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Hassan M, Shahzadi S, Yasir M, Chun W, Kloczkowski A. Therapeutic Implication of miRNAs as an Active Regulatory Player in the Management of Pain: A Review. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:1003. [PMID: 39202362 PMCID: PMC11353898 DOI: 10.3390/genes15081003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is frequently associated with neuropathy, inflammation, or the malfunctioning of nerves. Chronic pain is associated with a significant burden of morbidity due to opioid use, associated with addiction and tolerance, and disability. MicroRNAs (miRs) are emerging therapeutic targets to treat chronic pain through the regulation of genes associated with inflammation, neuronal excitability, survival, or de-differentiation. In this review, we discuss the possible involvement of miRs in pain-related molecular pathways. miRs are known to regulate high-conviction pain genes, supporting their potential as therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubashir Hassan
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; (S.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Saba Shahzadi
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; (S.S.); (A.K.)
| | - Muhammad Yasir
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea; (M.Y.); (W.C.)
| | - Wanjoo Chun
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea; (M.Y.); (W.C.)
| | - Andrzej Kloczkowski
- The Steve and Cindy Rasmussen Institute for Genomic Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205, USA; (S.S.); (A.K.)
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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Pluma-Pluma A, García G, Murbartián J. Chronic restraint stress and social transfer of stress produce tactile allodynia mediated by the HMGB1/TNFα/TNFR1 pathway in female and male rats. Physiol Behav 2024; 274:114418. [PMID: 38042454 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown the relevance of high mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in nerve or tissue injury-induced nociception. However, the role of these proteins in chronic stress and social transfer of stress (STS)-induced dysfunctional pain is not entirely known. The aim of this study was to determine the participation of the spinal HMGB1-TNFα signaling pathway and TNFα receptor 1 (TNFR1) in rats subjected to chronic restraint stress (CRS) and STS. Non-stressed female and male rats in contact with CRS rats increased sniffing behavior of the anogenital area, behavior related to STS. Rats subjected to CRS and STS reduced 50 % withdrawal threshold and reached the value of tactile allodynia after 21 days of stress. Rats return to the basal withdrawal threshold after 30 days without stress and return to allodynia values in only 5 days of stress sessions (priming). Female and male rats subjected to 28 days of CRS or STS were intrathecal injected with glycyrrhizin (inhibitor of HMGB1), thalidomide (inhibitor of the TNFα synthesis), and R7050 (TNFR1 antagonist), in all the cases, an antiallodynic effect was observed. Rats under CRS or STS enhanced HMGB1 and TNFR1 protein expression in DRG and dorsal spinal cord. Data suggest that the spinal HMGB1/TNFα/TNFR1 signaling pathway plays a relevant role in the maintenance of CRS and STS-induced nociceptive hypersensitivity in rats. These proteins could be helpful in developing pain treatments for fibromyalgia in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Pluma-Pluma
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Colonia Granjas Coapa, 14330, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe García
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Colonia Granjas Coapa, 14330, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Janet Murbartián
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Cinvestav, Calzada de los Tenorios 235, Colonia Granjas Coapa, 14330, South Campus, Mexico City, Mexico.
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Tahir AH, Li JJ, Tang Y. Peripheral and Spinal Mechanisms Involved in Electro-Acupuncture Therapy for Visceral Hypersensitivity. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:696843. [PMID: 34658755 PMCID: PMC8511820 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.696843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the important characteristic features of clinically significant gastrointestinal disorders is visceral hypersensitivity (VH). Pain sensitization or VH is a big challenge for clinicians and becomes a very thorny work in clinical practices; the therapeutic efficacy for VH results in limited success. A popular second therapy that is being approved for the induction of analgesia and attenuates VH with fewer side effects includes electro-acupuncture (EA). Different peripheral and spinal neurological chemicals, including neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and cytokines, and different signaling pathways were associated with EA treatment in VH. Despite the higher acceptance of EA, the underlying mechanism still needs to be further explored. In this paper, we review the available literature to find the peripheral and spinal mechanisms involved in EA to relieve VH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Hassan Tahir
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina and International Collaborative Centre on Big Science Plan for Purinergic Signalling, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.,Acupuncture and Chronobiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Jia-Jia Li
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina and International Collaborative Centre on Big Science Plan for Purinergic Signalling, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.,Acupuncture and Chronobiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
| | - Yong Tang
- School of Acupuncture and Tuina and International Collaborative Centre on Big Science Plan for Purinergic Signalling, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China.,Acupuncture and Chronobiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, China
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Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG soluble mediators ameliorate early life stress-induced visceral hypersensitivity and changes in spinal cord gene expression. Neuronal Signal 2020; 4:NS20200007. [PMID: 33343931 PMCID: PMC7726314 DOI: 10.1042/ns20200007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Visceral hypersensitivity is a hallmark of many functional and stress-related gastrointestinal disorders, and there is growing evidence that the gut microbiota may play a role in its pathophysiology. It has previously been shown that early life stress-induced visceral sensitivity is reduced by various probiotic strains of bacteria (including Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG)) alone or in combination with prebiotic fibres in rat models. However, the exact mechanisms underpinning such effects remain unresolved. Here, we investigated if soluble mediators derived from LGG can mimic the bacteria's effects on visceral hypersensitivity and the microbiota-gut-brain axis. Rats were exposed to maternal separation (MS) from postnatal days 2-12. From weaning onwards both non-separated (NS) and MS offspring were provided drinking water with or without supplementation of standardized preparations of the LGG soluble mediators (LSM). Our results show that MS led to increased visceral sensitivity and exaggerated corticosterone plasma levels following restraint stress in adulthood, and both of these effects were ameliorated through LSM supplementation. Differential regulation of various genes in the spinal cord of MS versus NS rats was observed, 41 of which were reversed by LSM supplementation. At the microbiota composition level MS led to changes in beta diversity and abundance of specific bacteria including parabacteroides, which were ameliorated by LSM. These findings support probiotic soluble mediators as potential interventions in the reduction of symptoms of visceral hypersensitivity.
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Narayanan R, Schratt G. miRNA regulation of social and anxiety-related behaviour. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:4347-4364. [PMID: 32409861 PMCID: PMC11104968 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and anxiety disorders are characterized by a complex range of symptoms, including social behaviour and cognitive deficits, depression and repetitive behaviours. Although the mechanisms driving pathophysiology are complex and remain largely unknown, advances in the understanding of gene association and gene networks are providing significant clues to their aetiology. In recent years, small noncoding RNA molecules known as microRNA (miRNA) have emerged as a new gene regulatory layer in the pathophysiology of mental illness. These small RNAs can bind to the 3'-UTR of mRNA thereby negatively regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Their ability to regulate hundreds of target mRNAs simultaneously predestines them to control the activity of entire cellular pathways, with obvious implications for the regulation of complex processes such as animal behaviour. There is growing evidence to suggest that numerous miRNAs are dysregulated in pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and there is strong genetic support for the association of miRNA genes and their targets with several of these conditions. This review attempts to cover the most relevant microRNAs for which an important contribution to the control of social and anxiety-related behaviour has been demonstrated by functional studies in animal models. In addition, it provides an overview of recent expression profiling and genetic association studies in human patient-derived samples in an attempt to highlight the most promising candidates for biomarker discovery and therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanathan Narayanan
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Schratt
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Choi JE, Kim EY, Park Y. N-3 PUFA improved pup separation-induced postpartum depression via serotonergic pathway regulated by miRNA. J Nutr Biochem 2020; 84:108417. [PMID: 32629237 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2020.108417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Stress and ovarian hormone fluctuation are risk factors for postpartum depression (PPD). Previous studies suggested antidepressant-like effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), but their effect on dam animal with additional stress were not clear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the hypothesis that n-3 PUFA improved PPD through the serotonergic and glutamatergic pathways by modulating miRNA. Rats were fed n-3 PUFA or control diet from gestation, with pup separation (PS) on postpartum days 2-14 and non-PS controls. N-3 PUFA reversed PS-induced depressive behaviors, including increased immobility, latencies to contact first pup and retrieve all pups, and decreased sucrose preference. N-3 PUFA also modulated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis by decreasing circulating levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone and corticosterone and expression of hypothalamic corticotrophin releasing factor and hippocampal miRNA-218 but increasing the hippocampal expression of glucocorticoid receptor. N-3 PUFA inhibited neuroinflammation by decreasing circulating levels of prostaglandin E2 and hippocampal expression of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and miRNA-155. In addition, n-3 PUFA up-regulated the serotonergic pathway by increasing circulating levels of serotonin and hippocampal expression of serotonin-1A receptor, cAMP response element binding protein (CREB), pCREB, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and miRNA-182 but did not affect the glutamatergic pathway according to the hippocampal expression of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-2B. The present study suggested that n-3 PUFA improved PPD through the serotonergic pathway by modifying the HPA axis, neuroinflammation, and related miRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong-Eun Choi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Young Kim
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongsoon Park
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea.
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Do MicroRNAs Modulate Visceral Pain? BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 2018:5406973. [PMID: 30627562 PMCID: PMC6304628 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5406973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 09/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Visceral pain, a common characteristic of multiple diseases relative to viscera, impacts millions of people worldwide. Although hundreds of studies have explored mechanisms underlying visceral pain, it is still poorly managed. Over the past decade, strong evidence emerged suggesting that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a significant role in visceral nociception through altering neurotransmitters, receptors and other genes at the posttranscriptional level. Under pathological conditions, one kind of miRNA may have several target mRNAs and several kinds of miRNAs may act on one target, suggesting complex interactions and mechanisms between miRNAs and target genes lead to pathological states. In this review we report on recent progress in examining miRNAs responsible for visceral sensitization and provide miRNA-based therapeutic targets for the management of visceral pain.
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Greenwood-Van Meerveld B, Johnson AC. Stress-Induced Chronic Visceral Pain of Gastrointestinal Origin. Front Syst Neurosci 2017; 11:86. [PMID: 29213232 PMCID: PMC5702626 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2017.00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Visceral pain is generally poorly localized and characterized by hypersensitivity to a stimulus such as organ distension. In concert with chronic visceral pain, there is a high comorbidity with stress-related psychiatric disorders including anxiety and depression. The mechanisms linking visceral pain with these overlapping comorbidities remain to be elucidated. Evidence suggests that long term stress facilitates pain perception and sensitizes pain pathways, leading to a feed-forward cycle promoting chronic visceral pain disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Early life stress (ELS) is a risk-factor for the development of IBS, however the mechanisms responsible for the persistent effects of ELS on visceral perception in adulthood remain incompletely understood. In rodent models, stress in adult animals induced by restraint and water avoidance has been employed to investigate the mechanisms of stress-induce pain. ELS models such as maternal separation, limited nesting, or odor-shock conditioning, which attempt to model early childhood experiences such as neglect, poverty, or an abusive caregiver, can produce chronic, sexually dimorphic increases in visceral sensitivity in adulthood. Chronic visceral pain is a classic example of gene × environment interaction which results from maladaptive changes in neuronal circuitry leading to neuroplasticity and aberrant neuronal activity-induced signaling. One potential mechanism underlying the persistent effects of stress on visceral sensitivity could be epigenetic modulation of gene expression. While there are relatively few studies examining epigenetically mediated mechanisms involved in visceral nociception, stress-induced visceral pain has been linked to alterations in DNA methylation and histone acetylation patterns within the brain, leading to increased expression of pro-nociceptive neurotransmitters. This review will discuss the potential neuronal pathways and mechanisms responsible for stress-induced exacerbation of chronic visceral pain. Additionally, we will review the importance of specific experimental models of adult stress and ELS in enhancing our understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms of pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld
- Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
- VA Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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Wan J, Ding Y, Tahir AH, Shah MK, Janyaro H, Li X, Zhong J, Vodyanoy V, Ding M. Electroacupuncture Attenuates Visceral Hypersensitivity by Inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway in the Descending Pain Modulation System. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:644. [PMID: 29209161 PMCID: PMC5701938 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used for treating visceral hypersensitivity (VH). However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. This study was aim to testify the effect of EA on ileitis-provoked VH, and to confirm whether EA attenuates VH through Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway in the periaqueductal gray (PAG)-the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM)-the spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH) axis. Methods: Goats were anesthetized and laparotomized for injecting 2,4,6-trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS)-ethanol solution (30mg TNBS dissolved in 40% ethanol) into the ileal wall to induce VH. EA was treated for 30min from day 7, then every 3 days for six times. VH was assessed by visceromotor response (VMR) and pain behavior response to 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mmHg colorectal distension pressures at day 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, and 22. The spinal cord in the eleventh thoracic vertebra and the brain were collected at day 22. The protein and mRNA levels of IL-6, JAK2, and STAT3 in the SCDH were detected with western blot and qPCR, respectively. The distribution of these substances was observed with immunohistochemistry in the ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG), RVM (mainly the nucleus raphe magnus, NRM), SCDH, the nucleus tractus solitaries (NTS) and the dorsal motor nucleus of vagi (DMV). Results: Goats administered with TNBS-ethanol solution showed diarrhea, enhanced VMR and pain behavior response, and increased IL-6, phosphorylated JAK2 and STAT3 (pJAK2 and pSTAT3) in the vlPAG, NRM, NTS and DMV, and their protein and mRNA levels in the SCDH. EA relieved diarrhea, VMR and pain behavior response, decreased IL-6, pJAK2 and pSTAT3 levels in the vlPAG, NRM, SCDH, NTS, and DMV except for pSTAT3 in the DMV, but did not affect mRNA level of these three substances in the SCDH. Conclusion: EA attenuates VH probably through inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway in the PAG-RVM-SCDH axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Wan
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Ding
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Adnan H Tahir
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Manoj K Shah
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Habibullah Janyaro
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Juming Zhong
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Vitaly Vodyanoy
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States
| | - Mingxing Ding
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
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Law IKM, Padua DM, Iliopoulos D, Pothoulakis C. Role of G protein-coupled receptors-microRNA interactions in gastrointestinal pathophysiology. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2017; 313:G361-G372. [PMID: 28774868 PMCID: PMC5792214 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00144.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) make up the largest transmembrane receptor superfamily in the human genome and are expressed in nearly all gastrointestinal cell types. Coupling of GPCRs and their respective ligands activates various phosphotransferases in the cytoplasm, and, thus, activation of GPCR signaling in intestine regulates many cellular and physiological processes. Studies in microRNAs (miRNAs) demonstrate that they represent critical epigenetic regulators of different pathophysiological responses in different organs and cell types in humans and animals. Here, we reviewed recent research on GPCR-miRNA interactions related to gastrointestinal pathophysiology, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastrointestinal cancers. Given that the presence of different types of cells in the gastrointestinal tract suggests the importance of cell-cell interactions in maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis, we also discuss how GPCR-miRNA interactions regulate gene expression at the cellular level and subsequently modulate gastrointestinal pathophysiology through molecular regulatory circuits and cell-cell interactions. These studies helped identify novel molecular pathways leading to the discovery of potential biomarkers for gastrointestinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivy Ka Man Law
- 1Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; and
| | - David Miguel Padua
- 1Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; and
| | - Dimitrios Iliopoulos
- 1Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; and ,2Center for Systems Biomedicine, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Charalabos Pothoulakis
- Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; and
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Malan-Müller S, Hemmings S. The Big Role of Small RNAs in Anxiety and Stress-Related Disorders. ANXIETY 2017; 103:85-129. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.vh.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Sun R, Zhang W, Bo J, Zhang Z, Lei Y, Huo W, Liu Y, Ma Z, Gu X. Spinal activation of alpha7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptor attenuates posttraumatic stress disorder-related chronic pain via suppression of glial activation. Neuroscience 2016; 344:243-254. [PMID: 28039041 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The high prevalence of chronic pain in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) individuals has been widely reported by clinical studies, which emphasized an urgent need to uncover the underlying mechanisms and identify potential therapeutic targets. Recent studies suggested that targeting activated glia and their pro-inflammatory products may provide a novel and effective therapy for the stress-related pain. In this study, we investigated whether activation of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7 nAChR), a novel anti-inflammatory target, could attenuate PTSD-related chronic pain. The experiments were conducted in a rat model of single prolonged stress (SPS), an established model of PTSD-pain comorbidity. We found that SPS exposure produced persistent mechanical allodynia. Immunohistochemical and enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay analysis showed that SPS also induced elevated activation of glia cells (including microglia and astrocytes) and accumulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines in spinal cord. In another experiment, we found that intrathecal injection of PHA-543613, a selective α7 nAchR agonist, attenuated the SPS-evoked allodynia in a dose dependent manner. However, this anti-hyperalgesic effect was blocked by pretreatment with methyllycaconitine (MLA), a selective α7 nAchR antagonist. Further analyses showed that PHA-543613 suppressed SPS-induced spinal glial activation and SPS-elevated spinal pro-inflammatory cytokines, and these were abolished by MLA. Taken together, the present study showed that spinal activation of α7 nAChR by PHA-543613 attenuated mechanical allodynia induced by PTSD-like stress, and the suppression of spinal glial activation may underlie this anti-hyperalgesic effect. Our study demonstrated the therapeutic potential of targeting α7 nAChR in the treatment of PTSD-related chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rao Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Jinhua Bo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zuoxia Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yishan Lei
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Wenwen Huo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Zhengliang Ma
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
| | - Xiaoping Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, China.
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