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Tavares LS, Oliveira-Silva RL, Moura MT, da Silva JB, Benko-Iseppon AM, Lima-Filho JV. Reference genes for gene expression profiling in mouse models of Listeria monocytogenes infection. Biotechniques 2024; 76:104-113. [PMID: 38112054 DOI: 10.2144/btn-2023-0063] [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] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
RT-qPCR dissects transcription-based processes but requires reference genes (RGs) for data normalization. This study prospected RGs for mouse macrophages (pMØ) and spleen infected with Listeria monocytogenes. The pMØ were infected in vitro with L. monocytogenes or vehicle for 4 h. Mice were injected with L. monocytogenes (or vehicle) and euthanized 24 h post-injection. The RGs came from a multispecies primer set, from the literature or designed here. The RG ranking relied on GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, Delta-CT and RefFinder. B2m-H3f3a-Ppia were the most stable RGs for pMØ, albeit RG indexes fine-tuned estimations of cytokine relative expression. Actβ-Ubc-Ppia were the best RGs for spleen but modestly impacted the cytokine relative expression. Hence, mouse models of L. monocytogenes require context-specific RGs for RT-qPCR, thus reinforcing its paramount contribution to accurate gene expression profiling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Marcelo Tigre Moura
- Departamento de Biologia Celular e Molecular, Centro de Biotecnologia, Campus I, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brasil
| | | | | | - José Vitor Lima-Filho
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brasil
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2
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Herath S, Dai H, Erlich J, Au AYM, Taylor K, Succar L, Endre ZH. Selection and validation of reference genes for normalisation of gene expression in ischaemic and toxicological studies in kidney disease. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233109. [PMID: 32437461 PMCID: PMC7241806 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Normalisation to standard reference gene(s) is essential for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) to obtain reproducible and comparable results of a gene of interest (GOI) between subjects and under varying experimental conditions. There is limited evidence to support selection of the commonly used reference genes in rat ischaemic and toxicological kidney models. Employing these models, we determined the most stable reference genes by comparing 4 standard methods (NormFinder, qBase+, BestKeeper and comparative ΔCq) and developed a new 3-way linear mixed-effects model for evaluation of reference gene stability. This new technique utilises the intra-class correlation coefficient as the stability measure for multiple continuous and categorical covariates when determining the optimum normalisation factor. The model also determines confidence intervals for each candidate normalisation gene to facilitate selection and allow sample size calculation for designing experiments to identify reference genes. Of the 10 candidate reference genes tested, the geometric mean of polyadenylate-binding nuclear protein 1 (PABPN1) and beta-actin (ACTB) was the most stable reference combination. In contrast, commonly used ribosomal 18S and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were the most unstable. We compared the use of PABPN1×ACTB and 2 commonly used genes 18S and GAPDH on the expression of 4 genes of interest know to vary after renal injury and expressed by different kidney cell types (KIM-1, HIF1α, TGFβ1 and PECAM1). The less stable reference genes gave varying patterns of GOI expression in contrast to the use of the least unstable reference PABPN1×ACTB combination; this improved detection of differences in gene expression between experimental groups. Reduced within-group variation of the now more accurately normalised GOI may allow for reduced experimental group size particularly for comparison between various models. This objective selection of stable reference genes increased the reliability of comparisons within and between experimental groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjeeva Herath
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hongying Dai
- Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Erlich
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Amy YM Au
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Nephrology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kylie Taylor
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lena Succar
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Zoltán H. Endre
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Nephrology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
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3
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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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4
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Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Analysis of Gene Expression in Spinal Cord during Rat Postnatal Development and after Injury. Brain Sci 2019; 10:brainsci10010006. [PMID: 31861889 PMCID: PMC7017034 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to obtain unbiased results of target gene expression, selection of the most appropriate reference gene (RG) remains a key precondition. However, an experimental study focused on the validation of stably expressed RGs in the rat spinal cord (SC) during development or after spinal cord injury (SCI) is missing. In our study, we tested the stability of the expression of nine selected RGs in rat SC tissue during normal development (postnatal days 1-43, adulthood) and after minimal (mSCI) and contusion (cSCI) spinal cord injury. The following RGs were tested: common housekeeping genes of basal cell metabolism (Gapdh, Hprt1, Mapk6) and protein translation (Rpl29, Eef1a1, Eif2b2), as well as newly designed RGs (Gpatch1, Gorasp1, Cds2) selected according to the RefGenes tool of GeneVestigator. The stability of RGs was assessed by geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. All three applets favored Gapdh and Eef1a1 as the most stable genes in SC during development. In both models of SCI, Eif2b2 displayed the highest stability of expression, followed by Gapdh and Gorasp1/Hprt1 in cSCI, and Gapdh and Eef1a1 in the mSCI experiments. To verify our results, selected RGs were employed for normalization of the expression of genes with a clear biological context in the SC-Gfap and Slc1a3/Glast during postnatal development and Aif1/Iba1 and Cd68/Ed1 after SCI.
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5
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HCN channel antagonist ZD7288 ameliorates neuropathic pain and associated depression. Brain Res 2019; 1717:204-213. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2018] [Revised: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Deficient Skeletal Muscle Regeneration after Injury Induced by a Clostridium perfringens Strain Associated with Gas Gangrene. Infect Immun 2019; 87:IAI.00200-19. [PMID: 31138614 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00200-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gas gangrene, or clostridial myonecrosis, is usually caused by Clostridium perfringens and may occur spontaneously in association with diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease, or some malignancies but more often after contamination of a deep surgical or traumatic lesion. If not controlled, clostridial myonecrosis results in multiorgan failure, shock, and death, but very little is known about the muscle regeneration process that follows myonecrosis when the infection is controlled. In this study, we characterized the muscle regeneration process after myonecrosis caused in a murine experimental infection with a sublethal inoculum of C. perfringens vegetative cells. The results show that myonecrosis occurs concomitantly with significant vascular injury, which limits the migration of inflammatory cells. A significant increase in cytokines that promote inflammation explains the presence of an inflammatory infiltrate; however, impaired interferon gamma (IFN-γ) expression, a reduced number of M1 macrophages, deficient phagocytic activity, and a prolongation of the permanence of inflammatory cells lead to deficient muscle regeneration. The expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) agrees with the consequent accumulation of collagen in the muscle, i.e., fibrosis observed 30 days after infection. These results provide new information on the pathogenesis of gas gangrene caused by C. perfringens, shed light on the basis of the deficient muscle regenerative activity, and may open new perspectives for the development of novel therapies for patients suffering from this disease.
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Ramhøj L, Axelstad M, Svingen T. Validation of endogenous reference genes in rat cerebral cortex for RT-qPCR analyses in developmental toxicity studies. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7181. [PMID: 31289700 PMCID: PMC6599449 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Relative gene expression data obtained from quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) experiments are dependent on appropriate normalization to represent true values. It is common to use constitutively expressed endogenous reference genes (RGs) for normalization, but for this strategy to be valid the RGs must be stably expressed across all the tested samples. Here, we have tested 10 common RGs for their expression stability in cerebral cortex from young rats after in utero exposure to thyroid hormone (TH) disrupting compounds. We found that all 10 RGs were stable according to the three algorithms geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. The downstream target gene Pvalb was significantly downregulated in brains from young rats after in utero exposure to propylthiouracil (PTU), a medicinal drug inhibiting TH synthesis. Similar results were obtained regardless of which of the 10 RGs was used for normalization. Another potential gene affected by developmental TH disruption, Dio2, was either not affected, or significantly upregulated about 1.4-fold, depending on which RG was used for normalization. This highlights the importance of carefully selecting correct RGs for normalization and to take into account the sensitivity of the RT-qPCR method when reporting on changes to gene expression that are less than 1.5-fold. For future studies examining relative gene expression in rat cerebral cortex under toxicological conditions, we recommend using a combination of either Rps18/Rpl13a or Rps18/Ubc for normalization, but also continuously monitor any potential regulation of the RGs themselves following alterations to study protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Ramhøj
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Marta Axelstad
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Terje Svingen
- Division of Diet, Disease Prevention and Toxicology, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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8
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Fujita S, Hirota T, Sakiyama R, Baba M, Ieiri I. Identification of drug transporters contributing to oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy. J Neurochem 2018; 148:373-385. [PMID: 30295925 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Oxaliplatin is widely used as a key drug in the treatment of colorectal cancer. However, its administration is associated with the dose-limiting adverse effect, peripheral neuropathy. Platinum accumulation in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is the major mechanism responsible for oxaliplatin-induced neuropathy. Some drug transporters have been identified as platinum complex transporters in kidney or tumor cells, but not yet in DRG. In the present study, we investigated oxaliplatin transporters and their contribution to peripheral neuropathy. We identified 12 platinum transporters expressed in DRG with real-time PCR, and their transiently overexpressing cells were established. After exposure to oxaliplatin, the accumulation of platinum in these overexpressing cells was evaluated using a coupled plasma mass spectrometer. Octn1/2- and Mate1-expressing cells showed the intracellular accumulation of oxaliplatin. In an animal study, peripheral neuropathy developed after the administration of oxaliplatin (4 mg/kg, intravenously, twice a week) to siRNA-injected rats (0.5 nmol, intrathecally, once a week) was demonstrated with the von Frey test. The knockdown of Octn1 in DRG ameliorated peripheral neuropathy, and decreased platinum accumulation in DRG, whereas the knockdown of Octn2 did not. Mate1 siRNA-injected rats developed more severe neuropathy than control rats. These results indicate that Octn1 and Mate1 are involved in platinum accumulation at DRG and oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Fujita
- Department of Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hirota
- Department of Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ryo Sakiyama
- Department of Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Misaki Baba
- Department of Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Ichiro Ieiri
- Department of Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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9
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Activation of KCNQ Channels Prevents Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy and Associated Neuropathic Pain. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2018; 20:528-539. [PMID: 30471428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) and associated neuropathic pain are the most common and serious adverse effects experienced by cancer patients receiving paclitaxel treatment. These effects adversely impact daily activities and consequently the quality of life, sometimes forcing the suspension of treatment and negatively influencing survival. Patients are usually at high risk of developing PIPN if paclitaxel induces acute pain, which strongly suggests that an acute increase in the excitability of nociceptors underlies the chronic alterations of PIPN. KCNQ/Kv7 channels are widely expressed in the primary sensory neurons to modulate their excitability. In the present study, we show that targeting KCNQ/Kv7 channels at an early stage is an effective strategy to attenuate the development of PIPN. We found that paclitaxel did not decrease the expression level of KCNQ/Kv7 channels in the primary sensory neurons as detected by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. However, retigabine, which is a specific KCNQ/Kv7 channel opener, attenuated significantly the development of PIPN, as shown by both morphologic and behavioral evidence. We also observed that retigabine had no obvious effect on the chemosensitivity of breast cancer cells to paclitaxel. Although retigabine has been approved by the FDA as an anticonvulsant, our study suggests that this drug can be repurposed to attenuate the development of PIPN. PERSPECTIVE: Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy and associated neuropathic pain are severe and resistant to intervention. The results of our study demonstrated that retigabine (a clinically available medicine) can be used to attenuate the development of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy.
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10
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Ashwell M, Freire M, O'Nan AT, Benito J, Hash J, McCulloch RS, Lascelles BDX. Characterization of gene expression in naturally occurring feline degenerative joint disease-associated pain. Vet J 2018; 243:42-47. [PMID: 30606438 PMCID: PMC7129418 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Nervous system tissue from cats with painful degenerative joint disease (DJD) was analyzed. Gene expression was determined to investigate the neurobiological signature of DJD pain. There was decreased NGF and increased CX3CL1 expression in the spinal cord in DJD-affected cats compared to healthy controls. There was increased expression of ATF3 and CX3CL1 in dorsal root ganglia, in DJD-affected cats compared to healthy controls. Such studies have the potential to inform about relevant targets for the control of chronic feline pain.
Degenerative joint disease (DJD) associated-pain is a clinically relevant and common condition affecting domesticated cats and other species including humans. Identification of the neurobiological signature of pain is well developed in rodent pain models, however such information is lacking from animals or humans with naturally occurring painful conditions. In this study, identification of housekeeping genes (HKG) for neuronal tissue and expression levels of genes considered associated with chronic pain in rodent models were explored in cats with naturally occurring osteoarthritic pain. Fourteen adult cats were evaluated — seven without clinical signs of osteoarthritic pain, and seven with hind limb radiographic DJD and pain. Expression of an investigator-selected set of pain signaling genes (including ASIC3, ATF3, COX2, CX3CL1, NAV1.7, NAV1.8, NAV1.9, NGF, NK1R, TNFα, TRKA) in lumbar spinal cord dorsal horn and lumbar dorsal root ganglia tissues from clinically healthy cats and cats with DJD were studied using quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR). HKG identified as the most stable across all tissue samples were many of the ribosomal protein genes, such as RPL30 and RPS19. qPCR results showed ATF3 and CX3CL1 up-regulated in DJD-affected dorsal root ganglia compared to clinically healthy controls. In spinal cord, CX3CL1 was up-regulated and NGF was down-regulated when DJD-affected samples were compared to healthy samples. Further work is needed to understand the neurobiology of pain in naturally occurring disease and what rodent models are predictive of these changes in more heterogeneous populations such as domestic cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Ashwell
- Livestock Genomics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - M Freire
- Translational Research in Pain, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - A T O'Nan
- Livestock Genomics Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - J Benito
- Translational Research in Pain, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - J Hash
- Translational Research in Pain, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - R S McCulloch
- Department of Human Physiology, Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - B D X Lascelles
- Translational Research in Pain, Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Comparative Medicine Institute, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Center for Pain Research and Innovation, UNC School of Dentistry, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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11
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Nuñez-Badinez P, Sepúlveda H, Diaz E, Greffrath W, Treede RD, Stehberg J, Montecino M, van Zundert B. Variable transcriptional responsiveness of the P2X3 receptor gene during CFA-induced inflammatory hyperalgesia. J Cell Biochem 2018; 119:3922-3935. [PMID: 29219199 DOI: 10.1002/jcb.26534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The purinergic receptor P2X3 (P2X3-R) plays important roles in molecular pathways of pain, and reduction of its activity or expression effectively reduces chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain sensation. Inflammation, nerve injury, and cancer-induced pain can increase P2X3-R mRNA and/or protein levels in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). However, P2X3-R expression is unaltered or even reduced in other pain studies. The reasons for these discrepancies are unknown and might depend on the applied traumatic intervention or on intrinsic factors such as age, gender, genetic background, and/or epigenetics. In this study, we sought to get insights into the molecular mechanisms responsible for inflammatory hyperalgesia by determining P2X3-R expression in DRG neurons of juvenile male rats that received a Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) bilateral paw injection. We demonstrate that all CFA-treated rats showed inflammatory hyperalgesia, however, only a fraction (14-20%) displayed increased P2X3-R mRNA levels, reproducible across both sides. Immunostaining assays did not reveal significant increases in the percentage of P2X3-positive neurons, indicating that increased P2X3-R at DRG somas is not critical for inducing inflammatory hyperalgesia in CFA-treated rats. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays showed a correlated (R2 = 0.671) enrichment of the transcription factor Runx1 and the epigenetic active mark histone H3 acetylation (H3Ac) at the P2X3-R gene promoter in a fraction of the CFA-treated rats. These results suggest that animal-specific increases in P2X3-R mRNA levels are likely associated with the genetic/epigenetic context of the P2X3-R locus that controls P2X3-R gene transcription by recruiting Runx1 and epigenetic co-regulators that mediate histone acetylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Nuñez-Badinez
- Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Hugo Sepúlveda
- Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.,FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago, Chile
| | - Emilio Diaz
- Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wolfgang Greffrath
- Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rolf-Detlef Treede
- Centre for Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jimmy Stehberg
- Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Martin Montecino
- Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile.,FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago, Chile
| | - Brigitte van Zundert
- Faculty of Biological Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Center for Biomedical Research, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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12
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Wang DZ, Liu P, Yao L, Hao YH, Zhu RJ, Zhang T, Tang XB. Aberrant expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 in schwannomas. Hum Pathol 2017; 71:84-90. [PMID: 29104109 DOI: 10.1016/j.humpath.2017.10.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Revised: 10/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant expression of thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) has been observed in tumors arising in locations other than thyroid gland, lung and ventral forebrain. However, TTF-1 expression in schwannomas has not yet been studied. Meanwhile, a few inconsistent changes in protein expression have been identified between schwannomas and other peripheral nerve sheath tumors. We evaluated TTF-1 expression in 161 schwannomas and 43 other peripheral nervous system lesions, including ganglioneuromas (n = 8), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) (n = 11), neurofibromas (n = 24), and traumatic neuromas (n = 9), using immunohistochemistry and verified it using quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to explore TTF-1 expression in peripheral nervous system lesions. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues were obtained for both analyses. In this study, we observed nuclear TTF-1 staining in 109 (67.7%) schwannomas, including 102 of 131 (77.9%) conventional, 1 of 20 (5.0%) cellular and 6 of 10 (60.0%) plexiform schwannomas. Nuclear staining was not observed in normal peripheral nerves and non-schwannoma lesions. qPCR verified the aberrant expression and revealed a correlation between TTF-1 protein and mRNA levels (r = 0.633, P = .003). In conclusion, the data from our study show that TTF-1 is selectively expressed in the majority of schwannomas, particularly the conventional variants. Based on this observation, the TTF-1 protein and mRNA are specifically expressed in schwannomas. This highly aberrant expression of varying amounts of TTF-1 may provide new clues to reveal the pathogenesis of schwannoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dai-Zhong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Pathology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000
| | - Li Yao
- Department of Pathology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000
| | - Ying-Hua Hao
- Department of Pathology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000
| | - Rui-Juan Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000
| | - Tao Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000
| | - Xian-Bin Tang
- Department of Pathology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Hubei, China 442000.
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13
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Sandercock DA, Coe JE, Di Giminiani P, Edwards SA. Determination of stable reference genes for RT-qPCR expression data in mechanistic pain studies on pig dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord. Res Vet Sci 2017; 114:493-501. [PMID: 28987956 PMCID: PMC5667896 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 09/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RNA expression levels for genes of interest must be normalised with appropriate reference or "housekeeping" genes that are stably expressed across samples and treatments. This study determined the most stable reference genes from a panel of 6 porcine candidate genes: beta actin (ACTB), beta-2-microglobulin (B2M), eukaryotic elongation factor 1 gamma-like protein (eEF-1), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), succinate dehydrogenase complex subunit A (SDHA), Ubiquitin C (UBC) in sacral dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord samples collected from 16 tail docked pigs (2/3rds of tail amputated) 1, 4, 8 and 16weeks after tail injury (4 pigs/time point). Total RNA from pooled samples was measured by SYBRgreen real-time quantitative PCR. Cycle threshold values were analysed using geNorm, BestKeeper and NormFinder PCR analysis software. Average expression stability and pairwise variation values were calculated for each candidate reference gene. GeNorm analysis identified the most stable genes for normalisation of gene expression data to be GAPDH>eEF-1>UBC>B2M>ACTB>SDHA for dorsal root ganglia and ACTB>SDHA>UBC>B2M>GAPDH>eEF-1 for spinal cord samples. Expression stability estimates were verified by BestKeeper and NormFinder analysis. Expression stability varied between genes within and between tissues. Validation of most stably expressed reference genes was performed by normalisation of calcitonin gene related polypeptide beta (CALCB). The results show similar patterns of CALCB expression when the best reference genes selected by all three programs were used. GAPDH, eEF-1 and UBC are suitable reference genes for porcine dorsal root ganglia samples, whereas ACTB, SDHA and UBC are more appropriate for spinal cord samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale A Sandercock
- Animal and Veterinary Science Research Group, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK.
| | - Jennifer E Coe
- Animal and Veterinary Science Research Group, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, UK
| | - Pierpaolo Di Giminiani
- School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Sandra A Edwards
- School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
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Wu Z, Li L, Xie F, Du J, Zuo Y, Frost JA, Carlton SM, Walters ET, Yang Q. Activation of KCNQ Channels Suppresses Spontaneous Activity in Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons and Reduces Chronic Pain after Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurotrauma 2017; 34:1260-1270. [PMID: 28073317 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2016.4789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A majority of people who have sustained spinal cord injury (SCI) experience chronic pain after injury, and this pain is highly resistant to available treatments. Contusive SCI in rats at T10 results in hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons, which contributes to chronic pain. KCNQ channels are widely expressed in nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, are important for controlling their excitability, and their activation has proven effective in reducing pain in peripheral nerve injury and inflammation models. The possibility that activators of KCNQ channels could be useful for treating SCI-induced chronic pain is strongly supported by the following findings. First, SCI, unlike peripheral nerve injury, failed to decrease the functional or biochemical expression of KCNQ channels in DRG as revealed by electrophysiology, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot; therefore, these channels remain available for pharmacological targeting of SCI pain. Second, treatment with retigabine, a specific KCNQ channel opener, profoundly decreased spontaneous activity in primary sensory neurons of SCI animals both in vitro and in vivo without changing the peripheral mechanical threshold. Third, retigabine reversed SCI-induced reflex hypersensitivity, adding to our previous demonstration that retigabine supports the conditioning of place preference after SCI (an operant measure of spontaneous pain). In contrast to SCI animals, naïve animals showed no effects of retigabine on reflex sensitivity or conditioned place preference by pairing with retigabine, indicating that a dose that blocks chronic pain-related behavior has no effect on normal pain sensitivity or motivational state. These results encourage the further exploration of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved KCNQ activators for treating SCI pain, as well as efforts to develop a new generation of KCNQ activators that lack central side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhen Wu
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Lin Li
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Fuhua Xie
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas.,3 Department of Critical Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Junhui Du
- 2 Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Yan Zuo
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffrey A Frost
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Susan M Carlton
- 2 Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Edgar T Walters
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Qing Yang
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
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15
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Hong S, Remacle AG, Shiryaev SA, Choi W, Hullugundi SK, Dolkas J, Angert M, Nishihara T, Yaksh TL, Strongin AY, Shubayev VI. Reciprocal relationship between membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase and the algesic peptides of myelin basic protein contributes to chronic neuropathic pain. Brain Behav Immun 2017; 60:282-292. [PMID: 27833045 PMCID: PMC5214638 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2016] [Revised: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Myelin basic protein (MBP) is an auto-antigen able to induce intractable pain from innocuous mechanical stimulation (mechanical allodynia). The mechanisms provoking this algesic MBP activity remain obscure. Our present study demonstrates that membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP/MMP-14) releases the algesic MBP peptides from the damaged myelin, which then reciprocally enhance the expression of MT1-MMP in nerve to sustain a state of allodynia. Specifically, MT1-MMP expression and activity in rat sciatic nerve gradually increased starting at day 3 after chronic constriction injury (CCI). Inhibition of the MT1-MMP activity by intraneural injection of the function-blocking human DX2400 monoclonal antibody at day 3 post-CCI reduced mechanical allodynia and neuropathological signs of Wallerian degeneration, including axon demyelination, degeneration, edema and formation of myelin ovoids. Consistent with its role in allodynia, the MT1-MMP proteolysis of MBP generated the MBP69-86-containing epitope sequences in vitro. In agreement, the DX2400 therapy reduced the release of the MBP69-86 epitope in CCI nerve. Finally, intraneural injection of the algesic MBP69-86 and control MBP2-18 peptides differentially induced MT1-MMP and MMP-2 expression in the nerve. With these data we offer a novel, self-sustaining mechanism of persistent allodynia via the positive feedback loop between MT1-MMP and the algesic MBP peptides. Accordingly, short-term inhibition of MT1-MMP activity presents a feasible pharmacological approach to intervene in this molecular circuit and the development of neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanghyun Hong
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Albert G Remacle
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sergei A Shiryaev
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Wonjun Choi
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Swathi K Hullugundi
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer Dolkas
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mila Angert
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tasuku Nishihara
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Tony L Yaksh
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alex Y Strongin
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Veronica I Shubayev
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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16
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Norcini M, Sideris A, Adler SM, Hernandez LAM, Zhang J, Blanck TJJ, Recio-Pinto E. NR2B Expression in Rat DRG Is Differentially Regulated Following Peripheral Nerve Injuries That Lead to Transient or Sustained Stimuli-Evoked Hypersensitivity. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:100. [PMID: 27803647 PMCID: PMC5068091 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Following injury, primary sensory neurons undergo changes that drive central sensitization and contribute to the maintenance of persistent hypersensitivity. NR2B expression in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) has not been previously examined in neuropathic pain models. Here, we investigated if changes in NR2B expression within the DRG are associated with hypersensitivities that result from peripheral nerve injuries. This was done by comparing the NR2B expression in the DRG derived from two modalities of the spared nerve injury (SNI) model, since each variant produces different neuropathic pain phenotypes. Using the electronic von Frey to stimulate the spared and non-spared regions of the hindpaws, we demonstrated that sural-SNI animals develop sustained neuropathic pain in both regions while the tibial-SNI animals recover. NR2B expression was measured at Day 23 and Day 86 post-injury. At Day 23 and 86 post-injury, sural-SNI animals display strong hypersensitivity, whereas tibial-SNI animals display 50 and 100% recovery from post-injury-induced hypersensitivity, respectively. In tibial-SNI at Day 86, but not at Day 23 the perinuclear region of the neuronal somata displayed an increase in NR2B protein. This retention of NR2B protein within the perinuclear region, which will render them non-functional, correlates with the recovery observed in tibial-SNI. In sural-SNI at Day 86, DRG displayed an increase in NR2B mRNA which correlates with the development of sustained hypersensitivity in this model. The increase in NR2B mRNA was not associated with an increase in NR2B protein within the neuronal somata. The latter may result from a decrease in kinesin Kif17, since Kif17 mediates NR2B transport to the soma’s plasma membrane. In both SNIs, microglia/macrophages showed a transient increase in NR2B protein detected at Day 23 but not at Day 86, which correlates with the initial post-injury induced hypersensitivity in both SNIs. In tibial-SNI at Day 86, but not at Day 23, satellite glia cells (SGCs) displayed an increase in NR2B protein. This study is the first to characterize of cell-specific changes in NR2B expression within the DRG following peripheral nerve injury. We discuss how the observed NR2B changes in DRG can contribute to the different neuropathic pain phenotypes displayed by each SNI variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Norcini
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York NY, USA
| | - Alexandra Sideris
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York NY, USA
| | - Samantha M Adler
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York NY, USA
| | - Lourdes A M Hernandez
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York NY, USA
| | - Jin Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York NY, USA
| | - Thomas J J Blanck
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New YorkNY, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New YorkNY, USA
| | - Esperanza Recio-Pinto
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care and Pain Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New YorkNY, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York University, New YorkNY, USA
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17
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Identification of Suitable Reference Genes for Normalization of Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction in an Intestinal Graft-Versus-Host Disease Mouse Model. Transplant Proc 2016; 47:2017-25. [PMID: 26293091 DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2015.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the development of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and intensive research on acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), selecting the best reference gene for normalization of RT-qPCR analysis in a GVHD model becomes more and more important. In this study, we aimed to identify suitable reference genes for mRNA studies in an intestinal GVHD mouse model after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). METHODS BALB/c recipients received 7.5 Gy total body irradiation (TBI) followed by injection of 5 × 10(6) bone marrow cells, without infusion of spleen cells for BMT, with infusion of 5 × 10(5) or 2.5 × 10(6) spleen cells for mild or moderate GVHD, respectively. Healthy mice were chosen as normal control subjects. Duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, and small intestine were collected at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 after transplantation. Transcription levels of 9 candidate genes, B2M, SDHA, HPRT, ACTB, GAPDH, HMBS, TBP, YWHAZ, and RPLP0, in each tissue were measured with the use of RT-qPCR. Combined data from these tissues in each group were defined as all samples. The expression stability of these genes was analyzed with the use of Genorm, Normfinder, Bestkeeper, and ΔCt. RESULTS Our results showed that in all samples, ACTB and HMBS displayed the highest and lowest expression levels, respectively. Genorm identified HRPT and SDHA as the most stable reference genes, whereas Normfinder and ΔCt method showed HPRT as the most stably expressed gene. Bestkeeper ranked YWHAZ and HPRT as the top 2 most suitable genes. In conclusion, HPRT was recommended as the most suitable reference gene after comprehensive ranking, suggesting that it could be used as an internal control for mRNA studies in intestinal GVHD after BMT.
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18
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Curto-Reyes V, Kirschmann G, Pertin M, Drexler SK, Decosterd I, Suter MR. Neuropathic Pain Phenotype Does Not Involve the NLRP3 Inflammasome and Its End Product Interleukin-1β in the Mice Spared Nerve Injury Model. PLoS One 2015. [PMID: 26218747 PMCID: PMC4517753 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The NACHT, LRR and PYD domains-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is one of the main sources of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and is involved in several inflammatory-related pathologies. To date, its relationship with pain has not been studied in depth. The aim of our study was to elucidate the role of NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β production on neuropathic pain. Results showed that basal pain sensitivity is unaltered in NLRP3-/- mice as well as responses to formalin test. Spared nerve injury (SNI) surgery induced the development of mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in a similar way in both genotypes and did not modify mRNA levels of the NLRP3 inflammasome components in the spinal cord. Intrathecal lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection increases apoptosis-associated speck like protein (ASC), caspase-1 and IL-1β expression in both wildtype and NLRP3-/- mice. Those data suggest that NLRP3 is not involved in neuropathic pain and also that other sources of IL-1β are implicated in neuroinflammatory responses induced by LPS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verdad Curto-Reyes
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Guylène Kirschmann
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marie Pertin
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Stephan K. Drexler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Epalinges, Switzerland
| | - Isabelle Decosterd
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Marc R. Suter
- Pain Center, Department of Anesthesiology, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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19
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Ronchi G, Raimondo S, Geuna S, Gambarotta G. New insights on the standardization of peripheral nerve regeneration quantitative analysis. Neural Regen Res 2015; 10:707-9. [PMID: 26109940 PMCID: PMC4468757 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.156962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Ronchi
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano (To), Italy ; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano (To), Italy
| | - Stefania Raimondo
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano (To), Italy ; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano (To), Italy
| | - Stefano Geuna
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano (To), Italy ; Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), Orbassano (To), Italy ; Neuroscience Institute of Torino (NIT), Interdepartmental Centre of Advanced Studies in Neuroscience, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Giovanna Gambarotta
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Orbassano (To), Italy ; Neuroscience Institute of Torino (NIT), Interdepartmental Centre of Advanced Studies in Neuroscience, University of Torino, Italy
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20
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Wong LE, Gibson ME, Arnold HM, Pepinsky B, Frank E. Artemin promotes functional long-distance axonal regeneration to the brainstem after dorsal root crush. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:6170-5. [PMID: 25918373 PMCID: PMC4434726 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1502057112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recovery after a spinal cord injury often requires that axons restore synaptic connectivity with denervated targets several centimeters from the site of injury. Here we report that systemic artemin (ARTN) treatment promotes the regeneration of sensory axons to the brainstem after brachial dorsal root crush in adult rats. ARTN not only stimulates robust regeneration of large, myelinated sensory axons to the brainstem, but also promotes functional reinnervation of the appropriate target region, the cuneate nucleus. ARTN signals primarily through the RET tyrosine kinase, an interaction that requires the nonsignaling coreceptor GDNF family receptor (GFRα3). Previous studies reported limited GFRα3 expression on large sensory neurons, but our findings demonstrate that ARTN promotes robust regeneration of large, myelinated sensory afferents. Using a cell sorting technique, we demonstrate that GFRα3 expression is similar in myelinated and unmyelinated adult sensory neurons, suggesting that ARTN likely induces long-distance regeneration by binding GFRα3 and RET. Although ARTN is delivered for just 2 wk, regeneration to the brainstem requires more than 3 mo, suggesting that brief trophic support may initiate intrinsic growth programs that remain active until targets are reached. Given its ability to promote targeted functional regeneration to the brainstem, ARTN may represent a promising therapy for restoring sensory function after spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Elisabeth Wong
- Department of Integrated Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111; and
| | - Molly E Gibson
- Department of Integrated Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111; and
| | | | - Blake Pepinsky
- Chemical and Molecular Therapeutics, Biogen Idec, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02142
| | - Eric Frank
- Department of Integrated Physiology and Pathobiology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111; and
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21
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Svingen T, Letting H, Hadrup N, Hass U, Vinggaard AM. Selection of reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis of rat tissues under physiological and toxicological conditions. PeerJ 2015; 3:e855. [PMID: 25825680 PMCID: PMC4375968 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In biological research the analysis of gene expression levels in cells and tissues can be a powerful tool to gain insights into biological processes. For this, quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) is a popular method that often involve the use of constitutively expressed endogenous reference (or ‘housekeeping’) gene for normalization of data. Thus, it is essential to use reference genes that have been verified to be stably expressed within the specific experimental setting. Here, we have analysed the expression stability of 12 commonly used reference genes (Actb, B2m, Gapdh, Hprt, Pgk1, Rn18s, Rpl13a, Rps18, Rps29, Sdha, Tbp and Ubc) across several juvenile and adult rat tissues (liver, adrenal, prostate, fat pad, testis and ovaries), both under normal conditions and following exposure to various chemicals during development. Employing NormFinder and BestKeeper softwares, we found Hprt and Sdha to be amongst the most stable genes across normal and manipulated tissues, with several others also being suitable for most tissues. Tbp and B2m displayed highest variability in transcript levels between tissues and developmental stages. It was also observed that the reference genes were most unstable in liver and testis following toxicological exposure. For future studies, we propose the use of more than one verified reference gene and the continuous monitoring of their suitability under various experimental conditions, including toxicological studies, based on changes in threshold (Ct) values from cDNA samples having been reverse-transcribed from a constant input concentration of RNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terje Svingen
- Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark , Søborg , Denmark
| | - Heidi Letting
- Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark , Søborg , Denmark
| | - Niels Hadrup
- Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark , Søborg , Denmark
| | - Ulla Hass
- Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark , Søborg , Denmark
| | - Anne Marie Vinggaard
- Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark , Søborg , Denmark
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22
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Persistent pain after spinal cord injury is maintained by primary afferent activity. J Neurosci 2014; 34:10765-9. [PMID: 25100607 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5316-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain caused by insults to the CNS (central neuropathic pain) is widely assumed to be maintained exclusively by central mechanisms. However, chronic hyperexcitablility occurs in primary nociceptors after spinal cord injury (SCI), suggesting that SCI pain also depends upon continuing activity of peripheral sensory neurons. The present study in rats (Rattus norvegicus) found persistent upregulation after SCI of protein, but not mRNA, for a voltage-gated Na(+) channel, Nav1.8, that is expressed almost exclusively in primary afferent neurons. Selectively knocking down Nav1.8 after SCI suppressed spontaneous activity in dissociated dorsal root ganglion neurons, reversed hypersensitivity of hindlimb withdrawal reflexes, and reduced ongoing pain assessed by a conditioned place preference test. These results show that activity in primary afferent neurons contributes to ongoing SCI pain.
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Lacroix C, Coquillé V, Guyomarch J, Auffret M, Moraga D. A selection of reference genes and early-warning mRNA biomarkers for environmental monitoring using Mytilus spp. as sentinel species. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2014; 86:304-313. [PMID: 25037875 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2014.06.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 06/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
mRNA biomarkers are promising tools for environmental health assessment and reference genes are needed to perform relevant qPCR analyses in tissue samples of sentinel species. In the present study, potential reference genes and mRNA biomarkers were tested in the gills and digestive glands of native and caged mussels (Mytilus spp.) exposed to harbor pollution. Results highlighted the difficulty to find stable reference genes in wild, non-model species and suggested the use of normalization indices instead of single genes as they exhibit a higher stability. Several target genes were found differentially expressed between mussel groups, especially in gills where cyp32, π-gst and CuZn-sod mRNA levels could be biomarker candidates. Multivariate analyses confirmed the ability of mRNA levels to highlight site-effects and suggested the use of several combined markers instead of individual ones. These findings support the use of qPCR technology and mRNA levels as early-warning biomarkers in marine monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Lacroix
- LEMAR, UMR 6539, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, 29280 Plouzané, France.
| | - V Coquillé
- LEMAR, UMR 6539, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - J Guyomarch
- CEDRE, 715, Rue Alain Colas, CS 41836, 29218 Brest Cedex 2, France
| | - M Auffret
- LEMAR, UMR 6539, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - D Moraga
- LEMAR, UMR 6539, Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer, 29280 Plouzané, France
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Walder RY, Wattiez AS, White SR, Marquez de Prado B, Hamity MV, Hammond DL. Validation of four reference genes for quantitative mRNA expression studies in a rat model of inflammatory injury. Mol Pain 2014; 10:55. [PMID: 25187167 PMCID: PMC4161874 DOI: 10.1186/1744-8069-10-55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a technique frequently used to measure changes in mRNA expression. To ensure validity of experimental findings, it is important to normalize the qPCR data to reference genes that are stable and unaffected by the experimental treatment to correct for variability among samples. Unlike in some models of neuropathic pain, reference genes for models of inflammatory injury have not been validated. This study examined four candidate reference genes in an effort to identify and validate optimal genes for normalization of transcriptional changes occurring in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord and the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) following intraplantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). RESULTS The expression of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (Hprt1), beta-actin (Actb), mitogen-activated protein kinase 6 (Mapk6), and beta-2-microglobulin (B2m) was quantified in the dorsal horn and RVM of rats four days or two weeks after intraplantar injection of CFA or saline. The range of expression levels among these four genes differed by as much as 16-fold within the dorsal horn and the RVM. All four of these reference genes were stably expressed in both tissues and did not differ between saline and CFA-treated animals. Analyses using the statistical algorithms in geNorm and NormFinder programs determined that Mapk6 was the most stable gene and recommended the combination of Mapk6 and Actb, or Mapk6 and Hprt1, in such experimental conditions. CONCLUSIONS This study validated the four genes Hprt1, Actb, Mapk6 or B2m and showed that any one or combination of two of them are good reference genes for normalization of mRNA expression in qPCR experiments in the spinal cord and RVM in the CFA model of inflammatory injury.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Donna L Hammond
- Departments of Anesthesia, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA.
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25
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Zhu X, Li Q, Chang R, Yang D, Song Z, Guo Q, Huang C. Curcumin alleviates neuropathic pain by inhibiting p300/CBP histone acetyltransferase activity-regulated expression of BDNF and cox-2 in a rat model. PLoS One 2014; 9:e91303. [PMID: 24603592 PMCID: PMC3946321 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The management of neuropathic pain is still a major challenge because of its unresponsiveness to most common treatments. Curcumin has been reported to play an active role in the treatment of various neurological disorders, such as neuropathic pain. Curcumin has long been recognized as a p300/CREB-binding protein (CBP) inhibitor of histone acetyltransferase (HAT) activity. However, this mechanism has never been investigated for the treatment of neuropathic pain with curcumin. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anti-nociceptive role of curcumin in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model of neuropathic pain. Furthermore, with this model we investigated the effect of curcumin on P300/CBP HAT activity-regulated release of the pro-nociceptive molecules, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2). Treatment with 40 and 60 mg/kg body weight curcumin for 7 consecutive days significantly attenuated CCI-induced thermal hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia, whereas 20 mg/kg curcumin showed no significant analgesic effect. Chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that curcumin dose-dependently reduced the recruitment of p300/CBP and acetyl-Histone H3/acetyl-Histone H4 to the promoter of BDNF and Cox-2 genes. A similar dose-dependent decrease of BDNF and Cox-2 in the spinal cord was also observed after curcumin treatment. These results indicated that curcumin exerted a therapeutic role in neuropathic pain by down-regulating p300/CBP HAT activity-mediated gene expression of BDNF and Cox-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zhu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qian Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ruimin Chang
- Liver Cancer Laboratory, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zongbing Song
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qulian Guo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Changsheng Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- * E-mail:
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26
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Rossi F, Marabese I, De Chiaro M, Boccella S, Luongo L, Guida F, De Gregorio D, Giordano C, de Novellis V, Palazzo E, Maione S. Dorsal striatum metabotropic glutamate receptor 8 affects nocifensive responses and rostral ventromedial medulla cell activity in neuropathic pain conditions. J Neurophysiol 2013; 111:2196-209. [PMID: 24304862 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00212.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the role of metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 8 (mGluR8) in the dorsal striatum (DS) in modulating thermonociception and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) ON and OFF cell activities in conditions of neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury (SNI) of the sciatic nerve in rats. The role of DS mGluR8 on mechanical allodynia was also investigated. Intra-DS (S)-3,4-dicarboxyphenylglycine [(S)-3,4-DCPG], a selective mGluR8 agonist, did not modify the activity of the ON and OFF cells in sham-operated rats. In SNI rats, which showed a reduction of the mechanical withdrawal threshold, intra-DS microinjection of (S)-3,4-DCPG inhibited the ongoing and tail flick-evoked activity of the ON cells while increasing the activity of the OFF cells. AZ12216052, a selective mGluR8 positive allosteric modulator (PAM), behaved like (S)-3,4-DCPG in increasing tail flick latency and OFF cell activity and decreasing ON cell activity in SNI rats only but was less potent. VU0155041, a selective mGluR4 PAM, was ineffective in changing thermal nociception and ON and OFF cell activity in both sham-operated and SNI rats. (S)-3,4-DCPG did not change mechanical withdrawal threshold in sham-operated rats but increased it in SNI rats. Furthermore, a decreased level of mGluR8 gene and immunoreactivity, expressed on GABAergic terminals, associated with a protein increase was found in the DS of SNI rats. These results suggest that stimulation of mGluR8 inhibits thermoceptive responses and mechanical allodynia. These effects were associated with inhibition of ON cells and stimulation of OFF cells within RVM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Rossi
- Department of Woman, Child and Specialist Surgery, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Ida Marabese
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Maria De Chiaro
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Serena Boccella
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Livio Luongo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Francesca Guida
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Danilo De Gregorio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Catia Giordano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Vito de Novellis
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
| | - Enza Palazzo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Surgery and Emergency, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy
| | - Sabatino Maione
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Pharmacology Division, The Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy; and
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