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Liu X, Mao X, Liu Y, Chen W, Li W, Lin N, Zhang Y. Preclinical efficacy of TZG in myofascial pain syndrome by impairing PI3K-RAC2 signaling-mediated neutrophil extracellular traps. iScience 2023; 26:108074. [PMID: 37860777 PMCID: PMC10583084 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Tianhe Zhuifeng Gao (TZG) shows a satisfying therapeutic efficacy in treating arthromyodynia, which shares similar etiology to myofascial pain syndrome (MPS). We herein aim to explore whether TZG could be a potential prescription for MPS therapy. An MPS rat model was successfully established presenting with reduced pain thresholds, abnormal local switch responses, etc., which was effectively reversed by TZG treatment externally. A transcriptome sequencing based on the active MTrPs samples of rats, combined with network analysis revealed that TZG might ameliorate the progression of MPS by impairing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) release through inhibiting PI3K-RAC2 signaling to reduce NADPH oxidase-originated ROS. Experimentally, the expression levels of inducers, biomarkers of NETs formation and vessel injury, and p-PI3K, p-P47, and RAC2 proteins were all significantly up-regulated in affected tissues, which were markedly reversed by TZG. Our results not only shed light into broadening the clinical indications of TZG, but benefit MPS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueting Liu
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Xia Mao
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yudong Liu
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Wenjia Chen
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Weijie Li
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Na Lin
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Yanqiong Zhang
- Research Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine Theory and Literatures, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
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Liu M, Liu Y, Li X, Pei M, Han M, Qi F. Dexmedetomidine inhibits abnormal muscle hypertrophy of myofascial trigger points via TNF-α/ NF-κB signaling pathway in rats. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1031804. [PMID: 36408215 PMCID: PMC9669483 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1031804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a chronic pain disorder with inflammation-related primarily characterized by the presence of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs). Myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) is involved in the occurrence of a variety of skeletal muscle diseases. However, it is not yet clear if MEF2C is involved in MTrPs. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether MEF2C was involved in the inflammatory pathogenesis of MTrPs. In the present study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to compare the differential expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) in healthy participants and MTrPs participants. The widely used rat MTrPs model was established to research the upstream and downstream regulatory mechanism of MEF2C and found that MEF2C was significantly increased in patients with MTrPs. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) was injected intramuscularly in the MTrPs animal to assess its effects on MEF2C. The expression of MEF2C protein and mRNA in skeletal muscle of rats in the MTrPs group were up-regulated. In addition, the expression of TNF- α, p-P65, MLCK, and Myocilin (MyoC) was up-regulated and the mechanical pain threshold was decreased. Peripheral TNF- α injection significantly decreased the mechanical pain threshold and increased the expression of p-P65, MLCK, MEF2C, and MyoC in healthy rats. Maslinic acid increased the mechanical pain threshold and inhibited the expression of p-P65, MLCK, MEF2C, and MyoC. In addition, peripheral injection of DEX in MTrPs rats also inhibited the expression of TNF- α, p-P65, MLCK, MEF2C, and MyoC. These results suggest that MEF2C is involved in the inflammatory pathogenesis of MTrPs and DEX serves as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of MPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjian Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Clinic, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Clinic, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Xuan Li
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Clinic, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Miao Pei
- Laboratory of Basic Medical Sciences, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- Department of Anesthesiology Clinic, Clinical Medical College & Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mei Han
- Department of the Quality Management, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Mei Han, ; Feng Qi,
| | - Feng Qi
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Clinic, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- *Correspondence: Mei Han, ; Feng Qi,
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