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Hu J, Fu J, Cai Y, Chen S, Qu M, Zhang L, Fan W, Wang Z, Zeng Q, Zou J. Bioinformatics and systems biology approach to identify the pathogenetic link of neurological pain and major depressive disorder. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2024; 249:10129. [PMID: 38993198 PMCID: PMC11236560 DOI: 10.3389/ebm.2024.10129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurological pain (NP) is always accompanied by symptoms of depression, which seriously affects physical and mental health. In this study, we identified the common hub genes (Co-hub genes) and related immune cells of NP and major depressive disorder (MDD) to determine whether they have common pathological and molecular mechanisms. NP and MDD expression data was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Common differentially expressed genes (Co-DEGs) for NP and MDD were extracted and the hub genes and hub nodes were mined. Co-DEGs, hub genes, and hub nodes were analyzed for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Finally, the hub nodes, and genes were analyzed to obtain Co-hub genes. We plotted Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to evaluate the diagnostic impact of the Co-hub genes on MDD and NP. We also identified the immune-infiltrating cell component by ssGSEA and analyzed the relationship. For the GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, 93 Co-DEGs were associated with biological processes (BP), such as fibrinolysis, cell composition (CC), such as tertiary granules, and pathways, such as complement, and coagulation cascades. A differential gene expression analysis revealed significant differences between the Co-hub genes ANGPT2, MMP9, PLAU, and TIMP2. There was some accuracy in the diagnosis of NP based on the expression of ANGPT2 and MMP9. Analysis of differences in the immune cell components indicated an abundance of activated dendritic cells, effector memory CD8+ T cells, memory B cells, and regulatory T cells in both groups, which were statistically significant. In summary, we identified 6 Co-hub genes and 4 immune cell types related to NP and MDD. Further studies are needed to determine the role of these genes and immune cells as potential diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets in NP and MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjing Hu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jia Fu
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yuxin Cai
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuping Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengjian Qu
- Department of Rehabilitation, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- Rehabilitation Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Lisha Zhang
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Suzhou Vocational Health College, Suzhou, China
| | - Weichao Fan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ziyi Wang
- The First School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Zeng
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jihua Zou
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- School of Rehabilitation Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
- Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Maiarù M, Acton RJ, Woźniak EL, Mein CA, Bell CG, Géranton SM. A DNA methylation signature in the stress driver gene Fkbp5 indicates a neuropathic component in chronic pain. Clin Epigenetics 2023; 15:155. [PMID: 37777763 PMCID: PMC10543848 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-023-01569-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic changes can bring insight into gene regulatory mechanisms associated with disease pathogenicity, including chronicity and increased vulnerability. To date, we are yet to identify genes sensitive to epigenetic regulation that contribute to the maintenance of chronic pain and with an epigenetic landscape indicative of the susceptibility to persistent pain. Such genes would provide a novel opportunity for better pain management, as their epigenetic profile could be targeted for the treatment of chronic pain or used as an indication of vulnerability for prevention strategies. Here, we investigated the epigenetic profile of the gene Fkbp5 for this potential, using targeted bisulphite sequencing in rodent pre-clinical models of chronic and latent hypersensitive states. RESULTS The Fkbp5 promoter DNA methylation (DNAm) signature in the CNS was significantly different between models of persistent pain, and there was a significant correlation between CNS and peripheral blood Fkbp5 DNAm, indicating that further exploration of Fkbp5 promoter DNAm as an indicator of chronic pain pathogenic origin is warranted. We also found that maternal separation, which promotes the persistency of inflammatory pain in adulthood, was accompanied by long-lasting reduction in Fkbp5 DNAm, suggesting that Fkbp5 DNAm profile may indicate the increased vulnerability to chronic pain in individuals exposed to trauma in early life. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our data demonstrate that the Fkbp5 promoter DNAm landscape brings novel insight into the differing pathogenic origins of chronic pain, may be able to stratify patients and predict the susceptibility to chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Maiarù
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Richard J Acton
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- Human Development and Health, Institute of Developmental Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts & The London Faculty of Medicine, Charterhouse Square, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
- Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Ageing-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Eva L Woźniak
- Genome Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Charles A Mein
- Genome Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Christopher G Bell
- William Harvey Research Institute, Barts & The London Faculty of Medicine, Charterhouse Square, Queen Mary University of London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Sandrine M Géranton
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Analysis of Crucial Genes and Pathways Associated with Spared Nerve Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain. Neural Plast 2020. [DOI: 10.1155/2020/8822001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose. The study was aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury (SNI). Methods. The microarray data of GSE30691 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, including sciatic nerve lesion samples at 3, 7, 21, and 40 days after SNI and sham control samples at 3, 7, and 21 days. Differential analysis along with Mfuzz clustering analysis was performed to screen crucial clusters and cluster genes. Subsequently, comprehensive bioinformatic analyses were performed, including functional enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and module analysis, and transcription factor- (TF-) gene and miRNA-target interaction predictions. Moreover, the screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were corroborated using two other microarray datasets. Results. Three clusters with different change trends over time after SNI were obtained. Protein kinase CAMP-activated catalytic subunit beta (Prkacb), complement C3 (C3), and activating transcription factor 3 (Atf3) were hub nodes in the PPI network, and fibroblast growth factor 9 (Fgf9) was found to interact with more TFs. Prkacb and Fgf9 were significantly enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, rno-miR-3583-5p was targeted by Fgf9, and rno-miR-1912-3p was targeted by neuregulin 1 (Nrg1). Key genes like Nrg1 and Fgf9 in cluster 1, Timp1 in cluster 2, and Atf3 and C3 in cluster 3 were screened out after corroborating microarray data with other microarray data. Conclusions. Key pathways like the MAPK signaling pathway and crucial genes like Prkacb, Nrg1, Fgf9, Timp1, C3, and Atf3 may contribute to SNI-induced neuropathic pain development in rats.
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Cai G, Zhu Y, Zhao Y, Chen J, Guo C, Wu F, Huang J, Wu S. Network Analysis of miRNA and mRNA Changes in the Prelimbic Cortex of Rats With Chronic Neuropathic Pain: Pointing to Inflammation. Front Genet 2020; 11:612. [PMID: 32655622 PMCID: PMC7324672 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex, chronic pain condition caused by injury or dysfunction affecting the somatosensory nervous system. This study aimed to identify crucial mRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) in the prelimbic cortex (PL) of NP rats. mRNA and miRNA microarrays were applied in the present study. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed by using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). A total of 35 differentially expressed (DE) RNAs (24 miRNAs and 10 mRNAs) were identified in the spared nerve injury (SNI) group compared with the control group. The DE miRNA-mRNA network showed that IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were core components. Mir-30c-5p and mir-16-5p were the most connected miRNAs in the network. Interestingly, four mRNAs (Rnase 4, Egr2, Rexo4, and Klf2) with significantly increased expression were abundantly expressed in microglia, which was verified by the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Furthermore, the expression of Rnase4 and Egr2 decreased in M1-polarized macrophages and increased in M2-polarized macrophages. In conclusion, we screened dozens of DE mRNAs and miRNAs in the PL of SNI rats. The core of the DE mRNA and miRNA network pointed to molecules associated with inflammation. Four mRNAs (Rnase4, Egr2, Rexo4, and Klf2) might be the potential markers of M2 polarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohong Cai
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Chihua Guo
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Feifei Wu
- Basic Medicine Teaching Experiment Center, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Huang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shengxi Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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Du Z, Yin S, Song X, Zhang L, Yue S, Jia X, Zhang Y. Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Key Pathways in the Dorsal Root Ganglion After Chronic Compression. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:71. [PMID: 32431596 PMCID: PMC7214750 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is caused by primary or secondary impairment of the peripheral or central nervous systems. Its etiology is complex and involves abnormal patterns of gene expression and pathway activation. Using bioinformatics analysis, we aimed to identify NP-associated changes in genes and pathways in L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in a rat model of NP induced by chronic compression of the DRG (CCD). Genome-wide transcriptional analyses were used to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying NP. We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) 7 days after CCD in comparison with sham-operated controls. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting were used to confirm the presence of key DEGs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)-pathway analysis of DEGs and global signal transduction network analysis of DEGs were also conducted. The CCD group developed clear mechanical and thermal allodynia in the ipsilateral hind paw compared with the sham group. This comparison identified 1,887 DEGs, with 1156 upregulated and 731 downregulated DEGs, and 123 DEG-enriched pathways. We identified the key candidate genes that might play a role in the development of NP, namely syndecan 1 (Sdc1), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase, catalytic subunit gamma (Pi3k), Janus kinase 2 (Jak2), jun proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit (Jun), and interleukin 6 (IL-6) by analyzing the global signal transduction network. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis confirmed the microarray results. The DEGs Sdc1, Pi3k, Jak2, Jun, and IL-6, and the cytokine signaling pathway, the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, the toll-like receptor signaling pathway, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway may have decisive modulatory roles in both nerve regeneration and NP. These results provide deeper insight into the mechanism underlying NP and promising therapeutic targets for its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanhui Du
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Heart Center, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao, China
| | - Sen Yin
- Department of Neurology, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiuhui Song
- Department of Neurosurgery, The People's Hospital of Jimo City, Qingdao, China
| | - Lechi Zhang
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Suzhou Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou, China
| | - Shouwei Yue
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaofeng Jia
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Orthopaedics, Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Sant’Anna MB, Lopes FSR, Kimura LF, Giardini AC, Sant’Anna OA, Picolo G. Crotoxin Conjugated to SBA-15 Nanostructured Mesoporous Silica Induces Long-Last Analgesic Effect in the Neuropathic Pain Model in Mice. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E679. [PMID: 31757011 PMCID: PMC6949982 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11120679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a disease caused by structural and functional plasticity in central and peripheral sensory pathways that produce alterations in nociceptive processing. Currently, pharmacological treatment for this condition remains a challenge. Crotoxin (CTX), the main neurotoxin of Crotalus durissus terrificus rattlesnake venom, has well described prolonged anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities. In spite of its potential benefits, the toxicity of CTX remains a limiting factor for its use. SBA-15 is an inert nanostructured mesoporous silica that, when used as a vehicle, may reduce toxicity and potentiate the activity of different compounds. Based on this, we propose to conjugate crotoxin with SBA-15 (CTX:SBA-15) in order to investigate if when adsorbed to silica, CTX would have its toxicity reduced and its analgesic effect enhanced in neuropathic pain induced by the partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSNL) model. SBA-15 enabled an increase of 35% of CTX dosage. Treatment with CTX:SBA-15 induced a long-lasting reduction of mechanical hypernociception, without modifying the previously known pathways involved in antinociception. Moreover, CTX:SBA-15 reduced IL-6 and increased IL-10 levels in the spinal cord. Surprisingly, the antinociceptive effect of CTX:SBA-15 was also observed after oral administration. These data indicate the potential use of the CTX:SBA-15 complex for neuropathic pain control and corroborates the protective potential of SBA-15.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morena Brazil Sant’Anna
- Special Laboratory of Pain and Signalling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.B.S.); (F.S.R.L.); (L.F.K.); (A.C.G.)
| | - Flavia Souza Ribeiro Lopes
- Special Laboratory of Pain and Signalling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.B.S.); (F.S.R.L.); (L.F.K.); (A.C.G.)
| | - Louise Faggionato Kimura
- Special Laboratory of Pain and Signalling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.B.S.); (F.S.R.L.); (L.F.K.); (A.C.G.)
| | - Aline Carolina Giardini
- Special Laboratory of Pain and Signalling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.B.S.); (F.S.R.L.); (L.F.K.); (A.C.G.)
| | | | - Gisele Picolo
- Special Laboratory of Pain and Signalling, Butantan Institute, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (M.B.S.); (F.S.R.L.); (L.F.K.); (A.C.G.)
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Li H, Wan HQ, Zhao HJ, Luan SX, Zhang CG. Identification of candidate genes and miRNAs associated with neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury. Int J Mol Med 2019; 44:1205-1218. [PMID: 31432094 PMCID: PMC6713433 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2019.4305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is a complex, chronic pain condition caused by injury or dysfunction affecting the somatosensory nervous system. This study aimed to identify crucial genes and miRNAs involved in NP. Microarray data (access number GSE91396) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Murine RNA-seq samples from three brain regions [nucleus accumbens, (NAc); medial prefrontal cortex, (mPFC) and periaqueductal gray, (PAG)] were compared between the spared nerve injury (SNI) model and a sham surgery. After data normalization, differentially expressed RNAs were screened using the limma package and functional enrichment analysis was performed with Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The microRNA (miRNA/miR)-mRNA regulatory network and miRNA-target gene-pathway regulatory network were constructed using Cytoscape software. A total of 2,776 differentially expressed RNAs (219 miRNAs and 2,557 mRNAs) were identified in the SNI model compared with the sham surgery group. A total of two important modules (red and turquoise module) were found to be related to NP using weighed gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) for the 2,325 common differentially expressed RNAs in three brain regions. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network were significantly enriched in 21 Gene Ontology terms and five pathways. A total of four important DEGs (CXCR2, IL12B, TNFSF8 and GRK1) and five miRNAs (miR-208a-5p, miR-7688-3p, miR-344f-3p, miR-135b-3p and miR-135a-2-3p) were revealed according to the miRNA-target gene-pathway regulatory network to be related to NP. Four important DEGs (CXCR2, IL12B, TNFSF8 and GRK1) and five miRNAs (miR-208a-5p, miR-7688-3p, miR-344f-3p, miR-135b-3p and miR-135a-2-3p) were differentially expressed in SNI, indicating their plausible roles in NP pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Li
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Hong-Quan Wan
- Department of Mental Health, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Jun Zhao
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Shu-Xin Luan
- Department of Mental Health, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
| | - Chun-Guo Zhang
- Department of Pain Medicine, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, P.R. China
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Du H, Shi J, Wang M, An S, Guo X, Wang Z. Analyses of gene expression profiles in the rat dorsal horn of the spinal cord using RNA sequencing in chronic constriction injury rats. J Neuroinflammation 2018; 15:280. [PMID: 30253787 PMCID: PMC6156955 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-018-1316-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuropathic pain is caused by damage to the nervous system, resulting in aberrant pain, which is associated with gene expression changes in the sensory pathway. However, the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Methods Wistar rats were employed for the establishment of the chronic constriction injury (CCI) models. Using the Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform, we examined differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the rat dorsal horn by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) between CCI and control groups. Then, enrichment analyses were performed for these DEGs using Gene Ontology (GO) function, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, Hierarchical Cluster, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Results A total of 63 DEGs were found significantly changed with 56 upregulated (e.g., Cxcl13, C1qc, Fcgr3a) and 7 downregulated (e.g., Dusp1) at 14 days after CCI. Quantitative reverse-transcribed PCR (qRT-PCR) verified changes in 13 randomly selected DEGs. GO and KEGG biological pathway analyses showed that the upregulated DEGs were mostly enriched in immune response-related biological processes, as well as 14 immune- and inflammation-related pathways. The downregulated DEGs were enriched in inactivation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activity. PPI network analysis showed that Cd68, C1qc, C1qa, Laptm5, and Fcgr3a were crucial nodes with high connectivity degrees. Most of these genes which have previously been linked to immune and inflammation-related pathways have not been reported in neuropathic pain (e.g., Laptm5, Fcgr3a). Conclusions Our results revealed that immune and defense pathways may contribute to the generation of neuropathic pain after CCI. These mRNAs may represent new therapeutic targets for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12974-018-1316-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Du
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Juan Shi
- Department of Human Anatomy, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Shuhong An
- Department of Human Anatomy, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Xingjing Guo
- Department of Physiology, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271000, China
| | - Zhaojin Wang
- Department of Human Anatomy, Taishan Medical University, Taian, 271000, China.
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