and changes in the neuro-glial-nECM crosstalk via expression remodeling of P2XR, nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors (TrkA and p75), and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) after treatments with oxATP/GM6001. Altogether, our data suggest that MMPs and purinergic inhibition have a modulatory impact on key proteins in the neuro-glial-nECM network, acting at different levels from intracellular signaling to epigenetic modifications.

Dual BET/HDAC inhibition to relieve neuropathic pain: Recent advances, perspectives, and future opportunities

Despite the intense research on developing new therapies for neuropathic pain states, available treatments have limited efficacy and unfavorable safety profiles. Epigenetic alterations have a great influence on the development of cancer and neurological diseases, as well as neuropathic pain. Histone acetylation has prevailed as one of the well investigated epigenetic modifications in these diseases. Altered spinal activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and Bromo and Extra terminal domain (BET) have been described in neuropathic pain models and restoration of these aberrant epigenetic modifications showed pain-relieving activity. Over the last decades HDACs and BETs have been the focus of drug discovery studies, leading to the development of numerous small-molecule inhibitors. Clinical trials to evaluate their anticancer activity showed good efficacy but raised toxicity concerns that limited translation to the clinic. To maximize activity and minimize toxicity, these compounds can be applied in combination of sub-maximal doses to produce additive or synergistic interactions (combination therapy). Recently, of particular interest, dual BET/HDAC inhibitors (multi-target drugs) have been developed to assure simultaneous modulation of BET and HDAC activity by a single molecule. This review will summarize the most recent advances with these strategies, describing advantages and limitations of single drug treatment vs combination regimens. This review will also provide a focus on dual BET/HDAC drug discovery investigations as future therapeutic opportunity for human therapy of neuropathic pain.

Astrocytic c-Jun N-terminal kinase-histone deacetylase-2 cascade contributes to glutamate transporter-1 decrease and mechanical allodynia following peripheral nerve injury in rats

Decrease of glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) in the spinal dorsal horn after nerve injury induces enhanced excitatory transmission and causes persistent pain. Histone deacetylases (HDACs)-catalyzed deacetylation might contribute to the decrease of GLT-1, while the detailed mechanisms have yet to be fully elaborated. Spinal nerve ligation (SNL) induced significant increases of HDAC2 and decreases of GLT-1 in spinal astrocytes. Intrathecal infusion of the HDAC2 inhibitors attenuated the decrease of GLT-1 and enhanced phosphorylation of glutamate receptors. GLT-1 and phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) were highly colocalized in the spinal cord, and a large number of pJNK positive cells were HDAC2 positive. Intrathecally infusion of the JNK inhibitor SP600125 significantly inhibited SNL-induced upregulation of HDAC2. SNL-induced HDAC2 up-regulation could be inhibited by the neutralizing anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) binding protein etanercept or the microglial inhibitor minocycline. In cultured astrocytes, TNF-α induced enhanced phosphorylation of JNK and a significant increase of HDAC2, as well as a remarkable decrease of GLT-1, which could be prevented by SP600125 or the HDAC2 specific inhibitor CAY10683. Our data suggest that astrocytic JNK-HDAC2 cascade contributes to GLT-1 decrease and mechanical allodynia following peripheral nerve injury. Neuroimmune activation after peripheral nerve injury could induce epigenetic modification changes in astrocytes and contribute to chronic pain maintenance.

Bier block as a successful management of a patient with intractable complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1: A case report

Bier block was successful in the pain management of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type 1.

Combined inhibition of histone deacetylases and BET family proteins as epigenetic therapy for nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain

Current treatments for neuropathic pain have often moderate efficacy and present unwanted effects showing the need to develop effective therapies. Accumulating evidence suggests that histone acetylation plays essential roles in chronic pain and the analgesic activity of histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors is documented. Bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) proteins are epigenetic readers that interact with acetylated lysine residues on histones, but little is known about their implication in neuropathic pain. Thus, the current study was aimed to investigate the effect of the combination of HDAC and BET inhibitors in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in mice. Intranasal administration of i-BET762 (BET inhibitor) or SAHA (HDAC inhibitor) attenuated thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity and this antiallodynic activity was improved by co-administration of both drugs. Spinal cord sections of SNI mice showed an increased expression of HDAC1 and Brd4 proteins and combination produced a stronger reduction compared to each epigenetic agent alone. SAHA and i-BET762, administered alone or in combination, counteracted the SNI-induced microglia activation by inhibiting the expression of IBA1, CD11b, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription-1 (STAT1) with comparable efficacy. Conversely, the epigenetic inhibitors showed a modest effect on spinal proinflammatory cytokines content that was significantly potentiated by their combination. Present results indicate a key role of acetylated histones and their recruitment by BET proteins on microglia-mediated spinal neuroinflammation. Targeting neuropathic pain with the combination of HDAC and BET inhibitors may represent a promising new therapeutic option.

The Interplay between Oxidative Stress, Exercise, and Pain in Health and Disease: Potential Role of Autonomic Regulation and Epigenetic Mechanisms

Oxidative stress can be induced by various stimuli and altered in certain conditions, including exercise and pain. Although many studies have investigated oxidative stress in relation to either exercise or pain, the literature presents conflicting results. Therefore, this review critically discusses existing literature about this topic, aiming to provide a clear overview of known interactions between oxidative stress, exercise, and pain in healthy people as well as in people with chronic pain, and to highlight possible confounding factors to keep in mind when reflecting on these interactions. In addition, autonomic regulation and epigenetic mechanisms are proposed as potential mechanisms of action underlying the interplay between oxidative stress, exercise, and pain. This review highlights that the relation between oxidative stress, exercise, and pain is poorly understood and not straightforward, as it is dependent on the characteristics of exercise, but also on which population is investigated. To be able to compare studies on this topic, strict guidelines should be developed to limit the effect of several confounding factors. This way, the true interplay between oxidative stress, exercise, and pain, and the underlying mechanisms of action can be revealed and validated via independent studies.

NF-κB p65-dependent transcriptional regulation of histone deacetylase 2 contributes to the chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain via the microRNA-183/TXNIP/NLRP3 axis

BACKGROUND

Neuropathic pain is related to the sustained activation of neuroglial cells and the production of proinflammatory cytokines in the spinal dorsal horn. However, the clinical efficacy of currently available treatments is very limited. The transcription factor nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a ubiquitously expressed protein family and considered to be crucial in autoimmunity. Thus, our study aimed to examine the influence of NF-κB p65 in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic pain as well as its underlying mechanism.

METHODS

A rat model of neuropathic pain was established by CCI induction followed by isolation of microglial cells. The binding of NF-κB p65 to HDAC2, of miR-183 to TXNIP, and of TXNIP to NLRP3 was investigated. Expression of miR-183, NF-κB p65, HDAC2, TXNIP, and NLRP3 was determined with their functions in CCI rats and microglial cells analyzed by gain- and loss-of-function experiments.

RESULTS

NF-κB p65 and HDAC2 were upregulated while miR-183 was downregulated in the dorsal horn of the CCI rat spinal cord. NF-κB p65 was bound to the HDAC2 promoter and then increased its expression. HDAC2 reduced miR-183 expression by deacetylation of histone H4. Additionally, miR-183 negatively regulated TXNIP. Mechanistically, NF-κB p65 downregulated the miR-183 expression via the upregulation of HDAC2 and further induced inflammatory response by activating the TXNIP-NLRP3 inflammasome axis, thus aggravating the neuropathic pain in CCI rats and microglial cells.

CONCLUSION

These results revealed a novel transcriptional mechanism of interplay between NF-κB and HDAC2 focusing on neuropathic pain via the miR-183/TXNIP/NLRP3 axis.

HDAC2, but not HDAC1, regulates Kv1.2 expression to mediate neuropathic pain in CCI rats

The expression of potassium ion channel subunit 1.2 (Kv1.2) in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) influences the excitability of neurons, which contributes to the induction and development of neuropathic pain (NPP); however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the downregulation of Kv1.2 in NPP remain unknown. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are reported to attenuate the development of pain hypersensitivity in rats with NPP. Whether HDAC inhibitors contribute to regulation of Kv1.2 expression, and which specific HDAC subunit is involved in NPP, remain unexplored. In this study we established a chronic constrictive injury (CCI) model and used western blot, quantitative real-time PCR, immunostaining, intrathecal injection, and siRNA methods to explore which HDAC subunit is involved in regulating Kv1.2 expression to mediate NPP. Our results demonstrated that nerve injury led to upregulation of HDAC1 expression in the DRG, and of HDAC2 in the DRG and spinal cord. Double-labeling immunofluorescence histochemistry showed that Kv1.2 principally co-localized with HDAC2, but not HDAC1, in NF200-positive large neurons of the DRG. Intrathecal injection with the HDAC inhibitor, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, attenuated mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity and reversed the decreased expression of Kv1.2 in rats with CCI. Furthermore, treatment with HDAC2, but not HDAC1, siRNA also relieved mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity and upregulated the Kv1.2 expression in this model. In vitro transfection of PC12 cells with HDAC2 and HDAC1 siRNA confirmed that only HDAC2 siRNA could regulate the expression of Kv1.2. These findings suggest that HDAC2, but not HDAC1, is involved in NPP through regulation of Kv1.2 expression.

Normalizing HDAC2 Levels in the Spinal Cord Alleviates Thermal and Mechanical Hyperalgesia After Peripheral Nerve Injury and Promotes GAD65 and KCC2 Expression

Neuropathic pain is a worldwide health concern with poor treatment outcomes. Accumulating evidence suggests that histone hypoacetylation is involved in development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Thus, many natural and synthetic histone deacetylase (HDACs) inhibitors were tested and exhibited a remarkable analgesic effect against neuropathic pain in animals. However, studies evaluating specific subtypes of HDACs contributing to neuropathic pain are limited. In this study, using the chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model, we found that mRNA and protein levels of HDAC2 were increased in the lumbar spinal cord of rats after sciatic nerve injury. Intrathecal injection of TSA, a pan-HDAC inhibitor, suppressed the increase in HDAC2 protein but not mRNA, and showed a dose-dependent pain-relieving effect. By introducing HDAC2-specific shRNA into the spinal cord via a lentivirus vector, we confirmed that HDAC2 mediates mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia after nerve injury. Further examination found two essential participants in neuropathic pain in the inhibitory circuit of the central nervous system: GAD65 and KCC2 were increased in the spinal cord of CCI rats after HDAC2 knockdown. Thus, our research confirmed that HDAC2 was involved in mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia induced by peripheral nerve injury. Furthermore, GAD65 and KCC2 were the possible downstream targets of HDAC2 in pain modulation pathways.

Expression of miR-124 in gastric adenocarcinoma and the effect on proliferation and invasion of gastric adenocarcinoma SCG-7901 cells

Expression of miR-124 in gastric adenocarcinoma cell line SGC-7901 and its effect on biological functions was investigated. Expression of miR-124 in cancer tissues and paracancerous tissues of gastric adenocarcinoma patients was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-124 in human normal gastric epithelial cells GES-1 and gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells. Cells in miR-124 group were transfected with miR-124 agomir, cells in NC group were transfected with agomir-negative control sequence and cells in the control group were not transfected. MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation, and Transwell invasion assay to detect cell invasion ability, and the effect of transfected miR-124 agonist on the proliferation and invasive ability of gastric adenocarcinoma cells was evaluated. RT-qPCR results showed that miR-124 expression was significantly downregulated in gastric adenocarcinoma tumor tissues compared with paracancerous tissues. Compared with cells of normal human gastric epithelial cell line GES-1, the expression of miR-124 human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells was significantly downregulated. At 12 h, there was no significant difference in OD at 490 nm in the three groups (P>0.05). OD (490) in the three groups showed a gradual upward trend. After transfection, proliferation curves of the three groups showed an upward trend, proliferation rate of miR-124 group was significantly lower than that of NC and control groups (P<0.05). The number of invading cells in miR-124 group was significantly lower than that in NC group and control group, but there was no significant difference in the number of cell invasion between the NC and control groups. miR-124 can inhibit the proliferation and invasion of gastric adenocarcinoma cells. Downregulation of miR-124 expression in gastric adenocarcinoma may be closely related to the development of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Pregabalin on Hdac2 and Inpp5f levels in rats with CCI-induced neuropathic pain

Hdac2/Inpp5f on the therapeutic effect of pregabalin on neuropathic pain in chronic constriction injury (CCI) rats was investigated. A total of 90 healthy SD rats were selected and divided into the treatment group, the model control group and the normal control group with 30 rats in each group. Rats in the treatment and model control groups were used to construct CCI model. The control group was treated with sham surgery. The model control group was not treated after surgery. The treatment group was treated with pregabalin on the 8th day after operation. Behavioral experiments were performed to measure mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL). The expression of inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL-1β was detected by ELISA kit and expression of Hdac2 and Inpp5f mRNA was detected by RT-qPCR. Before treatment, compared with the normal control group, MWT and TWL values of the treatment and model control groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05). At different time-points after treatment, MWT and TWL were higher in the treatment group than in the model control group and were lower than in the normal control group. At 21 days after operation, the levels of TNFα and IL-1β in the model control and treatment groups were higher than those in the normal control group (P<0.05). The expression level of Hdac2 was higher in the treatment group than in the normal control group (P<0.05). The expression level of Inpp5f mRNA in the treatment and normal control groups was significantly higher than that in the model control group (P<0.05), but the expression level of Inpp5f mRNA in the treatment group was lower than that in the normal control group (P<0.05). Therefore, pregabalin can effectively relieve neuropathic pain in CCI rats, and its efficacy is related to Hdac2 and Inpp5f. Our study provides reference for clinical treatment of neuropathic pain induced by CCI.

The HDAC1/c-JUN complex is essential in the promotion of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain through JNK signaling

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) interfere with the epigenetic process of histone acetylation and are known to have analgesic properties in models of chronic inflammatory pain. Administration of a selective HDAC1 inhibitor (LG325) in SNI-subjected mice significantly attenuated behavior related to injury-induced pain. Understanding the HDAC1 pathway in epigenetic regulation of pathological pain is of great medical relevance. Spared nerve injury (SNI) mice showed a significant increase in the HDAC1 protein levels within spinal cord in coincidence with the nociceptive phenotype at 1 and 3 weeks after nerve injury. No variation in HDAC3, DNMT3a, AcH3, MBD3 and MeCP2 levels was detected. Increased expression of HDAC1 is accompanied by activation of the JNK-c-Jun signaling pathway. A robust spinal JNK-1 overphosphorylation was observed post nerve-injury along with a selective JNK-dependent increase in p-c-Jun and HDAC1 protein levels. Co-immunoprecipitation experiments showed the presence of a heterodimeric complex between HDAC1 and c-Jun in SNI mice indicating that these transcription factors can act together to regulate transcription through heterodimerization. Stimulation of c-Jun phosphorylation was prevented by the selective HDAC1 inhibitor LG325. We found that HDAC1 was associated with c-Jun in nuclei of spinal dorsal horn astrocytes expressing JNK. On the other hand, the presence of HDAC1 and c-Jun interaction was not detected in control mice. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the anti-nociceptive activity of HDAC inhibitors. Taken together, these data support a role for histone deacetylase in the emergence of neuropathic pain.

The etiological changes of acetylation in peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic hypersensitivity

Neuropathic pain is a common chronic pain condition with mechanisms far clearly been elucidated. Mounting preclinical and clinical studies have shown neuropathic pain is highly associated with histone acetylation modification, which follows expression regulation of various pain-related molecules such as mGluR1/5, glutamate aspartate transporter, glutamate transporter-1, GAD65, Na_v1.8, Kv4.3, μ-opioid receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and certain chemokines. As two types of pivotal enzymes involved in histone acetylation, histone deacetylases induce histone deacetylation to silence gene expression; in contrast, histone acetyl transferases facilitate histone acetylation to potentiate gene transcription. Accordingly, upregulation or blockade of acetylation may be a promising intervention direction for neuropathic pain treatment. In fact, numerous animal studies have suggested various histone deacetylase inhibitors, Sirt (class III histone deacetylases) activators, and histone acetyl transferases inhibitors are effective in neuropathic pain treatment via targeting specific epigenetic sites. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of the molecules and mechanisms of neuropathy-related acetylation, as well as the acetylation upregulation and blockade for neuropathic pain therapy. Finally, we will discuss the current drug advances focusing on neuropathy-related acetylation along with the underlying treatment mechanisms.

Suppression of HDAC2 in Spinal Cord Alleviates Mechanical Hyperalgesia and Restores KCC2 Expression in a Rat Model of Bone Cancer Pain

Epigenetic modulation participates in the mechanism of multiple types of pathological pain, so targeting the involved regulators may be a promising strategy for pain treatment. Our previous research identified the analgesic effect of the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) on mechanical hyperalgesia in a rat model of bone cancer pain (BCP) via restoration of μ-opioid receptor (MOR) expression. However, the specific types of HDACs contributing to BCP have not been explored. The present study investigated the expression pattern of some common HDACs and found that HDAC2 was up-regulated in a time-dependent manner in the lumbar spinal cord of BCP rats. TSA application suppressed HDAC2 expression in cultured PC12 cells and reversed the augmented HDAC2 in BCP rats. An RNA-interfering strategy confirmed the essential role of HDAC2 in the modulation of mechanical hyperalgesia following tumor cell inoculation, and we further examined its possible downstream targets. Notably, HDAC2 knock-down did not restore MOR expression, but it robustly reversed the down-regulation of potassium-chloride cotransporter 2 (KCC2). The impaired KCC2 expression is a vital mechanism of many types of pathological pain. Therefore, our results demonstrated that HDAC2 in spinal cord contributed to the mechanical hyperalgesia in BCP rats, and this effect may be associated with KCC2 modulation.

Chronic Treatment with Fluoxetine Induces Sex-Dependent Analgesic Effects and Modulates HDAC2 and mGlu2 Expression in Female Mice

Gender and sex differences in pain recognition and drug responses have been reported in clinical trials and experimental models of pain. Among antidepressants, contradictory results have been observed in patients treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This study evaluated sex differences in response to the SSRI fluoxetine after chronic administration in the mouse formalin test. Adult male and female CD1 mice were intraperitoneally injected with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg) for 21 days and subjected to pain assessment. Fluoxetine treatment reduced the second phase of the formalin test only in female mice without producing behavioral changes in males. We also observed that fluoxetine was able to specifically increase the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor type-2 (mGlu2) in females. Also a reduced expression of the epigenetic modifying enzyme, histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2), in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and dorsal horn (DH) together with an increase histone 3 acetylation (H3) level was observed in females but not in males. With this study we provide evidence that fluoxetine induces sex specific changes in HDAC2 and mGlu2 expression in the DH of the spinal cord and in DRGs and suggests a molecular explanation for the analgesic effects in female mice.

Epigenetic suppression of potassium-chloride co-transporter 2 expression in inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)

BACKGROUND

Multiple mechanisms contribute to the stimulus-evoked pain hypersensitivity that may be experienced after peripheral inflammation. Persistent pathological stimuli in many pain conditions affect the expression of certain genes through epigenetic alternations. The main purpose of our study was to investigate the role of epigenetic modification on potassium-chloride co-transporter 2 (KCC2) gene expression in the persistence of inflammatory pain.

METHODS

Persistent inflammatory pain was induced through the injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in the left hind paw of rats. Acetyl-histone H3 and H4 level was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation in the spinal dorsal horn. Pain behaviour and inhibitory synaptic function of spinal cord were determined before and after CFA injection. KCC2 expression was determined by real time RT-PCR and Western blot. Intrathecal KCC2 siRNA (2 μg per 10 μL per rat) or HDAC inhibitor (10 μg per 10 μL per rat) was injected once daily for 3 days before CFA injection.

RESULTS

Persistent inflammatory pain epigenetically suppressed KCC2 expression through histone deacetylase (HDAC)-mediated histone hypoacetylation, resulting in decreased inhibitory signalling efficacy. KCC2 knock-down caused by intrathecal administration of KCC2 siRNA in naïve rats reduced KCC2 expression in the spinal cord, leading to sensitized pain behaviours and impaired inhibitory synaptic transmission in their spinal cords. Moreover, intrathecal HDAC inhibitor injection in CFA rats increased KCC2 expression, partially restoring the spinal inhibitory synaptic transmission and relieving the sensitized pain behaviour.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that the transcription of spinal KCC2 is regulated by histone acetylation epigenetically following CFA.

SIGNIFICANCE

Persistent pain suppresses KCC2 expression through HDAC-mediated histone hypoacetylation and consequently impairs the inhibitory function of inhibitory interneurons. Drugs such as HDAC inhibitors that suppress the influences of persistent pain on the expression of KCC2 may serve as a novel analgesic.