1
|
Ou C, Zhang K, Mu Y, Huang Z, Li X, Huang W, Wang Y, Zeng W, Ouyang H. YTHDF1 in periaqueductal gray inhibitory neurons contributes to morphine withdrawal responses in mice. BMC Med 2024; 22:406. [PMID: 39304892 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03634-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 09/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical symptoms and aversion induced by opioid withdrawal strongly affect the management of opioid addiction. YTH N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA binding protein 1 (YTHDF1), an m6A-binding protein, from the periaqueductal gray (PAG) reportedly contributes to morphine tolerance and hyperalgesia. However, the role of YTHDF1 in morphine withdrawal remains unclear. METHODS A naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal model was established in C57/BL6 mice or transgenic mice. YTHDF1 was knocked down via adeno-associated virus transfection. Combined with the results of the single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, the changes in morphine withdrawal somatic signs and conditioned place aversion (CPA) scores were compared when YTHDF1 originating from different neurons in the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) was knocked down. We further explored the role of inflammatory factors and transcription factors related to inflammatory response in morphine withdrawal. RESULTS Our results revealed that YTHDF1 expression was upregulated in the vlPAG of mice with morphine withdrawal and that the knockdown of vlPAG YTHDF1 attenuated morphine withdrawal-related somatic signs and aversion. The levels of NF-κB and p-NF-κB were reduced after the inhibition of YTHDF1 in the vlPAG. YTHDF1 from vlPAG inhibitory neurons, rather than excitatory neurons, facilitated morphine withdrawal responses. The inhibition of YTHDF1 in vlPAG somatostatin (Sst)-expressing neurons relieved somatic signs of morphine withdrawal and aversion, whereas the knockdown of YTHDF1 in cholecystokinin (Cck)-expressing or parvalbumin (PV)-expressing neurons did not change morphine withdrawal-induced responses. The activity of c-fos + neurons, the intensity of the calcium signal, the density of dendritic spines, and the frequency of mIPSCs in the vlPAG, which were increased in mice with morphine withdrawal, were decreased with the inhibition of YTHDF1 from vlPAG inhibitory neurons or Sst-expressing neurons. Knockdown of NF-κB in Sst-expressing neurons also alleviated morphine withdrawal-induced responses. CONCLUSIONS YTHDF1 originating from Sst-expressing neurons in the vlPAG is crucial for the modulation of morphine withdrawal responses, and the underlying mechanism might be related to the regulation of the expression and phosphorylation of NF-κB.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chaopeng Ou
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Yanyu Mu
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Zhenzhen Huang
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Department of Physiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xile Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Wan Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China.
| | - Weian Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China.
| | - Handong Ouyang
- Department of Anesthesiology, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, P. R. China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
He WC, Hou SL, Wang KB, Xu N, Li K, Xiong T, Luo J. Treadmill running on neuropathic pain: via modulation of neuroinflammation. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1345864. [PMID: 38989156 PMCID: PMC11233809 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1345864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a type of chronic pain caused by an injury or somatosensory nervous system disease. Drugs and exercise could effectively relieve neuropathic pain, but no treatment can completely stop neuropathic pain. The integration of exercise into neuropathic pain management has attracted considerable interest in recent years, and treadmill training is the most used among exercise therapies. Neuropathic pain can be effectively treated if its mechanism is clarified. In recent years, the association between neuroinflammation and neuropathic pain has been explored. Neuroinflammation can trigger proinflammatory cytokines, activate microglia, inhibit descending pain modulatory systems, and promote the overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which lead to the generation of neuropathic pain and hypersensitivity. Treadmill exercise can alleviate neuropathic pain mainly by regulating neuroinflammation, including inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory factors and over activation of microglia in the dorsal horn, regulating the expression of mu opioid receptor expression in the rostral ventromedial medulla and levels of γ-aminobutyric acid to activate the descending pain modulatory system and the overexpression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This article reviews and summarizes research on the effect of treadmill exercise on neuropathic pain and its role in the regulation of neuroinflammation to explore its benefits for neuropathic pain treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Chun He
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, General Hospital of NingXia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Shuang-Long Hou
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Xi’an Physical Education University, Xi’an, China
| | - Kai-Bin Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, General Hospital of NingXia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ning Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, General Hospital of NingXia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ke Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, General Hospital of NingXia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Ting Xiong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, General Hospital of NingXia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, General Hospital of NingXia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
- Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Xi’an Physical Education University, Xi’an, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhang Z, Zheng H, Yu Q, Jing X. Understanding of Spinal Wide Dynamic Range Neurons and Their Modulation on Pathological Pain. J Pain Res 2024; 17:441-457. [PMID: 38318328 PMCID: PMC10840524 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s446803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The spinal dorsal horn (SDH) transmits sensory information from the periphery to the brain. Wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons within this relay site play a critical role in modulating and integrating peripheral sensory inputs, as well as the process of central sensitization during pathological pain. This group of spinal multi-receptive neurons has attracted considerable attention in pain research due to their capabilities for encoding the location and intensity of nociception. Meanwhile, transmission, processing, and modulation of incoming afferent information in WDR neurons also establish the underlying basis for investigating the integration of acupuncture and pain signals. This review aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the distinctive features of WDR neurons and their involvement in pain. Specifically, we will examine the regulation of diverse supraspinal nuclei on these neurons and analyze their potential in elucidating the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyun Zhang
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hao Zheng
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qingquan Yu
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xianghong Jing
- Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
McPherson KB, Bouchet CA, Coutens B, Ingram SL. Persistent inflammation selectively activates opioid-sensitive phasic-firing neurons within the vlPAG. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:1237-1248. [PMID: 37073984 PMCID: PMC10202481 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00016.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is a key brain area within the descending pain modulatory pathway and an important target for opioid-induced analgesia. The vlPAG contains heterogeneous neurons with respect to neurotransmitter content, receptor and channel expression, and in vivo response to noxious stimuli. This study characterizes intrinsic membrane properties of vlPAG neurons to identify neuron types that respond to inflammation and determine whether the pain-responsive neurons are inhibited by opioids. Surveying 382 neurons identified four neuron types with distinct intrinsic firing patterns: Phasic (48%), Tonic (33%), Onset (10%), and Random (9%). Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) expression was determined by the ability of a selective MOR agonist (DAMGO) to activate G protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel (GIRK) currents. Opioid-sensitive neurons were observed within each neuron type. Opioid sensitivity did not correlate with other intrinsic firing features, including low-threshold spiking that has been previously proposed to identify opioid-sensitive GABAergic neurons in the vlPAG of mice. Complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced acute inflammation (2 h) had no effect on vlPAG neuron firing patterns. However, persistent inflammation (5-7 days) selectively activated Phasic neurons through a significant reduction in their firing threshold. Opioid-sensitive neurons were strongly activated compared with the opioid-insensitive Phasic neurons. Overall, this study provides a framework to further identify neurons activated by persistent inflammation so that they may be targeted for future pain therapies.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Intrinsic firing properties define four distinct vlPAG neuron populations, and a subset of each population expresses MORs coupled to GIRK channels. Persistent, but not acute, inflammation selectively activates opioid-sensitive Phasic vlPAG neurons. Although the vlPAG is known to contribute to the descending inhibition of pain, the activation of a single physiologically defined neuron type in the presence of persistent inflammation represents a mechanism by which the vlPAG participates in descending facilitation of pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kylie B McPherson
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Courtney A Bouchet
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Basile Coutens
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| | - Susan L Ingram
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States
| |
Collapse
|