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Labrakakis C. The Role of the Insular Cortex in Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065736. [PMID: 36982807 PMCID: PMC10056254 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition from normal to chronic pain is believed to involve alterations in several brain areas that participate in the perception of pain. These plastic changes are then responsible for aberrant pain perception and comorbidities. The insular cortex is consistently found activated in pain studies of normal and chronic pain patients. Functional changes in the insula contribute to chronic pain; however, the complex mechanisms by which the insula is involved in pain perception under normal and pathological conditions are still not clear. In this review, an overview of the insular function is provided and findings on its role in pain from human studies are summarized. Recent progress on the role of the insula in pain from preclinical experimental models is reviewed, and the connectivity of the insula with other brain regions is examined to shed new light on the neuronal mechanisms of the insular cortex’s contribution to normal and pathological pain sensation. This review underlines the need for further studies on the mechanisms underlying the involvement of the insula in the chronicity of pain and the expression of comorbid disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charalampos Labrakakis
- Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece;
- Institute of Biosciences, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), 45110 Ioannina, Greece
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Cui Z, Guo Z, Wei L, Zou X, Zhu Z, Liu Y, Wang J, Chen L, Wang D, Ke Z. Altered pain sensitivity in 5×familial Alzheimer disease mice is associated with dendritic spine loss in anterior cingulate cortex pyramidal neurons. Pain 2022; 163:2138-2153. [PMID: 35384934 PMCID: PMC9578529 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Chronic pain is highly prevalent. Individuals with cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer disease are a susceptible population in which pain is frequently difficult to diagnosis. It is still unclear whether the pathological changes in patients with Alzheimer disease will affect pain processing. Here, we leverage animal behavior, neural activity recording, optogenetics, chemogenetics, and Alzheimer disease modeling to examine the contribution of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) neurons to pain response. The 5× familial Alzheimer disease mice show alleviated mechanical allodynia which can be regained by the genetic activation of ACC excitatory neurons. Furthermore, the lower peak neuronal excitation, delayed response initiation, as well as the dendritic spine reduction of ACC pyramidal neurons in 5×familial Alzheimer disease mice can be mimicked by Rac1 or actin polymerization inhibitor in wild-type (WT) mice. These findings indicate that abnormal of pain sensitivity in Alzheimer disease modeling mice is closely related to the variation of neuronal activity and dendritic spine loss in ACC pyramidal neurons, suggesting the crucial role of dendritic spine density in pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengyu Cui
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Internal Medicine of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongzhao Guo
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Luyao Wei
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang Zou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zilu Zhu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Wang
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deheng Wang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zunji Ke
- Academy of Integrative Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Wang XS, Jiang YL, Lu L, Feng B, Ma X, Zhang K, Guan SY, Yang L, Fan QY, Zhu XC, Yang F, Qi JY, Yang LK, Li XB, Zhao MG, Jiang W, Tian Z, Liu SB. Activation of GIPR Exerts Analgesic and Anxiolytic-Like Effects in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex of Mice. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:887238. [PMID: 35712239 PMCID: PMC9196593 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.887238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists typically for a period of over six months. Chronic pain is often accompanied by an anxiety disorder, and these two tend to exacerbate each other. This can make the treatment of these conditions more difficult. Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a member of the incretin hormone family and plays a critical role in glucose metabolism. Previous research has demonstrated the multiple roles of GIP in both physiological and pathological processes. In the central nervous system (CNS), studies of GIP are mainly focused on neurodegenerative diseases; hence, little is known about the functions of GIP in chronic pain and pain-related anxiety disorders. METHODS The chronic inflammatory pain model was established by hind paw injection with complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in C57BL/6 mice. GIP receptor (GIPR) agonist (D-Ala2-GIP) and antagonist (Pro3-GIP) were given by intraperitoneal injection or anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) local microinjection. Von Frey filaments and radiant heat were employed to assess the mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. Anxiety-like behaviors were detected by open field and elevated plus maze tests. The underlying mechanisms in the peripheral nervous system and CNS were explored by GIPR shRNA knockdown in the ACC, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, western blot analysis, whole-cell patch-clamp recording, immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR. RESULTS In the present study, we found that hind paw injection with CFA induced pain sensitization and anxiety-like behaviors in mice. The expression of GIPR in the ACC was significantly higher in CFA-injected mice. D-Ala2-GIP administration by intraperitoneal or ACC local microinjection produced analgesic and anxiolytic effects; these were blocked by Pro3-GIP and GIPR shRNA knockdown in the ACC. Activation of GIPR inhibited neuroinflammation and activation of microglia, reversed the upregulation of NMDA and AMPA receptors, and suppressed the enhancement of excitatory neurotransmission in the ACC of model mice. CONCLUSIONS GIPR activation was found to produce analgesic and anxiolytic effects, which were partially due to attenuation of neuroinflammation and inhibition of excitatory transmission in the ACC. GIPR may be a suitable target for treatment of chronic inflammatory pain and pain-related anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-shang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yong-li Jiang
- Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Liang Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ban Feng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xue Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shao-yu Guan
- Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Le Yang
- Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Qing-yu Fan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xiao-chen Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jing-yu Qi
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Liu-kun Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xu-bo Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ming-gao Zhao
- Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Wen Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Shui-bing Liu, ; Zhen Tian, ; Wen Jiang,
| | - Zhen Tian
- Precision Pharmacy and Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Shui-bing Liu, ; Zhen Tian, ; Wen Jiang,
| | - Shui-bing Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Shui-bing Liu, ; Zhen Tian, ; Wen Jiang,
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Toyoda H, Koga K. Nicotine Exposure during Adolescence Leads to Changes of Synaptic Plasticity and Intrinsic Excitability of Mice Insular Pyramidal Cells at Later Life. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:ijms23010034. [PMID: 35008455 PMCID: PMC8744609 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
To find satisfactory treatment for nicotine addiction, synaptic and cellular mechanisms should be investigated comprehensively. Synaptic transmission, plasticity and intrinsic excitability in various brain regions are known to be altered by acute nicotine exposure. However, it has not been addressed whether and how nicotine exposure during adolescence alters these synaptic events and intrinsic excitability in the insular cortex in adulthood. To address this question, we performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to examine the effects of adolescent nicotine exposure on synaptic transmission, plasticity and intrinsic excitability in layer V pyramidal neurons (PNs) of the mice insular cortex five weeks after the treatment. We found that excitatory synaptic transmission and potentiation were enhanced in these neurons. Following adolescent nicotine exposure, insular layer V PNs displayed enhanced intrinsic excitability, which was reflected in changes in relationship between current strength and spike number, inter-spike interval, spike current threshold and refractory period. In addition, spike-timing precision evaluated by standard deviation of spike timing was decreased following nicotine exposure. Our data indicate that adolescent nicotine exposure enhances synaptic transmission, plasticity and intrinsic excitability in layer V PNs of the mice insular cortex at later life, which might contribute to severe nicotine dependence in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Toyoda
- Department of Oral Physiology, Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry, Suita 565-0871, Japan
- Correspondence:
| | - Kohei Koga
- Department of Neurophysiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Japan;
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Srivastava HK, Bandyopadhyay S. Parallel Lemniscal and Non-Lemniscal Sources Control Auditory Responses in the Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC). eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0121-20.2020. [PMID: 32753369 PMCID: PMC7545433 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0121-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) controls flexible behavior through stimulus value updating based on stimulus outcome associations, allowing seamless navigation in dynamic sensory environments with changing contingencies. Sensory cue driven responses, primarily studied through behavior, exist in the OFC. However, OFC neurons' sensory response properties, particularly auditory, are unknown in the mouse, a genetically tractable animal. We show that mouse OFC single neurons have unique auditory response properties showing pure oddball detection and long timescales of adaptation resulting in stimulus-history dependence. Further, we show that OFC auditory responses are shaped by two parallel sources in the auditory thalamus, lemniscal and non-lemniscal. The latter underlies a large component of the observed oddball detection and additionally controls persistent activity in the OFC through the amygdala. The deviant selectivity can serve as a signal for important changes in the auditory environment. Such signals, if coupled with persistent activity, obtained by disinhibitory control from the non-lemniscal auditory thalamus or amygdala, will allow for associations with a delayed outcome related signal, like reward prediction error, and potentially forms the basis of updating stimulus outcome associations in the OFC. Thus, the baseline sensory responses allow the behavioral requirement-based response modification through relevant inputs from other structures related to reward, punishment, or memory. Thus, alterations in these responses in neurologic disorders can lead to behavioral deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemant K Srivastava
- Advanced Technology Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| | - Sharba Bandyopadhyay
- Advanced Technology Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
- Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
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6
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Li XH, Chen QY, Zhuo M. Neuronal Adenylyl Cyclase Targeting Central Plasticity for the Treatment of Chronic Pain. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:861-873. [PMID: 32935298 PMCID: PMC7609634 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-020-00927-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a major health problem and the effective treatment for chronic pain is still lacking. The recent crisis created by the overuse of opioids for pain treatment has clearly shown the need for non-addictive novel pain medicine. Conventional pain medicines usually inhibit peripheral nociceptive transmission and reduce central transmission, especially pain-related excitatory transmission. For example, both opioids and gabapentin produce analgesic effects by inhibiting the release of excitatory transmitters and reducing neuronal excitability. Here, we will review recent studies of central synaptic plasticity contributing to central sensitization in chronic pain. Neuronal selective adenylyl cyclase subtype 1 (AC1) is proposed to be a key intracellular protein that causes both presynaptic and postsynaptic forms of long-term potentiation (LTP). Inhibiting the activity of AC1 by selective inhibitor NB001 blocks behavioral sensitization and injury-related anxiety in animal models of chronic pain. We propose that inhibiting injury-related LTPs will provide new mechanisms for designing novel medicines for the treatment of chronic pain and its related emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Hui Li
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049 Shaanxi China
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Canada
| | - Qi-Yu Chen
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049 Shaanxi China
| | - Min Zhuo
- Institute of Brain Research, Qingdao International Academician Park, Qingdao, Shandong China
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049 Shaanxi China
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King’s College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8 Canada
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Kummer KK, Mitrić M, Kalpachidou T, Kress M. The Medial Prefrontal Cortex as a Central Hub for Mental Comorbidities Associated with Chronic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E3440. [PMID: 32414089 PMCID: PMC7279227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain patients frequently develop and suffer from mental comorbidities such as depressive mood, impaired cognition, and other significant constraints of daily life, which can only insufficiently be overcome by medication. The emotional and cognitive components of pain are processed by the medial prefrontal cortex, which comprises the anterior cingulate cortex, the prelimbic, and the infralimbic cortex. All three subregions are significantly affected by chronic pain: magnetic resonance imaging has revealed gray matter loss in all these areas in chronic pain conditions. While the anterior cingulate cortex appears hyperactive, prelimbic, and infralimbic regions show reduced activity. The medial prefrontal cortex receives ascending, nociceptive input, but also exerts important top-down control of pain sensation: its projections are the main cortical input of the periaqueductal gray, which is part of the descending inhibitory pain control system at the spinal level. A multitude of neurotransmitter systems contributes to the fine-tuning of the local circuitry, of which cholinergic and GABAergic signaling are particularly emerging as relevant components of affective pain processing within the prefrontal cortex. Accordingly, factors such as distraction, positive mood, and anticipation of pain relief such as placebo can ameliorate pain by affecting mPFC function, making this cortical area a promising target region for medical as well as psychosocial interventions for pain therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Michaela Kress
- Institute of Physiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (K.K.K.); (M.M.); (T.K.)
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Effects of external low intensity focused ultrasound on electrophysiological changes in vivo in a rodent model of common peroneal nerve injury. Neuroscience 2020; 429:264-272. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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Wang XS, Yue J, Hu LN, Tian Z, Yang LK, Lu L, Zhao MG, Liu SB. Effects of CPEB1 in the anterior cingulate cortex on visceral pain in mice. Brain Res 2019; 1712:55-62. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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10
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Wang XS, Guan SY, Liu A, Yue J, Hu LN, Zhang K, Yang LK, Lu L, Tian Z, Zhao MG, Liu SB. Anxiolytic effects of Formononetin in an inflammatory pain mouse model. Mol Brain 2019; 12:36. [PMID: 30961625 PMCID: PMC6454770 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-019-0453-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is commonly accompanied with anxiety disorder, which complicates treatment. In this study, we investigated the analgesic and anxiolytic effects of Formononetin (FMNT), an active component of traditional Chinese medicine red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) that is capable of protecting neurons from N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-evoked excitotoxic injury, on mice suffering from complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA)-induced chronic inflammatory pain. The results show that FMNT administration significantly reduces anxiety-like behavior but does not affect the nociceptive threshold in CFA-injected mice. The treatment reverses the upregulation of NMDA, GluA1, and GABAA receptors, as well as PSD95 and CREB in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). The effects of FMNT on NMDA receptors and CREB binding protein (CBP) were further confirmed by the potential structure combination between these compounds, which was analyzed by in silico docking technology. FMNT also inhibits the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway and microglia in the BLA of mice suffering from chronic inflammatory pain. Therefore, the anxiolytic effects of FMNT are partially due to the attenuation of inflammation and neuronal hyperexcitability through the inhibition of NMDA receptor and CBP in the BLA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Shang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Shao-Yu Guan
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jiao Yue
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Li-Ning Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Liu-Kun Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Liang Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Zhen Tian
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.,The 154th Central Hospital of PLA, Xinyang, 464000, China
| | - Ming-Gao Zhao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Shui-Bing Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, and Precision Pharmacy & Drug Development Center, Department of Pharmacy, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
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Abstract
Acute pain has an evolutionary role in the detection of physical harm and the response to it. In some cases, however, acute pain can impair function and lead to other morbidities. Chronic pain, meanwhile, can present as a psychopathological condition that significantly interferes with daily living. Most basic and translational pain research has focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms in the spinal and peripheral nervous systems. In contrast, the brain plays a key role in the affective manifestation and cognitive control of pain. In particular, several cortical regions, such as the somatosensory cortex, prefrontal cortex, insular, and anterior cingulate cortex, are well known to be activated by acute pain signals, and neurons in these regions have been demonstrated to undergo changes in response to chronic pain. Furthermore, these cortical regions can project to a number of forebrain and limbic structures to exert powerful top-down control of not only sensory pain transmission but also affective pain expression, and such cortical regulatory mechanisms are particularly relevant in chronic pain states. Newer techniques have emerged that allow for detailed studies of central pain circuits in animal models, as well as how such circuits are modified by the presence of chronic pain and other predisposing psychosomatic factors. These mechanistic approaches can complement imaging in human studies. At the therapeutic level, a number of pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions have recently been shown to engage these top-down control systems to provide analgesia. In this review, we will discuss how pain signals reach important cortical regions and how these regions in turn project to subcortical areas of the brain to exert profound modulation of the pain experience. In addition, we will discuss the clinical relevance of such top-down pain regulation mechanisms.
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12
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Yang Z, Tan Q, Cheng D, Zhang L, Zhang J, Gu EW, Fang W, Lu X, Liu X. The Changes of Intrinsic Excitability of Pyramidal Neurons in Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Neuropathic Pain. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:436. [PMID: 30519160 PMCID: PMC6258991 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
To find satisfactory treatment strategies for neuropathic pain syndromes, the cellular mechanisms should be illuminated. Central sensitization is a generator of pain hypersensitivity, and is mainly reflected in neuronal hyperexcitability in pain pathway. Neuronal excitability depends on two components, the synaptic inputs and the intrinsic excitability. Previous studies have focused on the synaptic plasticity in different forms of pain. But little is known about the changes of neuronal intrinsic excitability in neuropathic pain. To address this question, whole-cell patch clamp recordings were performed to study the synaptic transmission and neuronal intrinsic excitability 1 week after spared nerve injury (SNI) or sham operation in male C57BL/6J mice. We found increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSC) frequency in layer II/III pyramidal neurons of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) from mice with neuropathic pain. Elevated intrinsic excitability of these neurons after nerve injury was also picked up, which was reflected in gain of input-output curve, inter-spike interval (ISI), spike threshold and Refractory period (RP). Besides firing rate related to neuronal intrinsic excitability, spike timing also plays an important role in neural information processing. The precision of spike timing measured by standard deviation of spike timing (SDST) was decreased in neuropathic pain state. The electrophysiological studies revealed the elevated intrinsic excitation in layer II/III pyramidal neurons of ACC in mice with neuropathic pain, which might contribute to central excitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhilai Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qilian Tan
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Dan Cheng
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jiqian Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Er-Wei Gu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Weiping Fang
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xianfu Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xuesheng Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, First Affiliated Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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13
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Animal studies are mandatory to investigate the poorly understood fate and effects of aluminum adjuvants administered to billions of humans and animals worldwide. Autoimmun Rev 2018; 17:735-737. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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14
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Urien L, Xiao Z, Dale J, Bauer EP, Chen Z, Wang J. Rate and Temporal Coding Mechanisms in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex for Pain Anticipation. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8298. [PMID: 29844413 PMCID: PMC5974274 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-26518-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a complex sensory and affective experience. Through its anticipation, animals can learn to avoid pain. Much is known about passive avoidance during a painful event; however, less is known about active pain avoidance. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a critical hub for affective pain processing. However, there is currently no mechanism that links ACC activities at the cellular level with behavioral anticipation or avoidance. Here we asked whether distinct populations of neurons in the ACC can encode information for pain anticipation. We used tetrodes to record from ACC neurons during a conditioning assay to train rats to avoid pain. We found that in rats that successfully avoid acute pain episodes, neurons that responded to pain shifted their firing rates to an earlier time, whereas neurons that responded to the anticipation of pain increased their firing rates prior to noxious stimulation. Furthermore, we found a selected group of neurons that shifted their firing from a pain-tuned response to an anticipatory response. Unsupervised learning analysis of ensemble spike activity indicates that temporal spiking patterns of ACC neurons can indeed predict the onset of pain avoidance. These results suggest rate and temporal coding schemes in the ACC for pain avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Urien
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Zhengdong Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA.,Department of Instrument Science and Technology, College of Biomedical Engineering and Instrument Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jahrane Dale
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Bauer
- Biology Department, Barnard College Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA
| | - Zhe Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, 10016, USA.
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15
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Ameratunga R, Langguth D, Hawkes D. Perspective: Scientific and ethical concerns pertaining to animal models of autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). Autoimmun Rev 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2017.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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16
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Jiang YY, Zhang Y, Cui S, Liu FY, Yi M, Wan Y. Cholinergic neurons in medial septum maintain anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic inflammatory pain. Neurosci Lett 2018; 671:7-12. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Abstract
Chronic pain is frequently associated with anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. This review discusses recent work in rodents that contributes to the understanding of their neurobiological links. Brain regions that contain circuits that mediate persistent changes in behavior that are caused by nerve injury or joint inflammation include the rostral anterior cingulate and other parts of the medial prefrontal cortex, the basolateral and central nucleus of the amygdala, and the nucleus accumbens. Functional changes, including increases in the activity within specific neuronal pathways and in the levels of specific synaptic components, that are associated with the behavior changes, or are in some cases necessary for them, have recently been identified. Broadly projecting modulatory systems and widely expressed factors such as cytokines and growth factors also contribute to pain-associated behavior. Integrating these observations and determining their causal relationships is now critical for the identification of therapeutic targets and the design of appropriate interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ted B Usdin
- Section on Fundamental Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Eugene L Dimitrov
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, USA
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18
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Yamanaka M, Matsuura T, Pan H, Zhuo M. Calcium-stimulated adenylyl cyclase subtype 1 (AC1) contributes to LTP in the insular cortex of adult mice. Heliyon 2017; 3:e00338. [PMID: 28721398 PMCID: PMC5498404 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Revised: 06/11/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Long-term potentiation (LTP) of synaptic transmission in the central nervous system is a key form of cortical plasticity. The insular cortex (IC) is known to play important roles in pain perception, aversive memory and mood disorders. LTP has been recently reported in the IC, however, the signaling pathway for IC LTP remains unknown. Here, we investigated the synaptic mechanism of IC LTP. We found that IC LTP induced by the pairing protocol was N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) dependent, and expressed postsynaptically, since paired-pulse ratio (PPR) was not affected. Postsynaptic calcium is important for the induction of post-LTP, since the postsynaptic application of BAPTA completely blocked the induction of LTP. Calcium-activated adenylyl cyclase subtype 1 (AC1) is required for potentiation. By contrast, AC8 is not required. Inhibition of Ca2+ permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptors (CP-AMPARs) or protein kinase M zeta (PKMζ) reduced the expression of LTP. Our results suggest that calcium-stimulated AC1, but not AC8, can be a trigger of the induction and maintenance of LTP in the IC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manabu Yamanaka
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, 641-8509, Japan
| | - Takanori Matsuura
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Haili Pan
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Min Zhuo
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi 710049, China.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
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19
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Abstract
The study of glutamatergic synapses mainly focuses on the memory-related hippocampus. Recent studies in the cortical areas such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) show that excitatory synapses can undergo long-term plastic changes in adult animals. Long-term potentiation (LTP) of cortical synapses may play important roles in chronic pain and anxiety. In addition to NMDA and AMPA receptors, kainate (KA) receptors have been found to play roles in synaptic transmission, regulation and presynaptic forms of LTP. In this brief review, I will summarize the new progress made on KA receptors, and propose that ACC synapses may provide a good synaptic model for understanding cortical mechanism for behavioral anxiety, and its related emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhuo
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shanxi, 710049, China. .,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Room #3342, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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20
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Chen Z, Zhang Q, Tong APS, Manders TR, Wang J. Deciphering neuronal population codes for acute thermal pain. J Neural Eng 2017; 14:036023. [PMID: 28384122 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/aa644d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pain is defined as an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. Current pain research mostly focuses on molecular and synaptic changes at the spinal and peripheral levels. However, a complete understanding of pain mechanisms requires the physiological study of the neocortex. Our goal is to apply a neural decoding approach to read out the onset of acute thermal pain signals, which can be used for brain-machine interface. APPROACH We used micro wire arrays to record ensemble neuronal activities from the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in freely behaving rats. We further investigated neural codes for acute thermal pain at both single-cell and population levels. To detect the onset of acute thermal pain signals, we developed a novel latent state-space framework to decipher the sorted or unsorted S1 and ACC ensemble spike activities, which reveal information about the onset of pain signals. MAIN RESULTS The state space analysis allows us to uncover a latent state process that drives the observed ensemble spike activity, and to further detect the 'neuronal threshold' for acute thermal pain on a single-trial basis. Our method achieved good detection performance in sensitivity and specificity. In addition, our results suggested that an optimal strategy for detecting the onset of acute thermal pain signals may be based on combined evidence from S1 and ACC population codes. SIGNIFICANCE Our study is the first to detect the onset of acute pain signals based on neuronal ensemble spike activity. It is important from a mechanistic viewpoint as it relates to the significance of S1 and ACC activities in the regulation of the acute pain onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, United States of America
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21
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Fang JF, Du JY, Shao XM, Fang JQ, Liu Z. Effect of Electroacupuncture on the NTS is modulated primarily by acupuncture point selection and stimulation frequency in normal rats. BMC COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2017; 17:182. [PMID: 28359336 PMCID: PMC5374564 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-017-1690-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Background The effect of electroacupuncture (EA) is affected by both the acupuncture point selection and the frequency of stimulation. However, little is known regarding acupuncture point and simulation frequency selection. Neuronal activation of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is one of the important targets of EA for modulating gastrointestinal function. This study investigated the effects of various combinations of EA frequencies and acupuncture points on NTS neurons. Methods Rats were randomly divided into normal, 2 Hz EA, 100 Hz EA and the alternate 2/100 Hz EA groups. Then rats in each group were randomly divided into the following two subgroups according to the acupuncture point: ST 36 group and ST 25 group. All the rats underwent electrode implantation surgery. Rats in all EA groups received one treatment with EA (a constant square wave at, 2 Hz,100 Hz or 2/100 Hz frequencies with intensities ranging from 1 to 2 mA), and NTS neuronal activation was recorded before and after EA treatment. Finally, to confirm the effect of EA on the NTS, minimal acupuncture was administered and its effect on NTS was detected. Results ST 36 stimulated with 2 Hz EA significantly increased the population of excited NTS neurons and spike frequency. However, ST 36 stimulated with 100 Hz or 2/100 Hz EA produced only a transient effect on the activity of NTS neurons and did not induce any effect on the spike frequency. Furthermore, the excitatory effect of 100 Hz or 2/100 Hz EA on NTS neurons in the ST 36 group was lower than 2 Hz EA at the same point. When applied to ST 25, 2 Hz EA had no significant excitatory effect on NTS neurons or spike frequency. However, 100 Hz EA or 2/100 Hz EA at ST 25 decreased both NTS neuronal excitability and spike frequency. By comparing the effects of different EA combinations, it was shown 2 Hz EA applied to ST 36 had the strongest excitatory effect on NTS neurons, while 100 Hz EA applied to ST 25 had the greatest inhibitory effect. Minimal acupuncture stimulation produced no effect on NTS neurons. Conclusion EA’s effects on NTS were mainly affected by the acupuncture point selection, but the frequency of EA also played a role. Different combinations of acupuncture points and frequency selection may lead to different EA effects on NTS neuronal excitability.
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22
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Koga K, Li S, Zhuo M. Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Dependent Cortical Plasticity in Chronic Pain. Curr Neuropharmacol 2017; 14:427-34. [PMID: 27296638 PMCID: PMC4983748 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13666150425002304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cortical areas play crucial roles in higher order brain functions such as pain and emotion-processing, decision-making, and cognition. Among them, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and insular cortex (IC) are two key areas. Glutamate mediates major excitatory transmission during long-term plasticity in both physiological and pathological conditions. Specifically related to nociceptive or pain behaviors, metabotropic glutamate subtype receptors (mGluRs) have been involved in different types of synaptic modulation and plasticity from periphery to the spinal cord. However, less is known about their functional roles in plasticity related to pain and its related behaviors within cortical regions. In this review, we first summarized previous studies of synaptic plasticity in both the ACC and IC, and discussed how mGluRs may be involved in both cortical long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD)-especially in LTD. The activation of mGluRs contributes to the induction of LTD in both ACC and IC areas. The loss of LTD caused by peripheral amputation or nerve injury can be rescued by priming ACC or IC with activations of mGluR1 receptors. We also discussed the potential functional roles of mGluRs for pain-related behaviors. We propose that targeting mGluRs in the cortical areas including the ACC and IC may provide a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of chronic pain, phantom pain or anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Min Zhuo
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, Room #3342, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
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23
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Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is activated in both acute and chronic pain. In this Review, we discuss increasing evidence from rodent studies that ACC activation contributes to chronic pain states and describe several forms of synaptic plasticity that may underlie this effect. In particular, one form of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the ACC, which is triggered by the activation of NMDA receptors and expressed by an increase in AMPA-receptor function, sustains the affective component of the pain state. Another form of LTP in the ACC, which is triggered by the activation of kainate receptors and expressed by an increase in glutamate release, may contribute to pain-related anxiety.
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24
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Morel V, Joly D, Villatte C, Dubray C, Durando X, Daulhac L, Coudert C, Roux D, Pereira B, Pickering G. Memantine before Mastectomy Prevents Post-Surgery Pain: A Randomized, Blinded Clinical Trial in Surgical Patients. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152741. [PMID: 27050431 PMCID: PMC4822967 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropathic pain following surgical treatment for breast cancer with or without chemotherapy is a clinical burden and patients frequently report cognitive, emotional and quality of life impairment. A preclinical study recently showed that memantine administered before surgery may prevent neuropathic pain development and cognitive dysfunction. With a translational approach, a clinical trial has been carried out to evaluate whether memantine administered before and after mastectomy could prevent the development of neuropathic pain, the impairment of cognition and quality of life. METHOD A randomized, pilot clinical trial included 40 women undergoing mastectomy in the Oncology Department, University Hospital, Clermont-Ferrand, France. Memantine (5 to 20 mg/day; n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) was administered for four weeks starting two weeks before surgery. The primary endpoint was pain intensity measured on a (0-10) numerical rating scale at three months post-mastectomy. RESULTS Data analyses were performed using mixed models and the tests were two-sided, with a type I error set at α = 0.05. Compared with placebo, patients receiving memantine showed at three months a significant difference in post-mastectomy pain intensity, less rescue analgesia and a better emotional state. An improvement of pain symptoms induced by cancer chemotherapy was also reported. CONCLUSIONS This study shows for the first time the beneficial effect of memantine to prevent post-mastectomy pain development and to diminish chemotherapy-induced pain symptoms. The lesser analgesic consumption and better well-being of patients for at least six months after treatment suggests that memantine could be an interesting therapeutic option to diminish the burden of breast cancer therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01536314.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique Morel
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm CIC 1405, Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Dominique Joly
- Centre Jean Perrin, Centre de Lutte contre le Cancer, 58 rue Montalembert, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Christine Villatte
- Centre Jean Perrin, Centre de Lutte contre le Cancer, 58 rue Montalembert, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Claude Dubray
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm CIC 1405, Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Clermont Université, Université d’Auvergne, Pharmacologie Fondamentale et Clinique de la Douleur, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Facultés de Médecine/Pharmacie, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Inserm, U1107 Neuro-Dol, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Xavier Durando
- Centre Jean Perrin, Centre de Lutte contre le Cancer, 58 rue Montalembert, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Laurence Daulhac
- Clermont Université, Université d’Auvergne, Pharmacologie Fondamentale et Clinique de la Douleur, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Facultés de Médecine/Pharmacie, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Inserm, U1107 Neuro-Dol, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Catherine Coudert
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Pharmacie Hospitalière, secteur Recherche Clinique - 58, rue Montalembert, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Delphine Roux
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm CIC 1405, Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bruno Pereira
- CHU de Clermont-Ferrand, Délégation Recherche Clinique & Innovation - Villa annexe IFSI, 58 Rue Montalembert, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand cedex, France
| | - Gisèle Pickering
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm CIC 1405, Centre de Pharmacologie Clinique, F-63003 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Clermont Université, Université d’Auvergne, Pharmacologie Fondamentale et Clinique de la Douleur, Laboratoire de Pharmacologie, Facultés de Médecine/Pharmacie, F-63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Inserm, U1107 Neuro-Dol, F-63001 Clermont-Ferrand, France
- * E-mail:
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25
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Zhuo M. Neural Mechanisms Underlying Anxiety-Chronic Pain Interactions. Trends Neurosci 2016; 39:136-145. [PMID: 26878750 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2016.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Chronic pain is a major medical problem that is resistant to conventional medical intervention. It also causes emotional changes such as anxiety and fear. Furthermore, anxiety or fear often enhances the suffering of pain. Based on recent studies, I propose chronic anxiety triggered by injury or chronic pain is mediated through presynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a key cortical region for pain perception. Conversely, NMDA receptor-dependent postsynaptic LTP plays a more important role in behavioral sensitization in chronic pain. Thus, postsynaptic and presynaptic LTP in ACC neurons are likely the key cellular mechanisms for causing chronic pain and its associated anxiety, respectively. This suggests potential targets for treating chronic pain and related anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhuo
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, China; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; Centre for the study of Pain, University of Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
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26
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Liu SB, Zhang MM, Cheng LF, Shi J, Lu JS, Zhuo M. Long-term upregulation of cortical glutamatergic AMPA receptors in a mouse model of chronic visceral pain. Mol Brain 2015; 8:76. [PMID: 26585043 PMCID: PMC4653882 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-015-0169-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common functional gastrointestinal disorders and it causes long-lasting visceral pain and discomfort. AMPA receptor mediated long-term potentiation (LTP) has been shown to play a critical role in animal models of neuropathic and inflammatory pain. No report is available for central changes in the ACC of mice with chronic visceral pain. Results In this study, we used integrative methods to investigate potential central plastic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) of a visceral pain mouse model induced by intracolonic injection of zymosan. We found that visceral pain induced an increased expression of AMPA receptors (at the post synapses) in the ACC via an enhanced trafficking of the AMPA receptors to the membrane. Both GluA1 and GluA2/3 subunits were significantly increased. Supporting biochemical changes, excitatory synaptic transmission in the ACC were also significantly enhanced. Microinjection of AMPA receptor inhibitor IEM1460 into the ACC inhibited visceral and spontaneous pain behaviors. Furthermore, we found that the phosphorylation of GluA1 at the Ser845 site was increased, suggesting that GluA1 phosphorylation may contribute to AMPA receptor trafficking. Using genetically knockout mice lacking calcium-calmodulin stimulated adenylyl cyclase subtype 1 (AC1), we found that AMPA receptor phosphorylation and its membrane trafficking induced by zymosan injection were completely blocked. Conclusions Our results provide direct evidence for cortical AMPA receptors to contribute to zymosan-induced visceral and spontaneous pain and inhibition of AC1 activity may help to reduce chronic visceral pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shui-Bing Liu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xian, Shaanxi, 710049, China. .,Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy of School, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, Shaanxi, 710032, China. .,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Ming-Ming Zhang
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xian, Shaanxi, 710049, China. .,Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy of School, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, Shaanxi, 710032, China. .,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Lin-Feng Cheng
- Department of Microbiology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xian, Shaanxi, 710032, China.
| | - Jiao Shi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
| | - Jing-Shan Lu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xian, Shaanxi, 710049, China.
| | - Min Zhuo
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institutes of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, 28 Xianning West Road, Xian, Shaanxi, 710049, China. .,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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27
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Revisiting adverse reactions to vaccines: A critical appraisal of Autoimmune Syndrome Induced by Adjuvants (ASIA). J Autoimmun 2015; 59:77-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2015.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Electroacupuncture alleviates retrieval of pain memory and its effect on phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein in anterior cingulate cortex in rats. Behav Brain Funct 2015; 11:9. [PMID: 25886521 PMCID: PMC4364627 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-015-0055-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent evidence suggests that persistent pain and recurrent pain are due to the pain memory which is related to the phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (p-CREB) in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Eletroacupuncture (EA), as a complementary Chinese medical procedure, has a significant impact on the treatment of pain and is now considered as a mind-body therapy. Methods The rat model of pain memory was induced by two injections of carrageenan into the paws, which was administered separately by a 14-day interval, and treated with EA therapy. The paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) of animals were measured and p-CREB expressions in ACC were detected by using immunofluorescence (IF) and electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). Statistical comparisons among different groups were made by one-way, repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results The second injection of carrageenan caused the decrease of PWTs in the non-injected hind paw. EA stimulation applied prior to the second injection, increased the values of PWTs. In ACC, the numbers of p-CREB positive cells were significantly increased in pain memory model rats, which were significantly reduced by EA. EMSA results showed EA also down-regulated the combining capacity of p-CREB with its DNA. Furthermore, the co-expression of p-CREB with GFAP, OX-42, or NeuN in ACC was strengthened in the pain memory model rats. EA inhibited the co-expression of p-CREB with GFAP or OX-42, but not NeuN in ACC. Conclusions The present results suggest the retrieval of pain memory could be alleviated by the pre-treatment of EA, which is at least partially attributed to the down-regulated expression and combining capacity of p-CREB and the decreased expression of p-CREB in astrocytes and microglia cells.
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