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Oyama M, Watanabe S, Iwai T, Tanabe M. Selective inhibition of A-fiber-mediated excitatory transmission underlies the analgesic effects of KCNQ channel opening in the spinal dorsal horn. Neuropharmacology 2024; 254:109994. [PMID: 38750803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109994] [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: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Neuronal voltage-gated KCNQ (Kv7) channels, expressed centrally and peripherally, mediate low-threshold and non-inactivating M-currents responsible for the control of tonic excitability of mammalian neurons. Pharmacological opening of KCNQ channels has been reported to generate analgesic effects in animal models of neuropathic pain. Here, we examined the possible involvement of central KCNQ channels in the analgesic effects of retigabine, a KCNQ channel opener. Behaviorally, intraperitoneally applied retigabine exerted analgesic effects on thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in male mice developing neuropathic pain after partial sciatic nerve ligation, which was antagonized by the KCNQ channel blocker XE991 preadministered intraperitoneally and intrathecally. Intrathecally applied retigabine also exerted analgesic effects that were inhibited by intrathecally injected XE991. We then explored the synaptic mechanisms underlying the analgesic effects of retigabine in the spinal dorsal horn. Whole-cell recordings were made from dorsal horn neurons in spinal slices with attached dorsal roots from adult male mice developing neuropathic pain, and the effects of retigabine on miniature and afferent-evoked postsynaptic currents were examined. Retigabine reduced the amplitude of A-fiber-mediated EPSCs without affecting C-fiber-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission. A-fiber-mediated EPSCs remained unaltered by retigabine in the presence of XE991, consistently with the behavioral findings. The frequency and amplitude of mEPSCs were not affected by retigabine. Thus, opening of KCNQ channels in the central terminals of primary afferent A-fibers inhibits excitatory synaptic transmission in the spinal dorsal horn, most likely contributing to the analgesic effect of retigabine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misa Oyama
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan; Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan
| | - Shun Watanabe
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan; Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan
| | - Takashi Iwai
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan; Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Tanabe
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan; Medicinal Research Laboratories, School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8641, Japan.
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Ahmed AI, Al-Nuaimi S, Mustafa A, Zeidan A, Agouni A, Djouhri L. K v7 Channel Activators Flupirtine and ML213 Alleviate Neuropathic Pain Behavior in the Streptozotocin Rat Model of Diabetic Neuropathy. J Pain Res 2024; 17:2267-2278. [PMID: 38947132 PMCID: PMC11214752 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s467535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background & Objective Chronic peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP) is a debilitating condition that is associated with many types of injury/diseases, including diabetes mellitus. Patients with longstanding diabetes develop diabetic PNP (DPNP), which is resilient to currently available drugs. The underlying molecular mechanisms of DPNP are still illusive, but Kv7 channels that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various types of chronic pain are likely to be involved. Indeed, using the streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of DPNP, we have previously shown that Kv7 activation with their non-selective activator retigabine attenuated neuropathic pain behavior suggesting that these channels are implicated in DPNP pathogenesis. Here, we evaluated, in the same STZ model, whether the more potent and more selective Kv7 channel openers flupirtine and ML213 attenuate STZ-induced pain hypersensitivity. Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats (250-300 g) were used. The STZ model involved a single injection of STZ (60 mg/kg, i.p.). Behavioral testing for mechanical and heat pain sensitivity was performed using a dynamic plantar aesthesiometer and Hargreaves analgesiometer, respectively. Results STZ rats exhibited behavioral signs of mechanical and heat hypersensitivity as indicated by significant decreases in the mean paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and mean paw withdrawal latency (PWL), respectively, at 35 days post-STZ treatment. Single injections of flupirtine (10 mg/kg, i.p.) and ML213 (5 mg/kg, i.p.) to STZ rats (35-days after STZ treatment) caused significant increases in the mean PWT, but not PWL, indicating attenuation of mechanical, but not heat hypersensitivity. Both flupirtine and ML213 were as effective as the positive control gabapentin (10/kg, i.p.), and their anti-allodynic effects were prevented by the Kv7 channel-specific blocker XE991 (3 mg/kg, i.p.). Conclusion The findings suggest that Kv7 channels are involved in the mechanisms of mechanical but not heat hypersensitivity associated with DPNP, and that their activation may prove to be effective in alleviating DPNP symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashraf Ibrahim Ahmed
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Salma Al-Nuaimi
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ayman Mustafa
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Asad Zeidan
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Abdelali Agouni
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Laiche Djouhri
- Department of Basic Medical Science, College of Medicine, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Carroll AS, Park SB, Lin CSY, Taylor MS, Kwok F, Simon NG, Reilly MM, Kiernan MC, Vucic S. Axonal excitability as an early biomarker of nerve involvement in hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 159:81-95. [PMID: 38377648 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.01.006] [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: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The treatment of hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis polyneuropathy (ATTRv-PN) has been revolutionised by genetic therapies, with dramatic improvements in patient outcomes. Whilst the optimal timing of treatment initiation remains unknown, early treatment is desirable. Consequently, the aim of the study was to develop biomarkers of early nerve dysfunction in ATTRv-PN. METHODS Ulnar motor and sensory axonal excitability studies were prospectively undertaken on 22 patients with pathogenic hereditary transthyretin amyloid (ATTRv) gene variants, 12 with large fibre neuropathy (LF+) and 10 without (LF-), with results compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls. RESULTS In motor axons we identified a continuum of change from healthy controls, to LF- and LF+ ATTRv with progressive reduction in hyperpolarising threshold electrotonus (TEh40(10-20 ms): p = 0.04, TEh40(20-40 ms): p = 0.01 and TEh40(90-10 ms): p = 0.01), suggestive of membrane depolarisation. In sensory axons lower levels of subexcitability were observed on single (SubEx) and double pulse (SubEx2) recovery cycle testing in LF+ (SubEx: p = 0.015, SubEx2: p = 0.015, RC(2-1): p = 0.04) suggesting reduced nodal slow potassium conductance, which promotes sensory hyperexcitability, paraesthesia and pain. There were no differences in sensory or motor excitability parameters when comparing different ATTRv variants. CONCLUSIONS These progressive changes seen across the disease spectrum in ATTRv-PN suggest that axonal excitability has utility to identify early and progressive nerve dysfunction in ATTRv, regardless of genotype. SIGNIFICANCE Axonal excitability is a promising early biomarker of nerve dysfunction in ATTRv-PN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia S Carroll
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Translational Research Collective University of Sydney, and Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Westmead Amyloidosis Centre, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia; Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK.
| | - Susanna B Park
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cindy S Y Lin
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Translational Research Collective University of Sydney, and Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark S Taylor
- Westmead Amyloidosis Centre, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Fiona Kwok
- Westmead Amyloidosis Centre, Westmead Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Neil G Simon
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mary M Reilly
- Centre for Neuromuscular Disease, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | - Matthew C Kiernan
- Brain and Mind Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Translational Research Collective University of Sydney, and Department of Neurology, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
| | - Steve Vucic
- Brain and Nerve Centre, Concord Hospital, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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4
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Borges FS, Protachevicz PR, Souza DLM, Bittencourt CF, Gabrick EC, Bentivoglio LE, Szezech JD, Batista AM, Caldas IL, Dura-Bernal S, Pena RFO. The Roles of Potassium and Calcium Currents in the Bistable Firing Transition. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1347. [PMID: 37759949 PMCID: PMC10527161 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13091347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Healthy brains display a wide range of firing patterns, from synchronized oscillations during slow-wave sleep to desynchronized firing during movement. These physiological activities coexist with periods of pathological hyperactivity in the epileptic brain, where neurons can fire in synchronized bursts. Most cortical neurons are pyramidal regular spiking (RS) cells with frequency adaptation and do not exhibit bursts in current-clamp experiments (in vitro). In this work, we investigate the transition mechanism of spike-to-burst patterns due to slow potassium and calcium currents, considering a conductance-based model of a cortical RS cell. The joint influence of potassium and calcium ion channels on high synchronous patterns is investigated for different synaptic couplings (gsyn) and external current inputs (I). Our results suggest that slow potassium currents play an important role in the emergence of high-synchronous activities, as well as in the spike-to-burst firing pattern transitions. This transition is related to the bistable dynamics of the neuronal network, where physiological asynchronous states coexist with pathological burst synchronization. The hysteresis curve of the coefficient of variation of the inter-spike interval demonstrates that a burst can be initiated by firing states with neuronal synchronization. Furthermore, we notice that high-threshold (IL) and low-threshold (IT) ion channels play a role in increasing and decreasing the parameter conditions (gsyn and I) in which bistable dynamics occur, respectively. For high values of IL conductance, a synchronous burst appears when neurons are weakly coupled and receive more external input. On the other hand, when the conductance IT increases, higher coupling and lower I are necessary to produce burst synchronization. In light of our results, we suggest that channel subtype-specific pharmacological interactions can be useful to induce transitions from pathological high bursting states to healthy states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando S. Borges
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
- Center for Mathematics, Computation and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo 09606-045, Brazil
| | | | - Diogo L. M. Souza
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Brazil
| | - Conrado F. Bittencourt
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Brazil
| | - Enrique C. Gabrick
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Brazil
| | - Lucas E. Bentivoglio
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Brazil
| | - José D. Szezech
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Brazil
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, Brazil
| | - Antonio M. Batista
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84010-330, Brazil
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa 84030-900, Brazil
| | - Iberê L. Caldas
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA
| | - Rodrigo F. O. Pena
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
- Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
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5
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Borges FS, Protachevicz PR, Souza DLM, Bittencourt CF, Gabrick EC, Bentivoglio LE, Szezech JD, Batista AM, Caldas IL, Dura-Bernal S, Pena RFO. The Role of Potassium and Calcium Currents in the Bistable Firing Transition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.16.553625. [PMID: 37645875 PMCID: PMC10462112 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.16.553625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
Healthy brains display a wide range of firing patterns, from synchronized oscillations during slowwave sleep to desynchronized firing during movement. These physiological activities coexist with periods of pathological hyperactivity in the epileptic brain, where neurons can fire in synchronized bursts. Most cortical neurons are pyramidal regular spiking cells (RS) with frequency adaptation and do not exhibit bursts in current-clamp experiments ( in vitro ). In this work, we investigate the transition mechanism of spike-to-burst patterns due to slow potassium and calcium currents, considering a conductance-based model of a cortical RS cell. The joint influence of potassium and calcium ion channels on high synchronous patterns is investigated for different synaptic couplings ( g syn ) and external current inputs ( I ). Our results suggest that slow potassium currents play an important role in the emergence of high-synchronous activities, as well as in the spike-to-burst firing pattern transitions. This transition is related to bistable dynamics of the neuronal network, where physiological asynchronous states coexist with pathological burst synchronization. The hysteresis curve of the coefficient of variation of the inter-spike interval demonstrates that a burst can be initiated by firing states with neuronal synchronization. Furthermore, we notice that high-threshold ( I L ) and low-threshold ( I T ) ion channels play a role in increasing and decreasing the parameter conditions ( g syn and I ) in which bistable dynamics occur, respectively. For high values of I L conductance, a synchronous burst appears when neurons are weakly coupled and receive more external input. On the other hand, when the conductance I T increases, higher coupling and lower I are necessary to produce burst synchronization. In light of our results, we suggest that channel subtype-specific pharmacological interactions can be useful to induce transitions from pathological high bursting states to healthy states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando S Borges
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Center for Mathematics, Computation, and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, 09606-045 São Bernardo do Campo, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Diogo L M Souza
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Conrado F Bittencourt
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Enrique C Gabrick
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - Lucas E Bentivoglio
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
| | - José D Szezech
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, Brazil
| | - Antonio M Batista
- Graduate Program in Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, 84030-900 Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, State University of Ponta Grossa, Ponta Grossa, Brazil
| | - Iberê L Caldas
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, 05508-090 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Salvador Dura-Bernal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, New York, USA
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York, USA
| | - Rodrigo F O Pena
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Jupiter, Florida, USA
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Chen KJ, Yoshimura R, Edmundo CA, Truong TM, Civelli O, Alachkar A, Abbott GW. Behavioral and neuro-functional consequences of eliminating the KCNQ3 GABA binding site in mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1192628. [PMID: 37305551 PMCID: PMC10248464 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1192628] [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: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels formed by α subunits KCNQ2-5 are important in regulating neuronal excitability. We previously found that GABA directly binds to and activates channels containing KCNQ3, challenging the traditional understanding of inhibitory neurotransmission. To investigate the functional significance and behavioral role of this direct interaction, mice with a mutated KCNQ3 GABA binding site (Kcnq3-W266L) were generated and subjected to behavioral studies. Kcnq3-W266L mice exhibited distinctive behavioral phenotypes, of which reduced nociceptive and stress responses were profound and sex-specific. In female Kcnq3-W266L mice, the phenotype was shifted towards more nociceptive effects, while in male Kcnq3-W266L mice, it was shifted towards the stress response. In addition, female Kcnq3-W266L mice exhibited lower motor activity and reduced working spatial memory. The neuronal activity in the lateral habenula and visual cortex was altered in the female Kcnq3-W266L mice, suggesting that GABAergic activation of KCNQ3 in these regions may play a role in the regulation of the responses. Given the known overlap between the nociceptive and stress brain circuits, our data provide new insights into a sex-dependent role of KCNQ3 in regulating neural circuits involved in nociception and stress, via its GABA binding site. These findings identify new targets for effective treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions such as pain and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiki J. Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ryan Yoshimura
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Clarissa Adriana Edmundo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Tri Minh Truong
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Olivier Civelli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Amal Alachkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- UC Irvine Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
- Institute for Genomics and Bioinformatics, School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Geoffrey W. Abbott
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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Antagonism of the Muscarinic Acetylcholine Type 1 Receptor Enhances Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Expression of Respiratory Chain Components via AMPK in Human Neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y Cells and Primary Neurons. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:6754-6770. [PMID: 36002781 PMCID: PMC9525428 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03003-1] [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: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Impairments in mitochondrial physiology play a role in the progression of multiple neurodegenerative conditions, including peripheral neuropathy in diabetes. Blockade of muscarinic acetylcholine type 1 receptor (M1R) with specific/selective antagonists prevented mitochondrial dysfunction and reversed nerve degeneration in in vitro and in vivo models of peripheral neuropathy. Specifically, in type 1 and type 2 models of diabetes, inhibition of M1R using pirenzepine or muscarinic toxin 7 (MT7) induced AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and prevented sensory abnormalities and distal nerve fiber loss. The human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line has been extensively used as an in vitro model system to study mechanisms of neurodegeneration in DRG neurons and other neuronal sub-types. Here, we tested the hypothesis that pirenzepine or MT7 enhance AMPK activity and via this pathway augment mitochondrial function in SH-SY5Y cells. M1R expression was confirmed by utilizing a fluorescent dye, ATTO590-labeled MT7, that exhibits great specificity for this receptor. M1R antagonist treatment in SH-SY5Y culture increased AMPK phosphorylation and mitochondrial protein expression (OXPHOS). Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) was augmented in pirenzepine and MT7 treated cultured SH-SY5Y cells and DRG neurons. Compound C or AMPK-specific siRNA suppressed pirenzepine or MT7-induced elevation of OXPHOS expression and MMP. Moreover, muscarinic antagonists induced hyperpolarization by activating the M-current and, thus, suppressed neuronal excitability. These results reveal that negative regulation of this M1R-dependent pathway could represent a potential therapeutic target to elevate AMPK activity, enhance mitochondrial function, suppress neuropathic pain, and enhance nerve repair in peripheral neuropathy.
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8
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Bloms-Funke P, Schumacher M, Liu S, Su D, Li J, Liere P, Rupprecht R, Nothdurfter C, Bahrenberg G, Christoph T, Habermann C, Kneip C, Schröder W, Tzschentke TM, Saunders D. A novel dual mode-of-action anti-hyperalgesic compound in rats which is neuroprotective and promotes neuroregeneration. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 923:174935. [PMID: 35378102 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.174935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Chronic neuropathic pain (CNP) can result from surgery or traumatic injury, but also from peripheral neuropathies caused by diseases, viral infections, or toxic treatments. Opioids, although very effective for acute pain, do not prevent the development of CNP, and are considered as insufficient treatment. Therefore, there is high need for effective and safe non-opioid options to treat, prevent and eventually reverse CNP. A more effective approach to alleviating CNP would constitute a treatment that acts concurrently on various mechanisms involved in relieving pain symptoms and preventing or reversing chronification by enhancing both neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. We have identified and characterized GRT-X (N-[(3-fluorophenyl)-methyl]-1-(2-methoxyethyl)-4-methyl-2-oxo-(7-trifluoromethyl)-1H-quinoline-3-caboxylic acid amide), a novel drug which is able to activate both voltage-gated potassium channels of the Kv7 family and the mitochondrial translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO). The dual mode-of-action (MoA) of GRT-X was indicated in in vitro studies and in vivo in a rat model of diabetic neuropathy. In this model, mechanical hyperalgesia was dose-dependently inhibited. After severe crush lesion of cervical spinal nerves in rats, GRT-X promoted survival, speeded up regrowth of sensory and motor neurons, and accelerated recovery of behavioral and neuronal responses to heat, cold, mechanical and electrical stimuli. These properties may reduce the likelihood of chronification of acute pain, and even potentially relieve established CNP. The absence of a conditioned place preference in rats suggests lack of abuse potential. In conclusion, GRT-X offers a promising preclinical profile with a novel dual MoA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Bloms-Funke
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Michael Schumacher
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, rue du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Song Liu
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, rue du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Diya Su
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, rue du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Jing Li
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, rue du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Philippe Liere
- U1195 Inserm and University Paris-Saclay, 80, rue du Général Leclerc, 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
| | - Rainer Rupprecht
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 84, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Caroline Nothdurfter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 84, D-93053, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Gregor Bahrenberg
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas Christoph
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christopher Habermann
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
| | - Christa Kneip
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Schröder
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
| | - Thomas M Tzschentke
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
| | - Derek Saunders
- Global Preclinical R&D, Grünenthal Innovation, Grünenthal GmbH, Zieglerstraße 6, D-52078, Aachen, Germany
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Britton OJ, Rodriguez B. A population of in silico models identifies the interplay between Nav 1.8 conductance and potassium currents as key in regulating human dorsal root ganglion neuron excitability. F1000Res 2022; 11:104. [PMID: 39290372 PMCID: PMC11406138 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.74551.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 09/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: The Nav 1.8 sodium channel has a key role in generating repetitive action potentials in nociceptive human dorsal root ganglion neurons. Nav 1.8 is differentiated from other voltage-gated sodium channels by its unusually slow inactivation kinetics and depolarised voltage-dependence of activation. These features are particularly pronounced in the human Nav 1.8 channel and allow the channel to remain active during repolarisation. Gain-of-function mutations in Nav 1.8 have been linked to neuropathic pain and selective blockers of Nav 1.8 have been developed as potential new analgesics. However, it is not well understood how modulating the Nav 1.8 conductance alters neuronal excitability and how this depends on the balance of other ion channels expressed by nociceptive neurons. Methods: To investigate this, we developed a novel computational model of the human dorsal root ganglion neuron and used it to construct a population of models that mimicked inter-neuronal heterogeneity in ionic conductances and action potential morphology Results: By simulating changes to the Nav 1.8 conductance in the population of models, we found that moderately increasing the Nav 1.8 conductance led to increased firing rate, as expected, but increasing Nav 1.8 conductance beyond an inflection point caused firing rate to decrease. We found that the delayed rectifier and M-type potassium conductances were also critical for determining neuronal excitability. In particular, altering the delayed rectifier potassium conductance shifted the position of the Nav 1.8 inflection point and therefore the relationship between Nav 1.8 conductance and firing rate. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the effects of modulating Nav 1.8 in a nociceptive neuron can depend significantly on other conductances, particularly potassium conductances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Britton
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QD, UK
| | - Blanca Rodriguez
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QD, UK
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10
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Abbott GW, Redford KE, Yoshimura RF, Manville RW, Moreira L, Tran K, Arena G, Kookootsedes A, Lasky E, Gunnison E. KCNQ and KCNE Isoform-Dependent Pharmacology Rationalizes Native American Dual Use of Specific Plants as Both Analgesics and Gastrointestinal Therapeutics. Front Physiol 2021; 12:777057. [PMID: 34858215 PMCID: PMC8632246 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.777057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Indigenous peoples of the Americas are proficient in botanical medicine. KCNQ family voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are sensitive to a variety of ligands, including plant metabolites. Here, we screened methanolic extracts prepared from 40 Californian coastal redwood forest plants for effects on Kv current and membrane potential in Xenopus oocytes heterologously expressing KCNQ2/3, which regulates excitability of neurons, including those that sense pain. Extracts from 9 of the 40 plant species increased KCNQ2/3 current at –60 mV by ≥threefold (maximally, 15-fold by Urtica dioica) and/or hyperpolarized membrane potential by ≥-3 mV (maximally, –11 mV by Arctostaphylos glandulosa). All nine plants have traditionally been used as both analgesics and gastrointestinal therapeutics. Of two extracts tested, both acted as KCNQ-dependent analgesics in mice. KCNQ2/3 activation at physiologically relevant, subthreshold membrane potentials by tannic acid, gallic acid and quercetin provided molecular correlates for analgesic action of several of the plants. While tannic acid also activated KCNQ1 and KCNQ1-KCNE1 at hyperpolarized, negative membrane potentials, it inhibited KCNQ1-KCNE3 at both negative and positive membrane potentials, mechanistically rationalizing historical use of tannic acid-containing plants as gastrointestinal therapeutics. KCNE dependence of KCNQ channel modulation by plant metabolites therefore provides a molecular mechanistic basis for Native American use of specific plants as both analgesics and gastrointestinal aids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey W Abbott
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kaitlyn E Redford
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Ryan F Yoshimura
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Rían W Manville
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Luiz Moreira
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Kevin Tran
- Bioelectricity Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Grey Arena
- Redwood Creek Vegetation Team, National Park Service, Sausalito, CA, United States
| | | | - Emma Lasky
- Redwood Creek Vegetation Team, National Park Service, Sausalito, CA, United States
| | - Elliot Gunnison
- Redwood Creek Vegetation Team, National Park Service, Sausalito, CA, United States
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11
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Wright AB, Sukhanova KY, Elmslie KS. K V7 channels are potential regulators of the exercise pressor reflex. J Neurophysiol 2021; 126:1-10. [PMID: 34038189 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00700.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The exercise pressor reflex (EPR) originates in skeletal muscle and is activated by exercise-induced signals to increase arterial blood pressure and cardiac output. Muscle ischemia can elicit the EPR, which can be inappropriately activated in patients with peripheral vascular disease or heart failure to increase the incidence of myocardial infarction. We seek to better understand the receptor/channels that control excitability of group III and group IV muscle afferent fibers that give rise to the EPR. Bradykinin (BK) is released within contracting muscle and can evoke the EPR. However, the mechanism is incompletely understood. KV7 channels strongly regulate neuronal excitability and are inhibited by BK. We have identified KV7 currents in muscle afferent neurons by their characteristic activation/deactivation kinetics, enhancement by the KV7 activator retigabine, and block by KV7 specific inhibitor XE991. The blocking of KV7 current by different XE991 concentrations suggests that the KV7 current is generated by both KV7.2/7.3 (high affinity) and KV7.5 (low affinity) channels. The KV7 current was inhibited by 300 nM BK in neurons with diameters consistent with both group III and group IV afferents. The inhibition of KV7 by BK could be a mechanism by which this metabolic mediator generates the EPR. Furthermore, our results suggest that KV7 channel activators such as retigabine, could be used to reduce cardiac stress resulting from the exacerbated EPR in patients with cardiovascular disease.NEW & NOTEWORTHY KV7 channels control neuronal excitability. We show that these channels are expressed in muscle afferents and generate currents that are blocked by XE991 and bradykinin (BK). The XE991 block suggests that KV7 current is generated by KV7.2/3 and KV7.5 channels. The BK inhibition of KV7 channels may explain how BK activates the exercise pressor reflex (EPR). Retigabine can enhance KV7 current, which could help control the inappropriately activated EPR in patients with cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew B Wright
- The Baker Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Kirksville, Missouri
| | - Khrystyna Yu Sukhanova
- The Baker Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Kirksville, Missouri
| | - Keith S Elmslie
- The Baker Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacology, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, A.T. Still University of Health Sciences, Kirksville, Missouri
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12
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van der Westhuizen ET, Choy KHC, Valant C, McKenzie-Nickson S, Bradley SJ, Tobin AB, Sexton PM, Christopoulos A. Fine Tuning Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Signaling Through Allostery and Bias. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:606656. [PMID: 33584282 PMCID: PMC7878563 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.606656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The M1 and M4 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) are highly pursued drug targets for neurological diseases, in particular for Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia. Due to high sequence homology, selective targeting of any of the M1-M5 mAChRs through the endogenous ligand binding site has been notoriously difficult to achieve. With the discovery of highly subtype selective mAChR positive allosteric modulators in the new millennium, selectivity through targeting an allosteric binding site has opened new avenues for drug discovery programs. However, some hurdles remain to be overcome for these promising new drug candidates to progress into the clinic. One challenge is the potential for on-target side effects, such as for the M1 mAChR where over-activation of the receptor by orthosteric or allosteric ligands can be detrimental. Therefore, in addition to receptor subtype selectivity, a drug candidate may need to exhibit a biased signaling profile to avoid such on-target adverse effects. Indeed, recent studies in mice suggest that allosteric modulators for the M1 mAChR that bias signaling toward specific pathways may be therapeutically important. This review brings together details on the signaling pathways activated by the M1 and M4 mAChRs, evidence of biased agonism at these receptors, and highlights pathways that may be important for developing new subtype selective allosteric ligands to achieve therapeutic benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma T. van der Westhuizen
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - K. H. Christopher Choy
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Celine Valant
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Simon McKenzie-Nickson
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Sophie J. Bradley
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew B. Tobin
- Centre for Translational Pharmacology, Institute of Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick M. Sexton
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Arthur Christopoulos
- Drug Discovery Biology, Monash Institute for Pharmaceutical Research, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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13
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Ramakrishna Y, Manca M, Glowatzki E, Sadeghi SG. Cholinergic Modulation of Membrane Properties of Calyx Terminals in the Vestibular Periphery. Neuroscience 2020; 452:98-110. [PMID: 33197502 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Vestibular nerve afferents are divided into regular and irregular groups based on the variability of interspike intervals in their resting discharge. Most afferents receive inputs from bouton terminals that contact type II hair cells as well as from calyx terminals that cover the basolateral walls of type I hair cells. Calyces have an abundance of different subtypes of KCNQ (Kv7) potassium channels and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) and receive cholinergic efferent inputs from neurons in the brainstem. We investigated whether mAChRs affected membrane properties and firing patterns of calyx terminals through modulation of KCNQ channel activity. Patch clamp recordings were performed from calyx terminals in central regions of the cristae of the horizontal and anterior canals in 13-26 day old Sprague-Dawley rats. KCNQ mediated currents were observed as voltage sensitive currents with slow kinetics (activation and deactivation), resulting in spike frequency adaptation so that calyces at best fired a single action potential at the beginning of a depolarizing step. Activation of mAChRs by application of oxotremorine methiodide or inhibition of KCNQ channels by linopirdine dihydrochloride decreased voltage activated currents by ∼30%, decreased first spike latencies by ∼40%, resulted in action potential generation in response to smaller current injections and at lower (i.e., more hyperpolarized) membrane potentials, and increased the number of spikes fired during depolarizing steps. Interestingly, some of the calyces showed spontaneous discharge in the presence of these drugs. Together, these findings suggest that cholinergic efferents can modulate the response properties and encoding of head movements by afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugandhar Ramakrishna
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States; Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA, United States
| | - Marco Manca
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Elisabeth Glowatzki
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, The Center for Hearing and Balance, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Soroush G Sadeghi
- Center for Hearing and Deafness, Department of Communicative Disorders and Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States; Neuroscience Program, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States.
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14
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Hill RZ, Bautista DM. Getting in Touch with Mechanical Pain Mechanisms. Trends Neurosci 2020; 43:311-325. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2020.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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15
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Bennedsgaard K, Ventzel L, Grafe P, Tigerholm J, Themistocleous AC, Bennett DL, Tankisi H, Finnerup NB. Cold aggravates abnormal excitability of motor axons in oxaliplatin-treated patients. Muscle Nerve 2020; 61:796-800. [PMID: 32133655 PMCID: PMC7318596 DOI: 10.1002/mus.26852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cold allodynia is often seen in the acute phase of oxaliplatin treatment, but the underlying pathophysiology remains unclear. METHODS Patients scheduled for adjuvant oxaliplatin for colorectal cancer were examined with quantitative sensory testing and nerve excitability tests at baseline and after the second or third oxaliplatin cycle at different skin temperatures. RESULTS Seven patients were eligible for examination. All patients felt evoked pain and tingling when touching something cold after oxaliplatin infusion. Oxaliplatin decreased motor nerve superexcitability (P < .001), increased relative refractory period (P = .011), and caused neuromyotonia-like after-activity. Cooling exacerbated these changes and prolonged the accommodation half-time. DISCUSSION The findings suggest that a combined effect of oxaliplatin and cooling facilitates nerve excitability changes and neuromyotonia-like after-activity in peripheral nerve axons. A possible mechanism is the slowing in gating of voltage-dependent fast sodium and slow potassium channels, which results in symptoms of cold allodynia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristine Bennedsgaard
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lise Ventzel
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Peter Grafe
- Institute of Physiology, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - Jenny Tigerholm
- Center of Neuroplasticity and Pain, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | | | - David L Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hatice Tankisi
- Department of Neurophysiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nanna B Finnerup
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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16
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Abstract
Here, I recount some adventures that I and my colleagues have had over some 60 years since 1957 studying the effects of drugs and neurotransmitters on neuronal excitability and ion channel function, largely, but not exclusively, using sympathetic neurons as test objects. Studies include effects of centrally active drugs on sympathetic transmission; neuronal action and neuroglial uptake of GABA in the ganglia and brain; the action of muscarinic agonists on sympathetic neurons; the action of bradykinin on neuroblastoma-derived cells; and the identification of M-current as a target for muscarinic action, including experiments to determine its distribution, molecular composition, neurotransmitter sensitivity, and intracellular regulation by phospholipids and their hydrolysis products. Techniques used include electrophysiological recording (extracellular, intracellular microelectrode, whole-cell, and single-channel patch-clamp), autoradiography, messenger RNA and complementary DNA expression, antibody injection, antisense knockdown, and membrane-targeted lipidated peptides. I finish with some recollections about my scientific career, funding, and changes in laboratory life and pharmacology research over the past 60 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Brown
- Departments of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Pharmacology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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17
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Goldstein RH, Barkai O, Íñigo-Portugués A, Katz B, Lev S, Binshtok AM. Location and Plasticity of the Sodium Spike Initiation Zone in Nociceptive Terminals In Vivo. Neuron 2019; 102:801-812.e5. [PMID: 30926280 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Nociceptive terminals possess the elements for detecting, transmitting, and modulating noxious signals, thus being pivotal for pain sensation. Despite this, a functional description of the transduction process by the terminals, in physiological conditions, has not been fully achieved. Here, we studied how nociceptive terminals in vivo convert noxious stimuli into propagating signals. By monitoring noxious-stimulus-induced Ca2+ dynamics from mouse corneal terminals, we found that initiation of Na+ channel (Nav)-dependent propagating signals takes place away from the terminal and that the starting point for Nav-mediated propagation depends on Nav functional availability. Acute treatment with the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) resulted in a shift of the location of Nav involvement toward the terminal, thus increasing nociceptive excitability. Moreover, a shift of Nav involvement toward the terminal occurs in corneal hyperalgesia resulting from acute photokeratitis. This dynamic change in the location of Nav-mediated propagation initiation could underlie pathological pain hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Goldstein
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Omer Barkai
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Almudena Íñigo-Portugués
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, 03550 San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Ben Katz
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Shaya Lev
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Alexander M Binshtok
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel; The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University, 9112001 Jerusalem, Israel.
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18
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Sun H, Lin AH, Ru F, Patil MJ, Meeker S, Lee LY, Undem BJ. KCNQ/M-channels regulate mouse vagal bronchopulmonary C-fiber excitability and cough sensitivity. JCI Insight 2019; 4:124467. [PMID: 30721152 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.124467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased airway vagal sensory C-fiber activity contributes to the symptoms of inflammatory airway diseases. The KCNQ/Kv7/M-channel is a well-known determinant of neuronal excitability, yet whether it regulates the activity of vagal bronchopulmonary C-fibers and airway reflex sensitivity remains unknown. Here we addressed this issue using single-cell RT-PCR, patch clamp technique, extracellular recording of single vagal nerve fibers innervating the mouse lungs, and telemetric recording of cough in free-moving mice. Single-cell mRNA analysis and biophysical properties of M-current (IM) suggest that KCNQ3/Kv7.3 is the major M-channel subunit in mouse nodose neurons. The M-channel opener retigabine negatively shifted the voltage-dependent activation of IM, leading to membrane hyperpolarization, increased rheobase, and suppression of both evoked and spontaneous action potential (AP) firing in nodose neurons in an M-channel inhibitor XE991-sensitive manner. Retigabine also markedly suppressed the α,β-methylene ATP-induced AP firing in nodose C-fiber terminals innervating the mouse lungs, and coughing evoked by irritant gases in awake mice. In conclusion, KCNQ/M-channels play a role in regulating the excitability of vagal airway C-fibers at both the cell soma and nerve terminals. Drugs that open M-channels in airway sensory afferents may relieve the sufferings associated with pulmonary inflammatory diseases such as chronic coughing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Sun
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - An-Hsuan Lin
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Fei Ru
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Mayur J Patil
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sonya Meeker
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lu-Yuan Lee
- Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Bradley J Undem
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Du X, Gao H, Jaffe D, Zhang H, Gamper N. M-type K + channels in peripheral nociceptive pathways. Br J Pharmacol 2018; 175:2158-2172. [PMID: 28800673 PMCID: PMC5980636 DOI: 10.1111/bph.13978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological pain is a hyperexcitability disorder. Since the excitability of a neuron is set and controlled by a complement of ion channels it expresses, in order to understand and treat pain, we need to develop a mechanistic insight into the key ion channels controlling excitability within the mammalian pain pathways and how these ion channels are regulated and modulated in various physiological and pathophysiological settings. In this review, we will discuss the emerging data on the expression in pain pathways, functional role and modulation of a family of voltage-gated K+ channels called 'M channels' (KCNQ, Kv 7). M channels are increasingly recognized as important players in controlling pain signalling, especially within the peripheral somatosensory system. We will also discuss the therapeutic potential of M channels as analgesic drug targets. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Recent Advances in Targeting Ion Channels to Treat Chronic Pain. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v175.12/issuetoc/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Du
- Department of Pharmacology, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of EducationHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
- The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and ToxicologyShijiazhuangHebei ProvinceChina
| | - Haixia Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of EducationHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
- The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and ToxicologyShijiazhuangHebei ProvinceChina
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
| | - David Jaffe
- Department of Biology, UTSA Neurosciences InstituteUniversity of Texas at San AntonioSan AntonioTXUSA
| | - Hailin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of EducationHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
- The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and ToxicologyShijiazhuangHebei ProvinceChina
| | - Nikita Gamper
- Department of Pharmacology, The Key Laboratory of Neural and Vascular Biology, Ministry of EducationHebei Medical UniversityShijiazhuangChina
- The Key Laboratory of New Drug Pharmacology and ToxicologyShijiazhuangHebei ProvinceChina
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological SciencesUniversity of LeedsLeedsUK
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20
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Peiris M, Hockley JR, Reed DE, Smith ESJ, Bulmer DC, Blackshaw LA. Peripheral K V7 channels regulate visceral sensory function in mouse and human colon. Mol Pain 2018; 13:1744806917709371. [PMID: 28566000 PMCID: PMC5456027 DOI: 10.1177/1744806917709371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic visceral pain is a defining symptom of many gastrointestinal disorders. The KV7 family (KV7.1–KV7.5) of voltage-gated potassium channels mediates the M current that regulates excitability in peripheral sensory nociceptors and central pain pathways. Here, we use a combination of immunohistochemistry, gut-nerve electrophysiological recordings in both mouse and human tissues, and single-cell qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction of gut-projecting sensory neurons, to investigate the contribution of peripheral KV7 channels to visceral nociception. Results Immunohistochemical staining of mouse colon revealed labelling of KV7 subtypes (KV7.3 and KV7.5) with CGRP around intrinsic enteric neurons of the myenteric plexuses and within extrinsic sensory fibres along mesenteric blood vessels. Treatment with the KV7 opener retigabine almost completely abolished visceral afferent firing evoked by the algogen bradykinin, in agreement with significant co-expression of mRNA transcripts by single-cell qualitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for KCNQ subtypes and the B2 bradykinin receptor in retrogradely labelled extrinsic sensory neurons from the colon. Retigabine also attenuated responses to mechanical stimulation of the bowel following noxious distension (0–80 mmHg) in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas the KV7 blocker XE991 potentiated such responses. In human bowel tissues, KV7.3 and KV7.5 were expressed in neuronal varicosities co-labelled with synaptophysin and CGRP, and retigabine inhibited bradykinin-induced afferent activation in afferent recordings from human colon. Conclusions We show that KV7 channels contribute to the sensitivity of visceral sensory neurons to noxious chemical and mechanical stimuli in both mouse and human gut tissues. As such, peripherally restricted KV7 openers may represent a viable therapeutic modality for the treatment of gastrointestinal pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madusha Peiris
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - James Rf Hockley
- 2 Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David E Reed
- 3 GI Diseases Research Unit, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | | | - David C Bulmer
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - L Ashley Blackshaw
- 1 Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma, Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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Hill RZ, Hoffman BU, Morita T, Campos SM, Lumpkin EA, Brem RB, Bautista DM. The signaling lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate regulates mechanical pain. eLife 2018; 7:e33285. [PMID: 29561262 PMCID: PMC5896955 DOI: 10.7554/elife.33285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Somatosensory neurons mediate responses to diverse mechanical stimuli, from innocuous touch to noxious pain. While recent studies have identified distinct populations of A mechanonociceptors (AMs) that are required for mechanical pain, the molecular underpinnings of mechanonociception remain unknown. Here, we show that the bioactive lipid sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) and S1P Receptor 3 (S1PR3) are critical regulators of acute mechanonociception. Genetic or pharmacological ablation of S1PR3, or blockade of S1P production, significantly impaired the behavioral response to noxious mechanical stimuli, with no effect on responses to innocuous touch or thermal stimuli. These effects are mediated by fast-conducting A mechanonociceptors, which displayed a significant decrease in mechanosensitivity in S1PR3 mutant mice. We show that S1PR3 signaling tunes mechanonociceptor excitability via modulation of KCNQ2/3 channels. Our findings define a new role for S1PR3 in regulating neuronal excitability and establish the importance of S1P/S1PR3 signaling in the setting of mechanical pain thresholds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Z Hill
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Benjamin U Hoffman
- Department of Physiology and Cellular BiophysicsColumbia University College of Physicians and SurgeonsNew YorkUnited States
- Medical Scientist Training ProgramColumbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Takeshi Morita
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | | | - Ellen A Lumpkin
- Department of Physiology and Cellular BiophysicsColumbia University College of Physicians and SurgeonsNew YorkUnited States
- Neurobiology CourseMarine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleUnited States
| | - Rachel B Brem
- Department of Plant and Microbial BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Buck Institute for Research on AgingNovatoUnited States
| | - Diana M Bautista
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
- Neurobiology CourseMarine Biological LaboratoryWoods HoleUnited States
- Helen Wills Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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22
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Barkai O, Goldstein RH, Caspi Y, Katz B, Lev S, Binshtok AM. The Role of Kv7/M Potassium Channels in Controlling Ectopic Firing in Nociceptors. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:181. [PMID: 28659757 PMCID: PMC5468463 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral nociceptive neurons encode and convey injury-inducing stimuli toward the central nervous system. In normal conditions, tight control of nociceptive resting potential prevents their spontaneous activation. However, in many pathological conditions the control of membrane potential is disrupted, leading to ectopic, stimulus-unrelated firing of nociceptive neurons, which is correlated to spontaneous pain. We have investigated the role of KV7/M channels in stabilizing membrane potential and impeding spontaneous firing of nociceptive neurons. These channels generate low voltage-activating, noninactivating M-type K+ currents (M-current, IM ), which control neuronal excitability. Using perforated-patch recordings from cultured, rat nociceptor-like dorsal root ganglion neurons, we show that inhibition of M-current leads to depolarization of nociceptive neurons and generation of repetitive firing. To assess to what extent the M-current, acting at the nociceptive terminals, is able to stabilize terminals' membrane potential, thus preventing their ectopic activation, in normal and pathological conditions, we built a multi-compartment computational model of a pseudo-unipolar unmyelinated nociceptive neuron with a realistic terminal tree. The modeled terminal tree was based on the in vivo structure of nociceptive peripheral terminal, which we assessed by in vivo multiphoton imaging of GFP-expressing nociceptive neuronal terminals innervating mice hind paw. By modifying the conductance of the KV7/M channels at the modeled terminal tree (terminal gKV7/M) we have found that 40% of the terminal gKV7/M conductance is sufficient to prevent spontaneous firing, while ~75% of terminal gKV7/M is sufficient to inhibit stimulus induced activation of nociceptive neurons. Moreover, we showed that terminal M-current reduces susceptibility of nociceptive neurons to a small fluctuations of membrane potentials. Furthermore, we simulated how the interaction between terminal persistent sodium current and M-current affects the excitability of the neurons. We demonstrated that terminal M-current in nociceptive neurons impeded spontaneous firing even when terminal Na(V)1.9 channels conductance was substantially increased. On the other hand, when terminal gKV7/M was decreased, nociceptive neurons fire spontaneously after slight increase in terminal Na(V)1.9 conductance. Our results emphasize the pivotal role of M-current in stabilizing membrane potential and hereby in controlling nociceptive spontaneous firing, in normal and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Barkai
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MedicineJerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem, Israel
| | - Robert H Goldstein
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MedicineJerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem, Israel
| | - Yaki Caspi
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MedicineJerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem, Israel
| | - Ben Katz
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MedicineJerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem, Israel
| | - Shaya Lev
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MedicineJerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem, Israel
| | - Alexander M Binshtok
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah School of Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of MedicineJerusalem, Israel.,The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalem, Israel
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23
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Wu Z, Li L, Xie F, Du J, Zuo Y, Frost JA, Carlton SM, Walters ET, Yang Q. Activation of KCNQ Channels Suppresses Spontaneous Activity in Dorsal Root Ganglion Neurons and Reduces Chronic Pain after Spinal Cord Injury. J Neurotrauma 2017; 34:1260-1270. [PMID: 28073317 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2016.4789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A majority of people who have sustained spinal cord injury (SCI) experience chronic pain after injury, and this pain is highly resistant to available treatments. Contusive SCI in rats at T10 results in hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons, which contributes to chronic pain. KCNQ channels are widely expressed in nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, are important for controlling their excitability, and their activation has proven effective in reducing pain in peripheral nerve injury and inflammation models. The possibility that activators of KCNQ channels could be useful for treating SCI-induced chronic pain is strongly supported by the following findings. First, SCI, unlike peripheral nerve injury, failed to decrease the functional or biochemical expression of KCNQ channels in DRG as revealed by electrophysiology, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot; therefore, these channels remain available for pharmacological targeting of SCI pain. Second, treatment with retigabine, a specific KCNQ channel opener, profoundly decreased spontaneous activity in primary sensory neurons of SCI animals both in vitro and in vivo without changing the peripheral mechanical threshold. Third, retigabine reversed SCI-induced reflex hypersensitivity, adding to our previous demonstration that retigabine supports the conditioning of place preference after SCI (an operant measure of spontaneous pain). In contrast to SCI animals, naïve animals showed no effects of retigabine on reflex sensitivity or conditioned place preference by pairing with retigabine, indicating that a dose that blocks chronic pain-related behavior has no effect on normal pain sensitivity or motivational state. These results encourage the further exploration of U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved KCNQ activators for treating SCI pain, as well as efforts to develop a new generation of KCNQ activators that lack central side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zizhen Wu
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Lin Li
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Fuhua Xie
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas.,3 Department of Critical Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University , Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Junhui Du
- 2 Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Yan Zuo
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Jeffrey A Frost
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Susan M Carlton
- 2 Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch , Galveston, Texas
| | - Edgar T Walters
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
| | - Qing Yang
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology, McGovern Medical School at UT Health , Houston, Texas
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24
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Mulkey SB, Ben-Zeev B, Nicolai J, Carroll JL, Grønborg S, Jiang YH, Joshi N, Kelly M, Koolen DA, Mikati MA, Park K, Pearl PL, Scheffer IE, Spillmann RC, Taglialatela M, Vieker S, Weckhuysen S, Cooper EC, Cilio MR. Neonatal nonepileptic myoclonus is a prominent clinical feature of KCNQ2 gain-of-function variants R201C and R201H. Epilepsia 2017; 58:436-445. [PMID: 28139826 DOI: 10.1111/epi.13676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze whether KCNQ2 R201C and R201H variants, which show atypical gain-of-function electrophysiologic properties in vitro, have a distinct clinical presentation and outcome. METHODS Ten children with heterozygous, de novo KCNQ2 R201C or R201H variants were identified worldwide, using an institutional review board (IRB)-approved KCNQ2 patient registry and database. We reviewed medical records and, where possible, interviewed parents and treating physicians using a structured, detailed phenotype inventory focusing on the neonatal presentation and subsequent course. RESULTS Nine patients had encephalopathy from birth and presented with prominent startle-like myoclonus, which could be triggered by sound or touch. In seven patients, electroencephalography (EEG) was performed in the neonatal period and showed a burst-suppression pattern. However, myoclonus did not have an EEG correlate. In many patients the paroxysmal movements were misdiagnosed as seizures. Seven patients developed epileptic spasms in infancy. In all patients, EEG showed a slow background and multifocal epileptiform discharges later in life. Other prominent features included respiratory dysfunction (perinatal respiratory failure and/or chronic hypoventilation), hypomyelination, reduced brain volume, and profound developmental delay. One patient had a later onset, and sequencing indicated that a low abundance (~20%) R201C variant had arisen by postzygotic mosaicism. SIGNIFICANCE Heterozygous KCNQ2 R201C and R201H gain-of-function variants present with profound neonatal encephalopathy in the absence of neonatal seizures. Neonates present with nonepileptic myoclonus that is often misdiagnosed and treated as seizures. Prognosis is poor. This clinical presentation is distinct from the phenotype associated with loss-of-function variants, supporting the value of in vitro functional screening. These findings suggest that gain-of-function and loss-of-function variants need different targeted therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Mulkey
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A
| | - Bruria Ben-Zeev
- Department of Pediatrics, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Joost Nicolai
- Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - John L Carroll
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.A
| | - Sabine Grønborg
- Center for Rare Diseases, Department of Clinical Genetics, University Hospital Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - Nishtha Joshi
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A
| | - Megan Kelly
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - David A Koolen
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mohamad A Mikati
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - Kristen Park
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, U.S.A
| | - Phillip L Pearl
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A
| | | | - Rebecca C Spillmann
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, U.S.A
| | - Maurizio Taglialatela
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.,Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
| | | | - Sarah Weckhuysen
- Neurogenetics Group, Department of Molecular Genetics, VIB, Antwerp, Belgium.,Laboratory of Neurogenetics, Institute Born-Bunge, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Edward C Cooper
- Departments of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, U.S.A
| | - Maria Roberta Cilio
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, U.S.A
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25
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Huang D, Huang S, Gao H, Liu Y, Qi J, Chen P, Wang C, Scragg JL, Vakurov A, Peers C, Du X, Zhang H, Gamper N. Redox-Dependent Modulation of T-Type Ca(2+) Channels in Sensory Neurons Contributes to Acute Anti-Nociceptive Effect of Substance P. Antioxid Redox Signal 2016; 25:233-51. [PMID: 27306612 PMCID: PMC4971421 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2015.6560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 05/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Neuropeptide substance P (SP) is produced and released by a subset of peripheral sensory neurons that respond to tissue damage (nociceptors). SP exerts excitatory effects in the central nervous system, but peripheral SP actions are still poorly understood; therefore, here, we aimed at investigating these peripheral mechanisms. RESULTS SP acutely inhibited T-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels in nociceptors. The effect was mediated by neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor-induced stimulation of intracellular release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), as it can be prevented or reversed by the reducing agent dithiothreitol and mimicked by exogenous or endogenous ROS. This redox-mediated T-type Ca(2+) channel inhibition operated through the modulation of CaV3.2 channel sensitivity to ambient zinc, as it can be prevented or reversed by zinc chelation and mimicked by exogenous zinc. Elimination of the zinc-binding site in CaV3.2 rendered the channel insensitive to SP-mediated inhibition. Importantly, peripherally applied SP significantly reduced bradykinin-induced nociception in rats in vivo; knock-down of CaV3.2 significantly reduced this anti-nociceptive effect. This atypical signaling cascade shared the initial steps with the SP-mediated augmentation of M-type K(+) channels described earlier. INNOVATION Our study established a mechanism underlying the peripheral anti-nociceptive effect of SP whereby this neuropeptide produces ROS-dependent inhibition of pro-algesic T-type Ca(2+) current and concurrent enhancement of anti-algesic M-type K(+) current. These findings will lead to a better understanding of mechanisms of endogenous analgesia. CONCLUSION SP modulates T-type channel activity in nociceptors by a redox-dependent tuning of channel sensitivity to zinc; this novel modulatory pathway contributes to the peripheral anti-nociceptive effect of SP. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 25, 233-251.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongyang Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Sha Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Haixia Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Yani Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Jinlong Qi
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Pingping Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Caixue Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Jason L. Scragg
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM), Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander Vakurov
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Peers
- Leeds Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine (LICAMM), Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Xiaona Du
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Hailin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
| | - Nikita Gamper
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, P.R. China
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
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26
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Adams P. The discovery of the sub-threshold currents M and Q/H in central neurons. Brain Res 2016; 1645:38-41. [PMID: 27084581 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The history, content and consequences of the highly-cited 1982 Brain Research paper by Halliwell and Adams are summarized. The paper pioneered the use of the single-electrode voltage clamp in mammalian brain slices, described 2 novel sub-threshold voltage-dependent ionic currents, IM and IQ/H, and suggested that cholinergic inputs "enabled" pyramidal cell firing in response to conventional synaptic input, the first example of central neuromodulation. The paper, published in Brain Research to give the first author appropriate importance, heralded an ongoing tidal wave of quantitative electrophysiology in mammalian central neurons. ORIGINAL ARTICLE ABSTRACT Voltage-clamp analysis of muscarinic excitation in hippocampal neurons Pyramidal cells in the CA1 field of guinea pig hippocampal slices were voltage-clamped using a single microelectrode, at 23-30°C. Small inwardly relaxing currents triggered by step hyperpolarizations from holding potentials of -80 to -40mV were investigated. Inward relaxations occurring for negative steps between -40mV and -70mV resembled M-currents of sympathetic ganglion cells: they were abolished by addition of carbachol, muscarine or bethanechol, as well as by 1mM barium; the relaxations appeared to invert at around -80mV; they became faster at more negative potentials; and the inversion potential was shifted positively by raising external K(+) concentration. Inward relaxations triggered by steps negative to -80mV, in contrast, appeared to reflect passage of another current species, which has been labeled IQ.Thus IQ did not invert negative to -80mV, it was insensitive to muscarinic agonizts or to barium, and it was blocked by 0.5-3mM cesium (which does not block IM). Turn-on of IQ causes the well known droop in the hyperpolarizing electrotonic potential in these cells. The combined effects of IQ and IM make the steady-state current-voltage relation of CA1 cells slightly sigmoidal around rest potential. It is suggested that activation of cholinergic septal inputs to the hippocampus facilitates repetitive firing off pyramidal cells by turning off the M-conductance, without much change in the resting potential of the cell. © 1982. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:50th Anniversary Issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Adams
- Department of Neurobiology, Stony Brook University, NY 11794, USA.
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27
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Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Combining electrophysiology and in vivo pain models, the concept that activation of peripheral KCNQ channels relieves the gout pain is demonstrated. Intense inflammatory pain caused by urate crystals in joints and other tissues is a major symptom of gout. Among therapy drugs that lower urate, benzbromarone (BBR), an inhibitor of urate transporters, is widely used because it is well tolerated and highly effective. We demonstrate that BBR is also an activator of voltage-gated KCNQ potassium channels. In cultured recombinant cells, BBR exhibited significant potentiation effects on KCNQ channels comparable to previously reported classical activators. In native dorsal root ganglion neurons, BBR effectively overcame the suppression of KCNQ currents, and the resultant neuronal hyperexcitability caused by inflammatory mediators, such as bradykinin (BK). Benzbromarone consistently attenuates BK-, formalin-, or monosodium urate–induced inflammatory pain in rat and mouse models. Notably, the analgesic effects of BBR are largely mediated through peripheral and not through central KCNQ channels, an observation supported both by pharmacokinetic studies and in vivo experiments. Moreover, multiple residues in the superficial part of the voltage sensing domain of KCNQ channels were identified critical for the potentiation activity of BBR by a molecular determinant investigation. Our data indicate that activation of peripheral KCNQ channels mediates the pain relief effects of BBR, potentially providing a new strategy for the development of more effective therapies for gout.
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28
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Schütze S, Orozco IJ, Jentsch TJ. KCNQ Potassium Channels Modulate Sensitivity of Skin Down-hair (D-hair) Mechanoreceptors. J Biol Chem 2016; 291:5566-5575. [PMID: 26733196 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m115.681098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
M-current-mediating KCNQ (Kv7) channels play an important role in regulating the excitability of neuronal cells, as highlighted by mutations in Kcnq2 and Kcnq3 that underlie certain forms of epilepsy. In addition to their expression in brain, KCNQ2 and -3 are also found in the somatosensory system. We have now detected both KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 in a subset of dorsal root ganglia neurons that correspond to D-hair Aδ-fibers and demonstrate KCNQ3 expression in peripheral nerve endings of cutaneous D-hair follicles. Electrophysiological recordings from single D-hair afferents from Kcnq3(-/-) mice showed increased firing frequencies in response to mechanical ramp-and-hold stimuli. This effect was particularly pronounced at slow indentation velocities. Additional reduction of KCNQ2 expression further increased D-hair sensitivity. Together with previous work on the specific role of KCNQ4 in rapidly adapting skin mechanoreceptors, our results show that different KCNQ isoforms are specifically expressed in particular subsets of mechanosensory neurons and modulate their sensitivity directly in sensory nerve endings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schütze
- From the Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin and
| | - Ian J Orozco
- From the Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin and
| | - Thomas J Jentsch
- From the Leibniz-Institut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) and Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Strasse 10, 13125 Berlin and; Neurocure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
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29
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Nutter T, Johnson R, Cooper B. A delayed chronic pain like condition with decreased Kv channel activity in a rat model of Gulf War Illness pain syndrome. Neurotoxicology 2015; 51:67-79. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Revised: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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30
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Korogod SM, Osorio N, Kulagina IB, Delmas P. Dynamic excitation states and firing patterns are controlled by sodium channel kinetics in myenteric neurons: a simulation study. Channels (Austin) 2015; 8:536-43. [PMID: 25616688 DOI: 10.4161/19336950.2014.973784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric neurons located in the gastro-intestinal tract are of particular importance to control digestive functions such as motility and secretion. In our recent publication, we showed that mouse myenteric neurons exhibit 2 types of tetrodotoxin-resistant Na(+) currents: a fast inactivating Na(+) current produced by Nav1.5 channels, present in nearly all myenteric neurons, and a persistent Na(+) current attributed to Nav1.9 channels, restricted to the intrinsic primary afferent neurons (IPANs). By combination of experimental recording and computer simulation we found that Nav1.5 contributed to the upstroke velocity of action potentials (APs), whereas Nav1.9 opposed AP repolarization. Here, we detailed the Na(+), Ca(2+) and K(+) currents used in our computational model of IPAN. We refined the prototype cell to reproduce the sustained firing pattern recorded in situ. As shown in experimental conditions we demonstrated that Nav1.9 channels critically determine the up-state life-time and thus, are essential to sustain tonic firing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergiy M Korogod
- a International Center for Molecular Physiology (Dnipropetrovsk Division); National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine ; Kiev , Ukraine
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31
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Sundt D, Gamper N, Jaffe DB. Spike propagation through the dorsal root ganglia in an unmyelinated sensory neuron: a modeling study. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:3140-53. [PMID: 26334005 PMCID: PMC4686302 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00226.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Unmyelinated C-fibers are a major type of sensory neurons conveying pain information. Action potential conduction is regulated by the bifurcation (T-junction) of sensory neuron axons within the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Understanding how C-fiber signaling is influenced by the morphology of the T-junction and the local expression of ion channels is important for understanding pain signaling. In this study we used biophysical computer modeling to investigate the influence of axon morphology within the DRG and various membrane conductances on the reliability of spike propagation. As expected, calculated input impedance and the amplitude of propagating action potentials were both lowest at the T-junction. Propagation reliability for single spikes was highly sensitive to the diameter of the stem axon and the density of voltage-gated Na+ channels. A model containing only fast voltage-gated Na+ and delayed-rectifier K+ channels conducted trains of spikes up to frequencies of 110 Hz. The addition of slowly activating KCNQ channels (i.e., KV7 or M-channels) to the model reduced the following frequency to 30 Hz. Hyperpolarization produced by addition of a much slower conductance, such as a Ca2+-dependent K+ current, was needed to reduce the following frequency to 6 Hz. Attenuation of driving force due to ion accumulation or hyperpolarization produced by a Na+-K+ pump had no effect on following frequency but could influence the reliability of spike propagation mutually with the voltage shift generated by a Ca2+-dependent K+ current. These simulations suggest how specific ion channels within the DRG may contribute toward therapeutic treatments for chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Sundt
- Department of Biology, UTSA Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Nikita Gamper
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, People's Republic of China; and Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - David B Jaffe
- Department of Biology, UTSA Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas;
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β-Secretase BACE1 regulates hippocampal and reconstituted M-currents in a β-subunit-like fashion. J Neurosci 2015; 35:3298-311. [PMID: 25716831 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3127-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The β-secretase BACE1 is widely known for its pivotal role in the amyloidogenic pathway leading to Alzheimer's disease, but how its action on transmembrane proteins other than the amyloid precursor protein affects the nervous system is only beginning to be understood. We report here that BACE1 regulates neuronal excitability through an unorthodox, nonenzymatic interaction with members of the KCNQ (Kv7) family that give rise to the M-current, a noninactivating potassium current with slow kinetics. In hippocampal neurons from BACE1(-/-) mice, loss of M-current enhanced neuronal excitability. We relate the diminished M-current to the previously reported epileptic phenotype of BACE1-deficient mice. In HEK293T cells, BACE1 amplified reconstituted M-currents, altered their voltage dependence, accelerated activation, and slowed deactivation. Biochemical evidence strongly suggested that BACE1 physically associates with channel proteins in a β-subunit-like fashion. Our results establish BACE1 as a physiologically essential constituent of regular M-current function and elucidate a striking new feature of how BACE1 impacts on neuronal activity in the intact and diseased brain.
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Gamper N, Ooi L. Redox and nitric oxide-mediated regulation of sensory neuron ion channel function. Antioxid Redox Signal 2015; 22:486-504. [PMID: 24735331 PMCID: PMC4323017 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2014.5884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) can intimately control neuronal excitability and synaptic strength by regulating the function of many ion channels. In peripheral sensory neurons, such regulation contributes towards the control of somatosensory processing; therefore, understanding the mechanisms of such regulation is necessary for the development of new therapeutic strategies and for the treatment of sensory dysfunctions, such as chronic pain. RECENT ADVANCES Tremendous progress in deciphering nitric oxide (NO) and ROS signaling in the nervous system has been made in recent decades. This includes the recognition of these molecules as important second messengers and the elucidation of their metabolic pathways and cellular targets. Mounting evidence suggests that these targets include many ion channels which can be directly or indirectly modulated by ROS and NO. However, the mechanisms specific to sensory neurons are still poorly understood. This review will therefore summarize recent findings that highlight the complex nature of the signaling pathways involved in redox/NO regulation of sensory neuron ion channels and excitability; references to redox mechanisms described in other neuron types will be made where necessary. CRITICAL ISSUES The complexity and interplay within the redox, NO, and other gasotransmitter modulation of protein function are still largely unresolved. Issues of specificity and intracellular localization of these signaling cascades will also be addressed. FUTURE DIRECTIONS Since our understanding of ROS and RNS signaling in sensory neurons is limited, there is a multitude of future directions; one of the most important issues for further study is the establishment of the exact roles that these signaling pathways play in pain processing and the translation of this understanding into new therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Gamper
- 1 Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds , Leeds, United Kingdom
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Cai J, Fang D, Liu XD, Li S, Ren J, Xing GG. Suppression of KCNQ/M (Kv7) potassium channels in the spinal cord contributes to the sensitization of dorsal horn WDR neurons and pain hypersensitivity in a rat model of bone cancer pain. Oncol Rep 2015; 33:1540-50. [PMID: 25592230 DOI: 10.3892/or.2015.3718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Primary and metastatic cancers that affect bones are frequently associated with severe and intractable pain. The mechanisms underlying the development of bone cancer pain are largely unknown. In the present study, we investigated whether inhibition of KCNQ/M (Kv7) potassium channels in the spinal cord contributes to the development of bone cancer pain via sensitization of dorsal horn wide dynamic range (WDR) neurons. Using a rat model of bone cancer pain based on intratibial injection of MRMT-1 tumor cells, we observed a significant increase in C-fiber responses of dorsal horn WDR neurons in the MRMT-1 injected rats, indicating sensitization of spinal WDR neurons in bone cancer rats. Furthermore, we discovered that blockade of KCNQ/M channels in the spinal cord by local administration of XE-991, a specific KCNQ/M channel blocker, caused a robust increase in excitability of dorsal horn WDR neurons, while, producing obvious pain hypersensitivity in normal rats. On the contrary, activation of spinal KCNQ/M channels by retigabine, a selective KCNQ/M channel opener, not only inhibited the bone cancer‑induced hyperexcitability of dorsal horn WDR neurons, but also alleviated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in the bone cancer rats, while all of these effects of retigabine could be blocked by KCNQ/M-channel antagonist XE-991. All things considered, these results suggest that suppression of KCNQ/M channels in the spinal cord likely contributes to the development of bone cancer pain via sensitization of dorsal horn WDR neurons in rats following tumor cell inoculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Cai
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Dong Fang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Dan Liu
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Song Li
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
| | - Juan Ren
- Cancer Center, First Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, P.R. China
| | - Guo-Gang Xing
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing 100191, P.R. China
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Du X, Hao H, Gigout S, Huang D, Yang Y, Li L, Wang C, Sundt D, Jaffe DB, Zhang H, Gamper N. Control of somatic membrane potential in nociceptive neurons and its implications for peripheral nociceptive transmission. Pain 2014; 155:2306-22. [PMID: 25168672 PMCID: PMC4247381 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2014.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Revised: 08/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral sensory ganglia contain somata of afferent fibres conveying somatosensory inputs to the central nervous system. Growing evidence suggests that the somatic/perisomatic region of sensory neurons can influence peripheral sensory transmission. Control of resting membrane potential (Erest) is an important mechanism regulating excitability, but surprisingly little is known about how Erest is regulated in sensory neuron somata or how changes in somatic/perisomatic Erest affect peripheral sensory transmission. We first evaluated the influence of several major ion channels on Erest in cultured small-diameter, mostly capsaicin-sensitive (presumed nociceptive) dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. The strongest and most prevalent effect on Erest was achieved by modulating M channels, K2P and 4-aminopiridine-sensitive KV channels, while hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated, voltage-gated Na+, and T-type Ca2+ channels to a lesser extent also contributed to Erest. Second, we investigated how varying somatic/perisomatic membrane potential, by manipulating ion channels of sensory neurons within the DRG, affected peripheral nociceptive transmission in vivo. Acute focal application of M or KATP channel enhancers or a hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel blocker to L5 DRG in vivo significantly alleviated pain induced by hind paw injection of bradykinin. Finally, we show with computational modelling how somatic/perisomatic hyperpolarization, in concert with the low-pass filtering properties of the t-junction within the DRG, can interfere with action potential propagation. Our study deciphers a complement of ion channels that sets the somatic Erest of nociceptive neurons and provides strong evidence for a robust filtering role of the somatic and perisomatic compartments of peripheral nociceptive neuron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Du
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China.
| | - Han Hao
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Sylvain Gigout
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Dongyang Huang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Yuehui Yang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Li Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Caixue Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Danielle Sundt
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - David B Jaffe
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Hailin Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China
| | - Nikita Gamper
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, PR China; Faculty of Biological Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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Hayashi H, Iwata M, Tsuchimori N, Matsumoto T. Activation of peripheral KCNQ channels attenuates inflammatory pain. Mol Pain 2014; 10:15. [PMID: 24555569 PMCID: PMC3936840 DOI: 10.1186/1744-8069-10-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2013] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Refractory chronic pain dramatically reduces the quality of life of patients. Existing drugs cannot fully achieve effective chronic pain control because of their lower efficacy and/or accompanying side effects. Voltage-gated potassium channels (KCNQ) openers have demonstrated their analgesic effect in preclinical and clinical studies, and are thus considered to be a potential therapeutic target as analgesics. However, these drugs exhibit a narrow therapeutic window due to their imposed central nerve system (CNS) side effects. To clarify the analgesic effect by peripheral KCNQ channel activation, we investigated whether the analgesic effect of the KCNQ channel opener, retigabine, is inhibited by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of the KCNQ channel blocker, 10, 10-bis (4-Pyridinylmethyl)-9(10H) -anthracenone dihydrochloride (XE-991) in rats. Results Oral administration (p.o.) of retigabine showed an anticonvulsant effect on maximal electronic seizures and an analgesic effect on complete Freund’s adjuvant-induced thermal hyperalgesia. However, impaired motor coordination and reduced exploratory behavior were also observed at the analgesic doses of retigabine. Administration (i.c.v.) of XE-991 reversed the retigabine-induced anticonvulsant effect, impaired motor coordination and reduced exploratory behavior but not the analgesic effect. Moreover, intraplantar administration of retigabine or an additional KCNQ channel opener, N-(6-Chloro-pyridin-3-yl)-3,4-difluoro-benzamide (ICA-27243), inhibited formalin-induced nociceptive behavior. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the peripheral sensory neuron is the main target for KCNQ channel openers to induce analgesia. Therefore, peripheral KCNQ channel openers that do not penetrate the CNS may be suitable analgesic drugs as they would prevent CNS side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Noboru Tsuchimori
- Pharmaceutical Research Division, Inflammation Drug Discovery Unit, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
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Trimmer JS. Ion channels and pain: important steps towards validating a new therapeutic target for neuropathic pain. Exp Neurol 2014; 254:190-4. [PMID: 24508559 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2014.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2014] [Revised: 01/24/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- James S Trimmer
- Department of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Department of Physiology and Membrane Biology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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Grigorov A, Moskalyuk A, Kravchenko M, Veselovsky N, Verkhratsky A, Fedulova S. Kv7 potassium channel subunits and M currents in cultured hippocampal interneurons. Pflugers Arch 2013; 466:1747-58. [DOI: 10.1007/s00424-013-1406-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Revised: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Abstract
Topically applied camphor elicits a sensation of cool, but nothing is known about how it affects cold temperature sensing. We found that camphor sensitizes a subpopulation of menthol-sensitive native cutaneous nociceptors in the mouse to cold, but desensitizes and partially blocks heterologously expressed TRPM8 (transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily M member 8). In contrast, camphor reduces potassium outward currents in cultured sensory neurons and, in cold nociceptors, the cold-sensitizing effects of camphor and menthol are additive. Using a membrane potential dye-based screening assay and heterologously expressed potassium channels, we found that the effects of camphor are mediated by inhibition of Kv7.2/3 channels subtypes that generate the M-current in neurons. In line with this finding, the specific M-current blocker XE991 reproduced the cold-sensitizing effect of camphor in nociceptors. However, the M-channel blocking effects of XE991 and camphor are not sufficient to initiate cold transduction but require a cold-activated inward current generated by TRPM8. The cold-sensitizing effects of XE991 and camphor are largest in high-threshold cold nociceptors. Low-threshold corneal cold thermoreceptors that express high levels of TRPM8 and lack potassium channels are not affected by camphor. We also found that menthol--like camphor--potently inhibits Kv7.2/3 channels. The apparent functional synergism arising from TRPM8 activation and M-current block can improve the effectiveness of topical coolants and cooling lotions, and may also enhance TRPM8-mediated analgesia.
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Nutter T, Jiang N, Cooper BY. Persistent Na+ and K+ channel dysfunctions after chronic exposure to insecticides and pyridostigmine bromide. Neurotoxicology 2013; 39:72-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2013] [Revised: 08/07/2013] [Accepted: 08/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Du X, Gamper N. Potassium channels in peripheral pain pathways: expression, function and therapeutic potential. Curr Neuropharmacol 2013; 11:621-40. [PMID: 24396338 PMCID: PMC3849788 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x113119990042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Electrical excitation of peripheral somatosensory nerves is a first step in generation of most pain signals in mammalian nervous system. Such excitation is controlled by an intricate set of ion channels that are coordinated to produce a degree of excitation that is proportional to the strength of the external stimulation. However, in many disease states this coordination is disrupted resulting in deregulated peripheral excitability which, in turn, may underpin pathological pain states (i.e. migraine, neuralgia, neuropathic and inflammatory pains). One of the major groups of ion channels that are essential for controlling neuronal excitability is potassium channel family and, hereby, the focus of this review is on the K+ channels in peripheral pain pathways. The aim of the review is threefold. First, we will discuss current evidence for the expression and functional role of various K+ channels in peripheral nociceptive fibres. Second, we will consider a hypothesis suggesting that reduced functional activity of K+ channels within peripheral nociceptive pathways is a general feature of many types of pain. Third, we will evaluate the perspectives of pharmacological enhancement of K+ channels in nociceptive pathways as a strategy for new analgesic drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Du
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Nikita Gamper
- Department of Pharmacology, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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Abstract
Electrophysiological recordings from an acutely sliced preparation provide information on ionic currents and excitability of native neurons under near physiological conditions. Although this technique is commonly used on central nervous system structures such as spinal cord and brain, structures within the peripheral nervous system (including sensory ganglia and fibers) have proven to be much more difficult to study in acute preparations. Here we describe a method for patch-clamp recordings from rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) slices.
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Reichling DB, Green PG, Levine JD. The fundamental unit of pain is the cell. Pain 2013; 154 Suppl 1:S2-9. [PMID: 23711480 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2012] [Revised: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 05/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The molecular/genetic era has seen the discovery of a staggering number of molecules implicated in pain mechanisms [18,35,61,69,96,133,150,202,224]. This has stimulated pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to invest billions of dollars to develop drugs that enhance or inhibit the function of many these molecules. Unfortunately this effort has provided a remarkably small return on this investment. Inevitably, transformative progress in this field will require a better understanding of the functional links among the ever-growing ranks of "pain molecules," as well as their links with an even larger number of molecules with which they interact. Importantly, all of these molecules exist side-by-side, within a functional unit, the cell, and its adjacent matrix of extracellular molecules. To paraphrase a recent editorial in Science magazine [223], although we live in the Golden age of Genetics, the fundamental unit of biology is still arguably the cell, and the cell is the critical structural and functional setting in which the function of pain-related molecules must be understood. This review summarizes our current understanding of the nociceptor as a cell-biological unit that responds to a variety of extracellular inputs with a complex and highly organized interaction of signaling molecules. We also discuss the insights that this approach is providing into peripheral mechanisms of chronic pain and sex dependence in pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Reichling
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neuroscience, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Division of Neuroscience, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Kv7/M-type potassium channels in rat skin keratinocytes. Pflugers Arch 2013; 465:1371-81. [PMID: 23592175 PMCID: PMC3745621 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-013-1276-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Skin keratinocytes fulfil important signalling and protective functions. Immunocytochemical experiments revealed the unexpected presence of immunoreactivity for the M-type potassium channel subunit Kv7.2 in the keratinocyte layer of intact rat paw skin and in keratinocytes isolated from the skin of 1-day-old rats and cultured in vitro for 3–10 days. Application of the M-channel enhancer retigabine (3–10 μM) to isolated cultured rat keratinocytes: (a) increased outward membrane currents recorded under voltage clamp, (b) produced ~3 mV hyperpolarization at rest, (c) enhanced ~3-fold the release of ATP induced by the TRPV3 agonist carvacrol (1 mM) and (d) increased the amplitude of the carvacrol-induced intracellular Ca2+ transient measured with Fura-2. The effect of retigabine on ATP release was prevented by the M-channel blocking agent XE991. We conclude that rat skin keratinocytes possess M-channels that, when activated, can modify their physiological properties, with potential significance for their sensory and other biological functions.
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Zheng Q, Fang D, Liu M, Cai J, Wan Y, Han JS, Xing GG. Suppression of KCNQ/M (Kv7) potassium channels in dorsal root ganglion neurons contributes to the development of bone cancer pain in a rat model. Pain 2012; 154:434-448. [PMID: 23352759 DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2012.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Revised: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/06/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Bone cancer pain has a strong impact on the quality of life of patients, but is difficult to treat. Better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying bone cancer pain will likely lead to the development of more effective treatments. In the present study, we investigated whether inhibition of KCNQ/M channels contributed to the hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons and to the pathogenesis of bone cancer pain. By using a rat model of bone cancer pain based on intratibial injection of MRMT-1 tumour cells, we documented a prominent decrease in expression of KCNQ2 and KCNQ3 proteins and a reduction of M-current density in small-sized dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, which were associated with enhanced excitability of these DRG neurons and the hyperalgesic behaviours in bone cancer rats. Coincidently, we found that inhibition of KCNQ/M channels with XE-991 caused a robust increase in the excitability of small-sized DRG neurons and produced an obvious mechanical allodynia in normal rats. On the contrary, activation of the KCNQ/M channels with retigabine not only inhibited the hyperexcitability of these small DRG neurons, but also alleviated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in bone cancer rats, and all of these effects of retigabine could be blocked by KCNQ/M-channel antagonist XE-991. These results suggest that repression of KCNQ/M channels leads to the hyperexcitability of primary sensory neurons, which in turn causes bone cancer pain. Thus, suppression of KCNQ/M channels in primary DRG neurons plays a crucial role in the development of bone cancer pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zheng
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, Peking University, Beijing, PR China Key Laboratory for Neuroscience of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Public Health, Beijing, PR China
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