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Chen Q, Zhang XY, Wang YP, Fu YJ, Cao F, Xu YN, Kong JG, Tian NX, Xu Y, Wang Y. Unveiling adcyap1 as a protective factor linking pain and nerve regeneration through single-cell RNA sequencing of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons. BMC Biol 2023; 21:235. [PMID: 37880634 PMCID: PMC10601282 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-023-01742-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe peripheral nerve injury (PNI) often leads to significant movement disorders and intractable pain. Therefore, promoting nerve regeneration while avoiding neuropathic pain is crucial for the clinical treatment of PNI patients. However, established animal models for peripheral neuropathy fail to accurately recapitulate the clinical features of PNI. Additionally, researchers usually investigate neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration separately, leaving the intrinsic relationship between the development of neuropathic pain and nerve regeneration after PNI unclear. To explore the underlying connections between pain and regeneration after PNI and provide potential molecular targets, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing and functional verification in an established rat model, allowing simultaneous study of the neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration after PNI. RESULTS First, a novel rat model named spared nerve crush (SNC) was created. In this model, two branches of the sciatic nerve were crushed, but the epineurium remained unsevered. This model successfully recapitulated both neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration after PNI, allowing for the study of the intrinsic link between these two crucial biological processes. Dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) from SNC and naïve rats at various time points after SNC were collected for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). After matching all scRNA-seq data to the 7 known DRG types, we discovered that the PEP1 and PEP3 DRG neuron subtypes increased in crushed and uncrushed DRG separately after SNC. Using experimental design scRNA-seq processing (EDSSP), we identified Adcyap1 as a potential gene contributing to both pain and nerve regeneration. Indeed, repeated intrathecal administration of PACAP38 mitigated pain and facilitated axonal regeneration, while Adcyap1 siRNA or PACAP6-38, an antagonist of PAC1R (a receptor of PACAP38) led to both mechanical hyperalgesia and delayed DRG axon regeneration in SNC rats. Moreover, these effects can be reversed by repeated intrathecal administration of PACAP38 in the acute phase but not the late phase after PNI, resulting in alleviated pain and promoted axonal regeneration. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that Adcyap1 is an intrinsic protective factor linking neuropathic pain and axonal regeneration following PNI. This finding provides new potential targets and strategies for early therapeutic intervention of PNI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Chen
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xi-Yin Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yu-Pu Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yun-Jie Fu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Feng Cao
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yi-Nuo Xu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jin-Ge Kong
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Na-Xi Tian
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yu Xu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, National Health Commission and State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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Xu Y, Tian NX, Bai QY, Chen Q, Sun XH, Wang Y. Gait Assessment of Pain and Analgesics: Comparison of the DigiGait™ and CatWalk™ Gait Imaging Systems. Neurosci Bull 2019; 35:401-418. [PMID: 30659524 PMCID: PMC6527535 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-018-00331-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigation of pain requires measurements of nociceptive sensitivity and other pain-related behaviors. Recent studies have indicated the superiority of gait analysis over traditional evaluations (e.g., skin sensitivity and sciatic function index [SFI]) in detecting subtle improvements and deteriorations in animal models. Here, pain-related gait parameters, whose criteria include (1) alteration in pain models, (2) correlation with nociceptive threshold, and (3) normalization by analgesics, were identified in representative models of neuropathic pain (spared nerve injury: coordination data) and inflammatory pain (intraplantar complete Freund’s adjuvant: both coordination and intensity data) in the DigiGait™ and CatWalk™ systems. DigiGait™ had advantages in fixed speed (controlled by treadmill) and dynamic SFI, while CatWalk™ excelled in intrinsic velocity, intensity data, and high-quality 3D images. Insights into the applicability of each system may provide guidance for selecting the appropriate gait imaging system for different animal models and optimization for future pain research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Xu
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Na-Xi Tian
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Qing-Yang Bai
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Sun
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Yun Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education/National Health Commission, Peking University, Beijing, 100083, China.
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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