1
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Sliwinski C, Heutehaus L, Taberner FJ, Weiss L, Kampanis V, Tolou-Dabbaghian B, Cheng X, Motsch M, Heppenstall PA, Kuner R, Franz S, Lechner SG, Weidner N, Puttagunta R. Contribution of mechanoreceptors to spinal cord injury-induced mechanical allodynia. Pain 2024; 165:1336-1347. [PMID: 38739766 PMCID: PMC11090032 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003139] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Evidence from previous studies supports the concept that spinal cord injury (SCI)-induced neuropathic pain (NP) has its neural roots in the peripheral nervous system. There is uncertainty about how and to which degree mechanoreceptors contribute. Sensorimotor activation-based interventions (eg, treadmill training) have been shown to reduce NP after experimental SCI, suggesting transmission of pain-alleviating signals through mechanoreceptors. The aim of the present study was to understand the contribution of mechanoreceptors with respect to mechanical allodynia in a moderate mouse contusion SCI model. After genetic ablation of tropomyosin receptor kinase B expressing mechanoreceptors before SCI, mechanical allodynia was reduced. The identical genetic ablation after SCI did not yield any change in pain behavior. Peptidergic nociceptor sprouting into lamina III/IV below injury level as a consequence of SCI was not altered by either mechanoreceptor ablation. However, skin-nerve preparations of contusion SCI mice 7 days after injury yielded hyperexcitability in nociceptors, not in mechanoreceptors, which makes a substantial direct contribution of mechanoreceptors to NP maintenance unlikely. Complementing animal data, quantitative sensory testing in human SCI subjects indicated reduced mechanical pain thresholds, whereas the mechanical detection threshold was not altered. Taken together, early mechanoreceptor ablation modulates pain behavior, most likely through indirect mechanisms. Hyperexcitable nociceptors seem to be the main drivers of SCI-induced NP. Future studies need to focus on injury-derived factors triggering early-onset nociceptor hyperexcitability, which could serve as targets for more effective therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Sliwinski
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Laura Heutehaus
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Lisa Weiss
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vasileios Kampanis
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Bahardokht Tolou-Dabbaghian
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Xing Cheng
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Melanie Motsch
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steffen Franz
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan G. Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Norbert Weidner
- Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Radhika Puttagunta
- Laboratory of Experimental Neuroregeneration, Spinal Cord Injury Center, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
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2
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Marty-Lombardi S, Lu S, Ambroziak W, Schrenk-Siemens K, Wang J, DePaoli-Roach AA, Hagenston AM, Wende H, Tappe-Theodor A, Simonetti M, Bading H, Okun JG, Kuner R, Fleming T, Siemens J. Neuron-astrocyte metabolic coupling facilitates spinal plasticity and maintenance of inflammatory pain. Nat Metab 2024; 6:494-513. [PMID: 38443593 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-024-01001-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Long-lasting pain stimuli can trigger maladaptive changes in the spinal cord, reminiscent of plasticity associated with memory formation. Metabolic coupling between astrocytes and neurons has been implicated in neuronal plasticity and memory formation in the central nervous system, but neither its involvement in pathological pain nor in spinal plasticity has been tested. Here we report a form of neuroglia signalling involving spinal astrocytic glycogen dynamics triggered by persistent noxious stimulation via upregulation of the Protein Targeting to Glycogen (PTG) in spinal astrocytes. PTG drove glycogen build-up in astrocytes, and blunting glycogen accumulation and turnover by Ptg gene deletion reduced pain-related behaviours and promoted faster recovery by shortening pain maintenance in mice. Furthermore, mechanistic analyses revealed that glycogen dynamics is a critically required process for maintenance of pain by facilitating neuronal plasticity in spinal lamina 1 neurons. In summary, our study describes a previously unappreciated mechanism of astrocyte-neuron metabolic communication through glycogen breakdown in the spinal cord that fuels spinal neuron hyperexcitability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shiying Lu
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Oliver Wyman GmbH, Munich, Germany
| | - Wojciech Ambroziak
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Translational Disease Understanding, Grünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Jialin Wang
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna A DePaoli-Roach
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Anna M Hagenston
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hagen Wende
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Taconic Biosciences, Leverkusen, Germany
| | | | - Manuela Simonetti
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hilmar Bading
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jürgen G Okun
- Dietmar-Hopp-Metabolic Center, Division of Neuropaediatrics and Metabolic Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolism and Clinical Chemistry (Internal Medicine 1), Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center of Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Jan Siemens
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg, Germany.
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3
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Mandel N, Büttner M, Poschet G, Kuner R, Agarwal N. SUMOylation Modulates Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Levels and Acts as a Protective Mechanism in the Type 2 Model of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy. Cells 2023; 12:2511. [PMID: 37947589 PMCID: PMC10648122 DOI: 10.3390/cells12212511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is the prevalent type of peripheral neuropathy; it primarily impacts extremity nerves. Its multifaceted nature makes the molecular mechanisms of diabetic neuropathy intricate and incompletely elucidated. Several types of post-translational modifications (PTMs) have been implicated in the development and progression of DPN, including phosphorylation, glycation, acetylation and SUMOylation. SUMOylation involves the covalent attachment of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) proteins to target proteins, and it plays a role in various cellular processes, including protein localization, stability, and function. While the specific relationship between high blood glucose and SUMOylation is not extensively studied, recent evidence implies its involvement in the development of DPN in type 1 diabetes. In this study, we investigated the impact of SUMOylation on the onset and progression of DPN in a type 2 diabetes model using genetically modified mutant mice lacking SUMOylation, specifically in peripheral sensory neurons (SNS-Ubc9-/-). Behavioural measurement for evoked pain, morphological analyses of nerve fibre loss in the epidermis, measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and antioxidant molecules were analysed over several months in SUMOylation-deficient and control mice. Our longitudinal analysis at 30 weeks post-high-fat diet revealed that SNS-Ubc9-/- mice exhibited earlier and more pronounced thermal and mechanical sensation loss and accelerated intraepidermal nerve fibre loss compared to control mice. Mechanistically, these changes are associated with increased levels of ROS both in sensory neuronal soma and in peripheral axonal nerve endings in SNS-Ubc9-/- mice. In addition, we observed compromised detoxifying potential, impaired respiratory chain complexes, and reduced levels of protective lipids in sensory neurons upon deletion of SUMOylation in diabetic mice. Importantly, we also identified mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (MDH2) as a SUMOylation target, the activity of which is negatively regulated by SUMOylation. Our results indicate that SUMOylation is an essential neuroprotective mechanism in sensory neurons in type 2 diabetes, the deletion of which causes oxidative stress and an impaired respiratory chain, resulting in energy depletion and subsequent damage to sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Mandel
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany (R.K.)
| | - Michael Büttner
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 360, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gernot Poschet
- Centre for Organismal Studies (COS), University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 360, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany (R.K.)
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany (R.K.)
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4
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Plum T, Binzberger R, Thiele R, Shang F, Postrach D, Fung C, Fortea M, Stakenborg N, Wang Z, Tappe-Theodor A, Poth T, MacLaren DAA, Boeckxstaens G, Kuner R, Pitzer C, Monyer H, Xin C, Bonventre JV, Tanaka S, Voehringer D, Vanden Berghe P, Strid J, Feyerabend TB, Rodewald HR. Mast cells link immune sensing to antigen-avoidance behaviour. Nature 2023; 620:634-642. [PMID: 37438525 PMCID: PMC10432277 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06188-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [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: 06/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The physiological functions of mast cells remain largely an enigma. In the context of barrier damage, mast cells are integrated in type 2 immunity and, together with immunoglobulin E (IgE), promote allergic diseases. Allergic symptoms may, however, facilitate expulsion of allergens, toxins and parasites and trigger future antigen avoidance1-3. Here, we show that antigen-specific avoidance behaviour in inbred mice4,5 is critically dependent on mast cells; hence, we identify the immunological sensor cell linking antigen recognition to avoidance behaviour. Avoidance prevented antigen-driven adaptive, innate and mucosal immune activation and inflammation in the stomach and small intestine. Avoidance was IgE dependent, promoted by Th2 cytokines in the immunization phase and by IgE in the execution phase. Mucosal mast cells lining the stomach and small intestine rapidly sensed antigen ingestion. We interrogated potential signalling routes between mast cells and the brain using mutant mice, pharmacological inhibition, neural activity recordings and vagotomy. Inhibition of leukotriene synthesis impaired avoidance, but overall no single pathway interruption completely abrogated avoidance, indicating complex regulation. Collectively, the stage for antigen avoidance is set when adaptive immunity equips mast cells with IgE as a telltale of past immune responses. On subsequent antigen ingestion, mast cells signal termination of antigen intake. Prevention of immunopathology-causing, continuous and futile responses against per se innocuous antigens or of repeated ingestion of toxins through mast-cell-mediated antigen-avoidance behaviour may be an important arm of immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Plum
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Rebecca Binzberger
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robin Thiele
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Fuwei Shang
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Postrach
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
- Faculty of Biosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Candice Fung
- Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marina Fortea
- Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Stakenborg
- Laboratory for Intestinal Neuroimmune Interactions, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Zheng Wang
- Laboratory for Intestinal Neuroimmune Interactions, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Tanja Poth
- Center for Model System and Comparative Pathology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Duncan A A MacLaren
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology of the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Guy Boeckxstaens
- Laboratory for Intestinal Neuroimmune Interactions, Department of Chronic Diseases, Metabolism and Ageing, Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology of the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cuiyan Xin
- Division of Renal Medicine and Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joseph V Bonventre
- Division of Renal Medicine and Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Satoshi Tanaka
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Division of Pathological Sciences, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - David Voehringer
- Department of Infection Biology, University Hospital Erlangen and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Pieter Vanden Berghe
- Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jessica Strid
- Department of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Thorsten B Feyerabend
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hans-Reimer Rodewald
- Division for Cellular Immunology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
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5
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Ziegler K, Folkard R, Gonzalez AJ, Burghardt J, Antharvedi-Goda S, Martin-Cortecero J, Isaías-Camacho E, Kaushalya S, Tan LL, Kuner T, Acuna C, Kuner R, Mease RA, Groh A. Primary somatosensory cortex bidirectionally modulates sensory gain and nociceptive behavior in a layer-specific manner. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2999. [PMID: 37225702 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary somatosensory cortex (S1) is a hub for body sensation of both innocuous and noxious signals, yet its role in somatosensation versus pain is debated. Despite known contributions of S1 to sensory gain modulation, its causal involvement in subjective sensory experiences remains elusive. Here, in mouse S1, we reveal the involvement of cortical output neurons in layers 5 (L5) and 6 (L6) in the perception of innocuous and noxious somatosensory signals. We find that L6 activation can drive aversive hypersensitivity and spontaneous nocifensive behavior. Linking behavior to neuronal mechanisms, we find that L6 enhances thalamic somatosensory responses, and in parallel, strongly suppresses L5 neurons. Directly suppressing L5 reproduced the pronociceptive phenotype induced by L6 activation, suggesting an anti-nociceptive function for L5 output. Indeed, L5 activation reduced sensory sensitivity and reversed inflammatory allodynia. Together, these findings reveal a layer-specific and bidirectional role for S1 in modulating subjective sensory experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Ziegler
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ross Folkard
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Antonio J Gonzalez
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jan Burghardt
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sailaja Antharvedi-Goda
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Emilio Isaías-Camacho
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sanjeev Kaushalya
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Claudio Acuna
- Chica and Heinz Schaller Research Group, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute for Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Audrey Mease
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Alexander Groh
- Medical Biophysics, Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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6
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Stegemann A, Liu S, Retana Romero OA, Oswald MJ, Han Y, Beretta CA, Gan Z, Tan LL, Wisden W, Gräff J, Kuner R. Prefrontal engrams of long-term fear memory perpetuate pain perception. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:820-829. [PMID: 37024573 PMCID: PMC10166861 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01291-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
A painful episode can lead to a life-long increase in an individual's experience of pain. Fearful anticipation of imminent pain could play a role in this phenomenon, but the neurobiological underpinnings are unclear because fear can both suppress and enhance pain. Here, we show in mice that long-term associative fear memory stored in neuronal engrams in the prefrontal cortex determines whether a painful episode shapes pain experience later in life. Furthermore, under conditions of inflammatory and neuropathic pain, prefrontal fear engrams expand to encompass neurons representing nociception and tactile sensation, leading to pronounced changes in prefrontal connectivity to fear-relevant brain areas. Conversely, silencing prefrontal fear engrams reverses chronically established hyperalgesia and allodynia. These results reveal that a discrete subset of prefrontal cortex neurons can account for the debilitating comorbidity of fear and chronic pain and show that attenuating the fear memory of pain can alleviate chronic pain itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Stegemann
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sheng Liu
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Yechao Han
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Zheng Gan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - William Wisden
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Johannes Gräff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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7
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Mittal D, Mease R, Kuner T, Flor H, Kuner R, Andoh J. Data management strategy for a collaborative research center. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad049. [PMID: 37401720 PMCID: PMC10318494 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of effective research data management (RDM) strategies to support the generation of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) neuroscience data grows with each advance in data acquisition techniques and research methods. To maximize the impact of diverse research strategies, multidisciplinary, large-scale neuroscience research consortia face a number of unsolved challenges in RDM. While open science principles are largely accepted, it is practically difficult for researchers to prioritize RDM over other pressing demands. The implementation of a coherent, executable RDM plan for consortia spanning animal, human, and clinical studies is becoming increasingly challenging. Here, we present an RDM strategy implemented for the Heidelberg Collaborative Research Consortium. Our consortium combines basic and clinical research in diverse populations (animals and humans) and produces highly heterogeneous and multimodal research data (e.g., neurophysiology, neuroimaging, genetics, behavior). We present a concrete strategy for initiating early-stage RDM and FAIR data generation for large-scale collaborative research consortia, with a focus on sustainable solutions that incentivize incremental RDM while respecting research-specific requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepti Mittal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jamila Andoh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
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8
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Gan Z, Gangadharan V, Liu S, Körber C, Tan LL, Li H, Oswald MJ, Kang J, Martin-Cortecero J, Männich D, Groh A, Kuner T, Wieland S, Kuner R. Layer-specific pain relief pathways originating from primary motor cortex. Science 2022; 378:1336-1343. [PMID: 36548429 DOI: 10.1126/science.add4391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The primary motor cortex (M1) is involved in the control of voluntary movements and is extensively mapped in this capacity. Although the M1 is implicated in modulation of pain, the underlying circuitry and causal underpinnings remain elusive. We unexpectedly unraveled a connection from the M1 to the nucleus accumbens reward circuitry through a M1 layer 6-mediodorsal thalamus pathway, which specifically suppresses negative emotional valence and associated coping behaviors in neuropathic pain. By contrast, layer 5 M1 neurons connect with specific cell populations in zona incerta and periaqueductal gray to suppress sensory hypersensitivity without altering pain affect. Thus, the M1 employs distinct, layer-specific pathways to attune sensory and aversive-emotional components of neuropathic pain, which can be exploited for purposes of pain relief.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gan
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vijayan Gangadharan
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sheng Liu
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Körber
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Han Li
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manfred Josef Oswald
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Juhyun Kang
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jesus Martin-Cortecero
- Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Deepitha Männich
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Groh
- Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wieland
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty Heidelberg and University Clinic Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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9
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Mauceri D, Kuner R. Protecting against summation of pain. Neuron 2022; 110:2513-2515. [PMID: 35981521 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Temporal summation in the spinal cord is linked to pathological pain. In a translational genetic association study in this issue of Neuron, Trendafilova et al. (2022) identify the sodium-calcium exchanger 3 as a negative regulator of temporal summation and hypersensitivity via its modulation of calcium homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mauceri
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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10
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Abstract
A circuit for sound-induced analgesia has been found in the mouse brain
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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11
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Gangadharan V, Zheng H, Taberner FJ, Landry J, Nees TA, Pistolic J, Agarwal N, Männich D, Benes V, Helmstaedter M, Ommer B, Lechner SG, Kuner T, Kuner R. Neuropathic pain caused by miswiring and abnormal end organ targeting. Nature 2022; 606:137-145. [PMID: 35614217 PMCID: PMC9159955 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04777-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Nerve injury leads to chronic pain and exaggerated sensitivity to gentle touch (allodynia) as well as a loss of sensation in the areas in which injured and non-injured nerves come together1–3. The mechanisms that disambiguate these mixed and paradoxical symptoms are unknown. Here we longitudinally and non-invasively imaged genetically labelled populations of fibres that sense noxious stimuli (nociceptors) and gentle touch (low-threshold afferents) peripherally in the skin for longer than 10 months after nerve injury, while simultaneously tracking pain-related behaviour in the same mice. Fully denervated areas of skin initially lost sensation, gradually recovered normal sensitivity and developed marked allodynia and aversion to gentle touch several months after injury. This reinnervation-induced neuropathic pain involved nociceptors that sprouted into denervated territories precisely reproducing the initial pattern of innervation, were guided by blood vessels and showed irregular terminal connectivity in the skin and lowered activation thresholds mimicking low-threshold afferents. By contrast, low-threshold afferents—which normally mediate touch sensation as well as allodynia in intact nerve territories after injury4–7—did not reinnervate, leading to an aberrant innervation of tactile end organs such as Meissner corpuscles with nociceptors alone. Genetic ablation of nociceptors fully abrogated reinnervation allodynia. Our results thus reveal the emergence of a form of chronic neuropathic pain that is driven by structural plasticity, abnormal terminal connectivity and malfunction of nociceptors during reinnervation, and provide a mechanistic framework for the paradoxical sensory manifestations that are observed clinically and can impose a heavy burden on patients. Longitudinal imaging of nerve fibres in mice reveals that reinnervation after nerve injury can lead to neuropathic pain, which is mediated through aberrant patterns of reinnervation in denervated areas by nociceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vijayan Gangadharan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hongwei Zheng
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Francisco J Taberner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-CSIC, San Juan de Alicante, Spain
| | - Jonathan Landry
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Timo A Nees
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jelena Pistolic
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Deepitha Männich
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vladimir Benes
- Genomics Core Facility, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Björn Ommer
- Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan G Lechner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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12
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Litke C, Hagenston AM, Kenkel AK, Paldy E, Lu J, Kuner R, Mauceri D. Organic anion transporter 1 is an HDAC4-regulated mediator of nociceptive hypersensitivity in mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:875. [PMID: 35169129 PMCID: PMC8847565 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Persistent pain is sustained by maladaptive changes in gene transcription resulting in altered function of the relevant circuits; therapies are still unsatisfactory. The epigenetic mechanisms and affected genes linking nociceptive activity to transcriptional changes and pathological sensitivity are unclear. Here, we found that, among several histone deacetylases (HDACs), synaptic activity specifically affects HDAC4 in murine spinal cord dorsal horn neurons. Noxious stimuli that induce long-lasting inflammatory hypersensitivity cause nuclear export and inactivation of HDAC4. The development of inflammation-associated mechanical hypersensitivity, but neither acute nor basal sensitivity, is impaired by the expression of a constitutively nuclear localized HDAC4 mutant. Next generation RNA-sequencing revealed an HDAC4-regulated gene program comprising mediators of sensitization including the organic anion transporter OAT1, known for its renal transport function. Using pharmacological and molecular tools to modulate OAT1 activity or expression, we causally link OAT1 to persistent inflammatory hypersensitivity in mice. Thus, HDAC4 is a key epigenetic regulator that translates nociceptive activity into sensitization by regulating OAT1, which is a potential target for pain-relieving therapies. Chronic pain is sustained by alterations in gene transcription. Here, the authors show that increased expression of Organic Anionic Transporter 1 in the spinal cord is epigenetically controlled and key to hypersensitivity in pathological pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Litke
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna M Hagenston
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ann-Kristin Kenkel
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eszter Paldy
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jianning Lu
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniela Mauceri
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, INF 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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13
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Xie RG, Chu WG, Liu DL, Wang X, Ma SB, Wang F, Wang FD, Lin Z, Wu WB, Lu N, Liu YY, Han WJ, Zhang H, Bai ZT, Hu SJ, Tao HR, Kuner T, Zhang X, Kuner R, Wu SX, Luo C. Presynaptic NMDARs on spinal nociceptor terminals state-dependently modulate synaptic transmission and pain. Nat Commun 2022; 13:728. [PMID: 35132099 PMCID: PMC8821657 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28429-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postsynaptic NMDARs at spinal synapses are required for postsynaptic long-term potentiation and chronic pain. However, how presynaptic NMDARs (PreNMDARs) in spinal nociceptor terminals control presynaptic plasticity and pain hypersensitivity has remained unclear. Here we report that PreNMDARs in spinal nociceptor terminals modulate synaptic transmission in a nociceptive tone-dependent manner. PreNMDARs depresses presynaptic transmission in basal state, while paradoxically causing presynaptic potentiation upon injury. This state-dependent modulation is dependent on Ca2+ influx via PreNMDARs. Small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels are responsible for PreNMDARs-mediated synaptic depression. Rather, tissue inflammation induces PreNMDARs-PKG-I-dependent BDNF secretion from spinal nociceptor terminals, leading to SK channels downregulation, which in turn converts presynaptic depression to potentiation. Our findings shed light on the state-dependent characteristics of PreNMDARs in spinal nociceptor terminals on modulating nociceptive transmission and revealed a mechanism underlying state-dependent transition. Moreover, we identify PreNMDARs in spinal nociceptor terminals as key constituents of activity-dependent pain sensitization. Postsynaptic NMDARs at spinal synapses are required for postsynaptic long-term potentiation and chronic pain. Here, the authors show that also presynaptic NMDARs in spinal nociceptor terminals modulate synaptic transmission in a nociceptive tone-dependent manner.
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14
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Morgenstern J, Groener JB, Jende JME, Kurz FT, Strom A, Göpfert J, Kender Z, Le Marois M, Brune M, Kuner R, Herzig S, Roden M, Ziegler D, Bendszus M, Szendroedi J, Nawroth P, Kopf S, Fleming T. Correction to: Neuron-specific biomarkers predict hypo- and hyperalgesia in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Diabetologia 2022; 65:257. [PMID: 34633471 PMCID: PMC9172821 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-021-05588-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Morgenstern
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jan B Groener
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Medicover München Neuroendokrinologie, Munich, Germany
| | - Johann M E Jende
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix T Kurz
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Strom
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jens Göpfert
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Zoltan Kender
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maxime Le Marois
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maik Brune
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Herzig
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Roden
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dan Ziegler
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin Bendszus
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Szendroedi
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Peter Nawroth
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kopf
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
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15
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Morgenstern J, Groener JB, Jende JME, Kurz FT, Strom A, Göpfert J, Kender Z, Le Marois M, Brune M, Kuner R, Herzig S, Roden M, Ziegler D, Bendszus M, Szendroedi J, Nawroth P, Kopf S, Fleming T. Neuron-specific biomarkers predict hypo- and hyperalgesia in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Diabetologia 2021; 64:2843-2855. [PMID: 34480211 PMCID: PMC8563617 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-021-05557-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS The individual risk of progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is difficult to predict for each individual. Mutations in proteins that are responsible for the process of myelination are known to cause neurodegeneration and display alteration in experimental models of diabetic neuropathy. In a prospective observational human pilot study, we investigated myelin-specific circulating mRNA targets, which have been identified in vitro, for their capacity in the diagnosis and prediction of diabetic neuropathy. The most promising candidate was tested against the recently established biomarker of neural damage, neurofilament light chain protein. METHODS Schwann cells were cultured under high-glucose conditions and mRNAs of various myelin-specific genes were screened intra- and extracellularly. Ninety-two participants with type 2 diabetes and 30 control participants were enrolled and evaluated for peripheral neuropathy using neuropathy deficit scores, neuropathy symptom scores and nerve conduction studies as well as quantitative sensory testing at baseline and after 12/24 months of a follow-up period. Magnetic resonance neurography of the sciatic nerve was performed in 37 individuals. Neurofilament light chain protein and four myelin-specific mRNA transcripts derived from in vitro screenings were measured in the serum of all participants. The results were tested for associations with specific neuropathic deficits, fractional anisotropy and the progression of neuropathic deficits at baseline and after 12 and 24 months. RESULTS In neuronal Schwann cells and human nerve sections, myelin protein zero was identified as the strongest candidate for a biomarker study. Circulating mRNA of myelin protein zero was decreased significantly in participants with diabetic neuropathy (p < 0.001), whereas neurofilament light chain protein showed increased levels in participants with diabetic neuropathy (p < 0.05). Both variables were linked to altered electrophysiology, fractional anisotropy and quantitative sensory testing. In a receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis myelin protein zero improved the diagnostic performance significantly in combination with a standard model (diabetes duration, age, BMI, HbA1c) from an AUC of 0.681 to 0.836 for the detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. A follow-up study revealed that increased neurofilament light chain was associated with the development of a hyperalgesic phenotype (p < 0.05), whereas decreased myelin protein zero predicted hypoalgesia (p < 0.001) and progressive loss of nerve function 24 months in advance (HR of 6.519). CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION This study introduces a dynamic and non-invasive assessment strategy for the underlying pathogenesis of diabetic peripheral neuropathy. The diagnosis of axonal degeneration, associated with hyperalgesia, and demyelination, linked to hypoalgesia, could benefit from the usage of neurofilament light chain protein and circulating mRNA of myelin protein zero as potential biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Morgenstern
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Jan B Groener
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Medicover München Neuroendokrinologie, Munich, Germany
| | - Johann M E Jende
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix T Kurz
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Strom
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jens Göpfert
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Zoltan Kender
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maxime Le Marois
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maik Brune
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stephan Herzig
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michael Roden
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dan Ziegler
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center for Diabetes Research at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Division of Endocrinology and Diabetology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin Bendszus
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Szendroedi
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Peter Nawroth
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer at Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kopf
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
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Abstract
The sensory, associative and limbic neocortical structures play a critical role in shaping incoming noxious inputs to generate variable pain perceptions. Technological advances in tracing circuitry and interrogation of pathways and complex behaviours are now yielding critical knowledge of neocortical circuits, cellular contributions and causal relationships between pain perception and its abnormalities in chronic pain. Emerging insights into neocortical pain processing suggest the existence of neocortical causality and specificity for pain at the level of subdomains, circuits and cellular entities and the activity patterns they encode. These mechanisms provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention for improved pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linette Liqi Tan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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17
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Tan LL, Oswald MJ, Kuner R. Neurobiology of brain oscillations in acute and chronic pain. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:629-642. [PMID: 34176645 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a complex perceptual phenomenon. Coordinated activity among local and distant brain networks is a central element of the neural underpinnings of pain. Brain oscillatory rhythms across diverse frequency ranges provide a functional substrate for coordinating activity across local neuronal ensembles and anatomically distant brain areas in pain networks. This review addresses parallels between insights from human and rodent analyses of oscillatory rhythms in acute and chronic pain and discusses recent rodent-based studies that have shed light on mechanistic underpinnings of brain oscillatory dynamics in pain-related behaviors. We highlight the potential for therapeutic modulation of oscillatory rhythms, and identify outstanding questions and challenges to be addressed in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linette Liqi Tan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Manfred Josef Oswald
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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18
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Van Battum E, Heitz-Marchaland C, Zagar Y, Fouquet S, Kuner R, Chédotal A. Plexin-B2 controls the timing of differentiation and the motility of cerebellar granule neurons. eLife 2021; 10:60554. [PMID: 34100719 PMCID: PMC8211449 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plexin-B2 deletion leads to aberrant lamination of cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) and Purkinje cells. Although in the cerebellum Plexin-B2 is only expressed by proliferating CGN precursors in the outer external granule layer (oEGL), its function in CGN development is still elusive. Here, we used 3D imaging, in vivo electroporation and live-imaging techniques to study CGN development in novel cerebellum-specific Plxnb2 conditional knockout mice. We show that proliferating CGNs in Plxnb2 mutants not only escape the oEGL and mix with newborn postmitotic CGNs. Furthermore, motility of mitotic precursors and early postmitotic CGNs is altered. Together, this leads to the formation of ectopic patches of CGNs at the cerebellar surface and an intermingling of normally time-stamped parallel fibers in the molecular layer (ML), and aberrant arborization of Purkinje cell dendrites. There results suggest that Plexin-B2 restricts CGN motility and might have a function in cytokinesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eljo Van Battum
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | | | - Yvrick Zagar
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Fouquet
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alain Chédotal
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris, France
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19
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Gan Z, Li H, Naser PV, Oswald MJ, Kuner R. Suppression of neuropathic pain and comorbidities by recurrent cycles of repetitive transcranial direct current motor cortex stimulation in mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:9735. [PMID: 33958647 PMCID: PMC8102487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89122-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial, minimally-invasive stimulation of the primary motor cortex (M1) has recently emerged to show promise in treating clinically refractory neuropathic pain. However, there is a major need for improving efficacy, reducing variability and understanding mechanisms. Rodent models hold promise in helping to overcome these obstacles. However, there still remains a major divide between clinical and preclinical studies with respect to stimulation programs, analysis of pain as a multidimensional sensory-affective-motivational state and lack of focus on chronic phases of established pain. Here, we employed direct transcranial M1 stimulation (M1 tDCS) either as a single 5-day block or recurring blocks of repetitive stimulation over early or chronic phases of peripherally-induced neuropathic pain in mice. We report that repeated blocks of stimulation reverse established neuropathic mechanical allodynia more strongly than a single 5-day regime and also suppress cold allodynia, aversive behavior and anxiety without adversely affecting motor function over a long period. Activity mapping revealed highly selective alterations in the posterior insula, periaqueductal gray subdivisions and superficial spinal laminae in reversal of mechanical allodynia. Our preclinical data reveal multimodal analgesia and improvement in quality of life by multiple blocks of M1 tDCS and uncover underlying brain networks, thus helping promote clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Gan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Han Li
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paul Vincent Naser
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manfred Josef Oswald
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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20
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Bali KK, Gandla J, Rangel DR, Castaldi L, Mouritzen P, Agarwal N, Schmelz M, Heppenstall P, Kuner R. A genome-wide screen reveals microRNAs in peripheral sensory neurons driving painful diabetic neuropathy. Pain 2021; 162:1334-1351. [PMID: 33492037 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Diabetes is a leading cause of peripheral neuropathy (diabetic peripheral neuropathy, DPN), and uncontrolled long-lasting hyperglycemia leads to severe complications. A major proportion of diabetics develop excruciating pain with a variable course. Mechanisms leading to painful DPN are not completely understood and treatment options limited. We hypothesized that epigenetic modulation at the level of microRNA (miRNA) expression triggered by metabolic imbalance and nerve damage regulates the course of pain development. We used clinically relevant preclinical models, genome-wide screening, in silico analyses, cellular assays, miRNA fluorescent in situ hybridization, in vivo molecular manipulations, and behavioral analyses in the current study. We identified miRNAs and their targets that critically impact on nociceptive hypersensitivity in painful DPN. Our analyses identify miR-33 and miR-380 expressed in nociceptive neurons as critical denominators of diabetic pain and miR-124-1 as a mediator of physiological nociception. Our comprehensive analyses on the putative mRNA targets for miR-33 or miR-124-1 identified a set of mRNAs that are regulated after miR-33 or miR-124-1 overexpression in dorsal root ganglia in vivo. Our results shed light on the regulation of DPN pathophysiology and implicate specific miRNAs as novel therapeutic targets for treating painful DPN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kumar Bali
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany . Dr. Bali is now with the Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jagadeesh Gandla
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany . Dr. Bali is now with the Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Daniel Rojas Rangel
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany . Dr. Bali is now with the Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | | | - Nitin Agarwal
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany . Dr. Bali is now with the Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Martin Schmelz
- Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany . Dr. Bali is now with the Department of Experimental Pain Research, Mannheim Center for Translational Neuroscience (MCTN), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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21
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Deshpande D, Agarwal N, Fleming T, Gaveriaux-Ruff C, Klose CSN, Tappe-Theodor A, Kuner R, Nawroth P. Publisher Correction: Loss of POMC-mediated antinociception contributes to painful diabetic neuropathy. Nat Commun 2021; 12:989. [PMID: 33558501 PMCID: PMC7870942 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21406-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Divija Deshpande
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, INF 410, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany.,Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, INF 410, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Claire Gaveriaux-Ruff
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Department of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Illkirch, France.,Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104, Illkirch, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258, Illkirch, France.,Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Christoph S N Klose
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Tappe-Theodor
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany
| | - Peter Nawroth
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, INF 410, Heidelberg, Germany. .,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany. .,Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Program, Helmholtz Zentrum, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany.
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22
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Deshpande D, Agarwal N, Fleming T, Gaveriaux-Ruff C, Klose CSN, Tappe-Theodor A, Kuner R, Nawroth P. Loss of POMC-mediated antinociception contributes to painful diabetic neuropathy. Nat Commun 2021; 12:426. [PMID: 33462216 PMCID: PMC7814083 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20677-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Painful neuropathy is a frequent complication in diabetes. Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is an endogenous opioid precursor peptide, which plays a protective role against pain. Here, we report dysfunctional POMC-mediated antinociception in sensory neurons in diabetes. In streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice the Pomc promoter is repressed due to increased binding of NF-kB p50 subunit, leading to a loss in basal POMC level in peripheral nerves. Decreased POMC levels are also observed in peripheral nervous system tissue from diabetic patients. The antinociceptive pathway mediated by POMC is further impaired due to lysosomal degradation of μ-opioid receptor (MOR). Importantly, the neuropathic phenotype of the diabetic mice is rescued upon viral overexpression of POMC and MOR in the sensory ganglia. This study identifies an antinociceptive mechanism in the sensory ganglia that paves a way for a potential therapy for diabetic neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divija Deshpande
- grid.5253.10000 0001 0328 4908Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, INF 410 Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany ,grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- grid.5253.10000 0001 0328 4908Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, INF 410 Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.452622.5German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Claire Gaveriaux-Ruff
- grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Department of Translational Medicine and Neurogenetics, Illkirch, France ,grid.420255.40000 0004 0638 2716Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France ,grid.4444.00000 0001 2112 9282Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR7104 Illkirch, France ,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1258 Illkirch, France ,grid.418692.00000 0004 0610 0264Ecole Supérieure de Biotechnologie de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France
| | - Christoph S. N. Klose
- grid.6363.00000 0001 2218 4662Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12203 Berlin, Germany
| | - Anke Tappe-Theodor
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany
| | - Peter Nawroth
- grid.5253.10000 0001 0328 4908Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University Hospital of Heidelberg, INF 410 Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.452622.5German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany ,Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Program, Helmholtz Zentrum, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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23
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García-González D, Dumitru I, Zuccotti A, Yen TY, Herranz-Pérez V, Tan LL, Neitz A, García-Verdugo JM, Kuner R, Alfonso J, Monyer H. Correction: Neurogenesis of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens continues into adulthood and is enhanced by pathological pain. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7851. [PMID: 34099875 PMCID: PMC8873006 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01177-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diego García-González
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XPresent Address: Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ionut Dumitru
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Present Address: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annalisa Zuccotti
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ting-Yun Yen
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany ,grid.28665.3f0000 0001 2287 1366Taiwan International Graduate Program in Molecular Medicine, National Yang-Ming University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Vicente Herranz-Pérez
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XLaboratory of Comparative Neurobiology, Cavanilles Institute, University of Valencia, CIBERNED, Valencia, Spain ,grid.9612.c0000 0001 1957 9153Predepartamental Unit of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló de la Plana, Spain
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angela Neitz
- grid.7497.d0000 0004 0492 0584Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - José Manuel García-Verdugo
- grid.5338.d0000 0001 2173 938XLaboratory of Comparative Neurobiology, Cavanilles Institute, University of Valencia, CIBERNED, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rohini Kuner
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julieta Alfonso
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Hannah Monyer
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany.
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24
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Simonetti M, Paldy E, Njoo C, Bali KK, Worzfeld T, Pitzer C, Kuner T, Offermanns S, Mauceri D, Kuner R. The impact of Semaphorin 4C/Plexin-B2 signaling on fear memory via remodeling of neuronal and synaptic morphology. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1376-1398. [PMID: 31444474 PMCID: PMC7985029 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0491-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant fear is a cornerstone of several psychiatric disorders. Consequently, there is large interest in elucidation of signaling mechanisms that link extracellular cues to changes in neuronal function and structure in brain pathways that are important in the generation and maintenance of fear memory and its behavioral expression. Members of the Plexin-B family of receptors for class 4 semaphorins play important roles in developmental plasticity of neurons, and their expression persists in some areas of the adult nervous system. Here, we aimed to elucidate the role of Semaphorin 4C (Sema4C) and its cognate receptor, Plexin-B2, in the expression of contextual and cued fear memory, setting a mechanistic focus on structural plasticity and exploration of contributing signaling pathways. We observed that Plexin-B2 and Sema4C are expressed in forebrain areas related to fear memory, such as the anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala and the hippocampus, and their expression is regulated by aversive stimuli that induce fear memory. By generating forebrain-specific Plexin-B2 knockout mice and analyzing fear-related behaviors, we demonstrate that Sema4C-PlexinB2 signaling plays a crucial functional role in the recent and remote recall of fear memory. Detailed neuronal morphological analyses revealed that Sema4C-PlexinB2 signaling largely mediates fear-induced structural plasticity by enhancing dendritic ramifications and modulating synaptic density in the adult hippocampus. Analyses on signaling-related mutant mice showed that these functions are mediated by PlexinB2-dependent RhoA activation. These results deliver important insights into the mechanistic understanding of maladaptive plasticity in fear circuits and have implications for novel therapeutic strategies against fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Simonetti
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eszter Paldy
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Njoo
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kiran Kumar Bali
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Worzfeld
- grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Institute of Pharmacology, Marburg University, Karl-von-Frisch-Str. 1, 35043 Marburg, Germany ,grid.418032.c0000 0004 0491 220XDepartment of Pharmacology, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Claudia Pitzer
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Interdisciplinary Neurobehavioral Core, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 515, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Anatomy and Cell Biology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 307, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Offermanns
- grid.418032.c0000 0004 0491 220XDepartment of Pharmacology, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstrasse 43, 61231 Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Daniela Mauceri
- grid.7700.00000 0001 2190 4373Department of Neurobiology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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25
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Demir IE, Reyes CM, Alrawashdeh W, Ceyhan GO, Deborde S, Friess H, Görgülü K, Istvanffy R, Jungwirth D, Kuner R, Maryanovich M, Na'ara S, Renders S, Saloman JL, Scheff NN, Steenfadt H, Stupakov P, Thiel V, Verma D, Yilmaz BS, White RA, Wang TC, Wong RJ, Frenette PS, Gil Z, Davis BM. Future directions in preclinical and translational cancer neuroscience research. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 1:1027-1031. [PMID: 34327335 DOI: 10.1038/s43018-020-00146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recent advances in cancer neuroscience necessitate the systematic analysis of neural influences in cancer as potential therapeutic targets in oncology. Here, we outline recommendations for future preclinical and translational research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihsan Ekin Demir
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,Department of General Surgery, HPB-Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Carmen Mota Reyes
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Wasfi Alrawashdeh
- Department of HPB and Transplant Surgery, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
| | - Güralp O Ceyhan
- Department of General Surgery, HPB-Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sylvie Deborde
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Helmut Friess
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Kıvanç Görgülü
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Rouzanna Istvanffy
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - David Jungwirth
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Maryanovich
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Shorook Na'ara
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Simon Renders
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jami L Saloman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nicole N Scheff
- Hillman Cancer Center and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hendrik Steenfadt
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Pavel Stupakov
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Vera Thiel
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Divij Verma
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Bengi Su Yilmaz
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.,German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Germany.,CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Ruth A White
- Division of Hematology ad Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy C Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard J Wong
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Paul S Frenette
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.,Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ziv Gil
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.,Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Brian M Davis
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research and, Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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26
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Hirth M, Gandla J, Höper C, Gaida MM, Agarwal N, Simonetti M, Demir A, Xie Y, Weiss C, Michalski CW, Hackert T, Ebert MP, Kuner R. CXCL10 and CCL21 Promote Migration of Pancreatic Cancer Cells Toward Sensory Neurons and Neural Remodeling in Tumors in Mice, Associated With Pain in Patients. Gastroenterology 2020; 159:665-681.e13. [PMID: 32330476 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is frequently accompanied by excruciating pain, which has been associated with attraction of cancer cells and their invasion of intrapancreatic sensory nerves. Neutralization of the chemokine CCL2 reduced cancer-associated pain in a clinical trial, but there have been no systematic analyses of the highly diverse chemokine families and their receptors in PDAC. METHODS We performed an open, unbiased RNA-interference screen of mammalian chemokines in co-cultures of mouse PDAC cells (K8484) and mouse peripheral sensory neurons, and confirmed findings in studies of DT8082 PDAC cells. We studied the effects of chemokines on migration of PDAC cell lines. Orthotopic tumors were grown from K8484 cells in mice, and mice were given injections of neutralizing antibodies against chemokines, antagonists, or control antibodies. We analyzed abdominal mechanical hypersensitivity and collected tumors and analyzed them by histology and immunohistochemistry to assess neural remodeling. We collected PDAC samples and information on pain levels from 74 patients undergoing resection and measured levels of CXCR3 and CCR7 by immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting. RESULTS Knockdown of 9 chemokines in DRG neurons significantly reduced migration of PDAC cells towards sensory neurons. Sensory neuron-derived CCL21 and CXCL10 promoted migration of PDAC cells via their receptors CCR7 and CXCR3, respectively, which were expressed by cells in orthotopic tumors and PDAC specimens from patients. Neutralization of CCL21 or CXCL10, or their receptors, in mice with orthotopic tumors significantly reduced nociceptive hypersensitivity and nerve fiber hypertrophy and improved behavioral parameters without affecting tumor infiltration by T cells or neutrophils. Increased levels of CXCR3 and CCR7 in human PDAC specimens were associated with increased frequency of cancer-associated pain, determined from patient questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS In an unbiased screen of chemokines, we identified CCL21 and CXCL10 as proteins that promote migration of pancreatic cancer cells toward sensory neurons. Inhibition of these chemokines or their receptors reduce hypersensitivity in mice with orthotopic tumors, and patients with PDACs with high levels of the chemokine receptors of CXCR3 and CCR7 had increased frequency of cancer-associated pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Hirth
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Medicine II, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty at Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jagadeesh Gandla
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Höper
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias M Gaida
- Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manuela Simonetti
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aykut Demir
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Yong Xie
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Cleo Weiss
- Institute of Pathology, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christoph W Michalski
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Surgery, Halle University Hospital, Halle, Germany
| | - Thilo Hackert
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias P Ebert
- Department of Medicine II, University Medical Center Mannheim, Medical Faculty at Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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27
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Demir IE, Reyes CM, Alrawashdeh W, Ceyhan GO, Deborde S, Friess H, Görgülü K, Istvanffy R, Jungwirth D, Kuner R, Maryanovich M, Na'ara S, Renders S, Saloman JL, Scheff NN, Steenfadt H, Stupakov P, Thiel V, Verma D, Yilmaz BS, White RA, Wang TC, Wong RJ, Frenette PS, Gil Z, Davis BM. Clinically Actionable Strategies for Studying Neural Influences in Cancer. Cancer Cell 2020; 38:11-14. [PMID: 32531270 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2020.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Neuro-glial activation is a recently identified hallmark of growing cancers. Targeting tumor hyperinnervation in preclinical and small clinical trials has yielded promising antitumor effects, highlighting the need of systematic analysis of neural influences in cancer (NIC). Here, we outline the strategies translating these findings from bench to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihsan Ekin Demir
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; Department of General Surgery, HPB-Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany.
| | - Carmen Mota Reyes
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Wasfi Alrawashdeh
- Department of HPB and Transplant Surgery, The Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, UK
| | - Güralp O Ceyhan
- Department of General Surgery, HPB-Unit, School of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Sylvie Deborde
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Helmut Friess
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Kivanc Görgülü
- Comprehensive Cancer Center Munich, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Rouzanna Istvanffy
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - David Jungwirth
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Maria Maryanovich
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Shorook Na'ara
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Simon Renders
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine V, Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jami L Saloman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, & Nutrition, Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nicole N Scheff
- Hillman Cancer Center and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Hendrik Steenfadt
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Pavel Stupakov
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Vera Thiel
- Division of Stem Cells and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Institute for Stem Cell Technology and Experimental Medicine (HI-STEM gGmbH), 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine V, Hematology, Oncology and Rheumatology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Divij Verma
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Bengi Su Yilmaz
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany; German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany; CRC 1321 Modelling and Targeting Pancreatic Cancer, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, School of Medicine, Munich, Germany
| | - Ruth A White
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Timothy C Wang
- Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard J Wong
- Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul S Frenette
- Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ziv Gil
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and the Laboratory for Applied Cancer Research, Rappaport Institute of Medicine and Research, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel; Head and Neck Center, Rambam Healthcare Campus, Haifa, Israel
| | - Brian M Davis
- Center for Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research and Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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28
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Abstract
Neuropathic pain caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system is a common chronic pain condition with major impact on quality of life. Examples include trigeminal neuralgia, painful polyneuropathy, postherpetic neuralgia, and central poststroke pain. Most patients complain of an ongoing or intermittent spontaneous pain of, for example, burning, pricking, squeezing quality, which may be accompanied by evoked pain, particular to light touch and cold. Ectopic activity in, for example, nerve-end neuroma, compressed nerves or nerve roots, dorsal root ganglia, and the thalamus may in different conditions underlie the spontaneous pain. Evoked pain may spread to neighboring areas, and the underlying pathophysiology involves peripheral and central sensitization. Maladaptive structural changes and a number of cell-cell interactions and molecular signaling underlie the sensitization of nociceptive pathways. These include alteration in ion channels, activation of immune cells, glial-derived mediators, and epigenetic regulation. The major classes of therapeutics include drugs acting on α2δ subunits of calcium channels, sodium channels, and descending modulatory inhibitory pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanna Brix Finnerup
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; and Department of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; and Department of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Troels Staehelin Jensen
- Danish Pain Research Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark; and Department of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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29
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Abstract
Chronic, pathological pain remains a global health problem and a challenge to basic and clinical sciences. A major obstacle to preventing, treating, or reverting chronic pain has been that the nature of neural circuits underlying the diverse components of the complex, multidimensional experience of pain is not well understood. Moreover, chronic pain involves diverse maladaptive plasticity processes, which have not been decoded mechanistically in terms of involvement of specific circuits and cause-effect relationships. This review aims to discuss recent advances in our understanding of circuit connectivity in the mammalian brain at the level of regional contributions and specific cell types in acute and chronic pain. A major focus is placed on functional dissection of sub-neocortical brain circuits using optogenetics, chemogenetics, and imaging technological tools in rodent models with a view towards decoding sensory, affective, and motivational-cognitive dimensions of pain. The review summarizes recent breakthroughs and insights on structure-function properties in nociceptive circuits and higher order sub-neocortical modulatory circuits involved in aversion, learning, reward, and mood and their modulation by endogenous GABAergic inhibition, noradrenergic, cholinergic, dopaminergic, serotonergic, and peptidergic pathways. The knowledge of neural circuits and their dynamic regulation via functional and structural plasticity will be beneficial towards designing and improving targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany; and Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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30
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Schwarz D, Hidmark AS, Sturm V, Fischer M, Milford D, Hausser I, Sahm F, Breckwoldt MO, Agarwal N, Kuner R, Bendszus M, Nawroth PP, Heiland S, Fleming T. Characterization of experimental diabetic neuropathy using multicontrast magnetic resonance neurography at ultra high field strength. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7593. [PMID: 32371885 PMCID: PMC7200726 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64585-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In light of the limited treatment options of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) available, suitable animal models are essential to investigate pathophysiological mechanisms and to identify potential therapeutic targets. In vivo evaluation with current techniques, however, often provides only restricted information about disease evolution. In the study of patients with DPN, magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) has been introduced as an innovative diagnostic tool detecting characteristic lesions within peripheral nerves. We developed a novel multicontrast ultra high field MRN strategy to examine major peripheral nerve segments in diabetic mice non-invasively. It was first validated in a cross-platform approach on human nerve tissue and then applied to the popular streptozotocin(STZ)-induced mouse model of DPN. In the absence of gross morphologic alterations, a distinct MR-signature within the sciatic nerve was observed mirroring subtle changes of the nerves’ fibre composition and ultrastructure, potentially indicating early re-arrangements of DPN. Interestingly, these signal alterations differed from previously reported typical nerve lesions of patients with DPN. The capacity of our approach to non-invasively assess sciatic nerve tissue structure and function within a given mouse model provides a powerful tool for direct translational comparison to human disease hallmarks not only in diabetes but also in other peripheral neuropathic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schwarz
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Asa S Hidmark
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 410, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Sturm
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manuel Fischer
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Milford
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ingrid Hausser
- Institute of Pathology IPH, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 224, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Felix Sahm
- Department of Neuropathology, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Heidelberg, INF 224, Heidelberg, Germany.,CCU Neuropathology, German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael O Breckwoldt
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, INF 366, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martin Bendszus
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter P Nawroth
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 410, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany.,Joint Division Molecular Metabolic Control, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH) and Heidelberg University Hospital University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Institute for Diabetes and Cancer IDC Helmholtz Center Munich and Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Program, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sabine Heiland
- Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 400, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Fleming
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg University Hospital, INF 410, Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg, Germany
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31
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Abstract
With the current unmet demand for effective analgesics and the opioid crisis, pain relief without major central adverse effects is highly appealing. In this issue of Neuron, Snyder et al. (2018) report on the localization, functions, and therapeutic potential of kappa opioid receptors in peripheral sensory neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V Naser
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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32
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Oliveira AM, Litke C, Paldy E, Hagenston AM, Lu J, Kuner R, Bading H, Mauceri D. Epigenetic control of hypersensitivity in chronic inflammatory pain by the de novo DNA methyltransferase Dnmt3a2. Mol Pain 2019; 15:1744806919827469. [PMID: 30638145 PMCID: PMC6362517 DOI: 10.1177/1744806919827469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a pathological manifestation of neuronal plasticity supported by altered gene transcription in spinal cord neurons that results in long-lasting hypersensitivity. Recently, the concept that epigenetic regulators might be important in pathological pain has emerged, but a clear understanding of the molecular players involved in the process is still lacking. In this study, we linked Dnmt3a2, a synaptic activity-regulated de novo DNA methyltransferase, to chronic inflammatory pain. We observed that Dnmt3a2 levels are increased in the spinal cord of adult mice following plantar injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant, an in vivo model of chronic inflammatory pain. In vivo knockdown of Dnmt3a2 expression in dorsal horn neurons blunted the induction of genes triggered by Complete Freund's Adjuvant injection. Among the genes whose transcription was found to be influenced by Dnmt3a2 expression in the spinal cord is Ptgs2, encoding for Cox-2, a prime mediator of pain processing. Lowering the levels of Dnmt3a2 prevented the establishment of long-lasting inflammatory hypersensitivity. These results identify Dnmt3a2 as an important epigenetic regulator needed for the establishment of central sensitization. Targeting expression or function of Dnmt3a2 may be suitable for the treatment of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Mm Oliveira
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Litke
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eszter Paldy
- 2 Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna M Hagenston
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jianning Lu
- 2 Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- 2 Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hilmar Bading
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniela Mauceri
- 1 Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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33
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Rojas DR, Kuner R, Agarwal N. Metabolomic signature of type 1 diabetes-induced sensory loss and nerve damage in diabetic neuropathy. J Mol Med (Berl) 2019; 97:845-854. [PMID: 30949723 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-019-01781-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic-induced peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a highly complex and frequent diabetic late complication, which is manifested by prolonged hyperglycemia. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of nerve damage and sensory loss remain largely unclear. Recently, alteration in metabolic flux has gained attention as a basis for organ damage in diabetes; however, peripheral sensory neurons have not been adequately analyzed with respect to metabolic dysfunction. In the present study, we attempted to delineate the sequence of event occurring in alteration of metabolic pathways in relation to nerve damage and sensory loss. C57Bl6/j wild-type mice were analyzed longitudinally up to 22 weeks in the streptozotocin (STZ) model of type 1 diabetes. The progression of DPN was investigated by behavioral measurements of sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimuli and quantitative morphological assessment of intraepidermal nerve fiber density. We employed a mass spectrometry-based screen to address alterations in levels of metabolites in peripheral sciatic nerve and amino acids in serum over several months post-STZ administration to elucidate metabolic dysfunction longitudinally in relation to sensory dysfunction. Although hyperglycemia and body weight changes occurred early, sensory loss and reduced intraepithelial branching of nociceptive nerves were only evident at 22 weeks post-STZ. The longitudinal metabolites screen in peripheral nerves demonstrated that compared with buffer-injected age-matched control mice, mice at 12 and 22 weeks post-STZ showed an early impairment the tricaoboxylic acid (TCA cycle), which is the main pathway of carbohydrate metabolism leading to energy generation. We found that levels of citric acid, ketoglutaric acid (2 KG), succinic acid, fumaric acid, and malic acid were observed to be significantly reduced in sciatic nerve at 22 weeks post-STZ. In addition, we also found the increase in levels of sorbitol and L-lactate in peripheral nerve from 12 weeks post-STZ injection. Amino acid screen in serum showed that the amino acids valine (Val), isoleucine (Ile), and leucine (Leu), grouped together as BCAA, increased more than twofold from 12 weeks post-STZ. Similarly, the levels of tyrosine (Tyr), asparagine (Asn), serine (Ser), histidine (His), alanine (Ala), and proline (Pro) showed progressive increase with progression of diabetes. Our results indicate that the impaired TCA cycle metabolites in peripheral nerve are the primary cause of shunting metabolic substrate to compensatory pathways, which leads to sensory nerve fiber loss in skin and contribute to onset and progression of peripheral neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rangel Rojas
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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Agarwal N, Helmstädter J, Rojas DR, Bali KK, Gangadharan V, Kuner R. Evoked hypoalgesia is accompanied by tonic pain and immune cell infiltration in the dorsal root ganglia at late stages of diabetic neuropathy in mice. Mol Pain 2018; 14:1744806918817975. [PMID: 30453826 PMCID: PMC6311571 DOI: 10.1177/1744806918817975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is a major debilitating late complication of diabetes, which significantly reduces the quality of life in patients. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy is associated with a wide spectrum of sensory abnormalities, where in loss of sensation or hypoalgesia to applied external stimuli is paradoxically accompanied by debilitating tonic spontaneous pain. In numerous studies on animal models of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, behavioural measurements have been largely confined to analysis of evoked withdrawal to mechanical and thermal stimuli applied to dermatomes, whereas spontaneous, on-going pain has not been widely studied. In the Streptozotocin model of type 1 diabetes, we employed the Conditioned Place Preference test to assess tonic pain. Our results indicate that both phases, that is, early evoked hypersensitivity (i.e. 5–7 weeks post-Streptozotocin) as well as late stage hypoalgesia (i.e. 17–20 weeks post-Streptozotocin) are accompanied by significant tonic pain in mice with diabetic peripheral neuropathy. We also report on the temporal relation between on-going pain and neuropathological changes in the dorsal root ganglia of mice with diabetic peripheral neuropathy up to 6 months post-Streptozotocin. Neither early hypersensitivity nor late hypoalgesia were associated with markers of cellular stress in the dorsal root ganglia. Whereas significant neutrophil infiltration was observed in the dorsal root ganglia over both early and late stages post-Streptozotocin, T-cell infiltration in the dorsal root ganglia was prominent at late stages post-Streptozotocin. Thus, longitudinal analyses reveal that similar to patients with chronic diabetic peripheral neuropathy, mice show tonic pain despite sensory loss after several months in the Streptozotocin model, which is accompanied by neuroimmune interactions in the dorsal root ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | | | - Daniel R Rojas
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Kiran K Bali
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | | | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Germany
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35
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Rojas DR, Tegeder I, Kuner R, Agarwal N. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α protects peripheral sensory neurons from diabetic peripheral neuropathy by suppressing accumulation of reactive oxygen species. J Mol Med (Berl) 2018; 96:1395-1405. [PMID: 30361814 DOI: 10.1007/s00109-018-1707-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the most common diabetic complications. Mechanisms underlying nerve damage and sensory loss following metabolic dysfunction remain largely unclear. Recently, hyperglycemia-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) have gained attention as possible mechanisms of organ damage in diabetes. Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1α) is a key transcription factor activated by hypoxia, hyperglycemia, nitric oxide as well as ROS, suggesting a fundamental role in DPN susceptibility. We analyzed regulation of HIF1α in response to prolonged hyperglycemia. Genetically modified mutant mice, which conditionally lack HIF1α in peripheral sensory neurons (SNS-HIF1α-/-), were analyzed longitudinally up to 6 months in the streptozotocin (STZ) model of type1 diabetes. Behavioral measurements of sensitivity to thermal and mechanical stimuli, quantitative morphological analyses of intraepidermal nerve fiber density, measurements of ROS, ROS-induced cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase 1α (PKG1α), and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in sensory neurons in vivo were undertaken over several months post-STZ injections to delineate the role of HIF1α in DPN. Longitudinal behavioral and morphological analyses at 5, 13, and 24 weeks post-STZ treatment revealed that SNS-HIF1α-/- developed stronger hyperglycemia-evoked losses of peripheral nociceptive sensory axons associated with stronger losses of mechano- and heat sensation with a faster onset than HIF1αfl/fl mice. Mechanistically, these histomorphologic, behavioral, and biochemical differences were associated with a significantly higher level of STZ-induced production of ROS and ROS-induced PKG1α dimerization in sensory neurons of SNS-HIF1α-/- mice as compared with HIF1αfl/fl. We found that prolonged hyperglycemia induced VEGF expression in the sciatic nerve which is impaired in SNS-HIF1α mice. Our results indicate that HIF1α is as an upstream modulator of ROS in peripheral sensory neurons and exerts a protective function in suppressing hyperglycemia-induced nerve damage by limiting ROS levels and by inducing expression of VEGF which may promote peripheral nerve survival. Our data suggested that HIF1α stabilization may be thus a new strategy target for limiting sensory loss, a debilitating late complication of diabetes. KEY MESSAGES: • Impaired hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) signaling leads to early onset of STZ-induced loss of sensation in mice. • STZ-induced loss of sensation in HIF1α mutant mice is associated with loss of sensory nerve fiber in skin. • Activation of HIF1α signaling in diabetic mice protects the sensory neurons by limiting ROS formation generated due to mitochondrial dysfunction and by inducing VEGF expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Rangel Rojas
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
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36
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Kuner R, Laible M, Gangi-Maurici S, Walter C, Bender C, Schaefer G, Klocker H, Oed M, Bukur V, Sahin U. PO-324 Detection of high-risk prostate cancer biomarkers by RNA sequencing and qPCR method. ESMO Open 2018. [DOI: 10.1136/esmoopen-2018-eacr25.354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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37
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Nawroth PP, Bendszus M, Pham M, Jende J, Heiland S, Ries S, Schumann C, Schmelz M, Schuh-Hofer S, Treede RD, Kuner R, Oikonomou D, Groener JB, Kopf S. The Quest for more Research on Painful Diabetic Neuropathy. Neuroscience 2017; 387:28-37. [PMID: 28942323 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
A 62-year-old diabetologist diagnosed himself to have diabetes type-2, with an HbA1c of 9.5. Five months after lifestyle intervention and a multi-drug approach, HbA1c was 6.3, systolic blood pressure was below 135mmHg and BMI reduced to 27. But he suffered from severe painful diabetic neuropathy. Therefore he decided to visit his friend, a famous neuroscientist at an even more famous university. He asked him several plain questions: 1. What is the natural course of painful diabetic neuropathy? 2. Why do I have, despite almost normalizing HbA1c, more problems than before? 3. Are you sure my problems are due to diabetes or should we do a nerve biopsy? 4. Are there imaging techniques helpful for the diagnosis of this diabetic complication, starting in the distal nerve endings of the foot and slowly moving ahead? 5. Can you suggest any drug, specific and effective, for relieving painful diabetic neuropathy? This review will use the experts' answers to the questions of the diabetologist, not only to give a summary of the current knowledge, but even more to highlight areas of research needed for improving the fate of patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. Based on the unknowns, which exceed the knowns in diabetic neuropathy, a quest for more public support of research is made.
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Affiliation(s)
- P P Nawroth
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Internal Medicine 1 and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Program, Helmholtz-Zentrum, München, Germany.
| | - M Bendszus
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - M Pham
- University Hospital Würzburg, Department of Neuroradiology, Würzburg, Germany
| | - J Jende
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S Heiland
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S Ries
- Neuro Centrum Odenwald, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - C Schumann
- Neuro Centrum Odenwald, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - M Schmelz
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - S Schuh-Hofer
- Department of Neurophysiology, Centre of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - R D Treede
- Department of Neurophysiology, Centre of Biomedicine and Medical Technology Mannheim, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - R Kuner
- University of Heidelberg, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - D Oikonomou
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Internal Medicine 1 and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - J B Groener
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Internal Medicine 1 and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany
| | - S Kopf
- University Hospital Heidelberg, Department of Internal Medicine 1 and Clinical Chemistry, Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Germany
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38
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Tan LL, Pelzer P, Heinl C, Tang W, Gangadharan V, Flor H, Sprengel R, Kuner T, Kuner R. A pathway from midcingulate cortex to posterior insula gates nociceptive hypersensitivity. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:1591-1601. [PMID: 28920932 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The identity of cortical circuits mediating nociception and pain is largely unclear. The cingulate cortex is consistently activated during pain, but the functional specificity of cingulate divisions, the roles at distinct temporal phases of central plasticity and the underlying circuitry are unknown. Here we show in mice that the midcingulate division of the cingulate cortex (MCC) does not mediate acute pain sensation and pain affect, but gates sensory hypersensitivity by acting in a wide cortical and subcortical network. Within this complex network, we identified an afferent MCC-posterior insula pathway that can induce and maintain nociceptive hypersensitivity in the absence of conditioned peripheral noxious drive. This facilitation of nociception is brought about by recruitment of descending serotonergic facilitatory projections to the spinal cord. These results have implications for our understanding of neuronal mechanisms facilitating the transition from acute to long-lasting pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linette Liqi Tan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Patric Pelzer
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Céline Heinl
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wannan Tang
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.,CellNetworks Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Heidelberg, Germany.,Max Planck Research Group at the Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Department of Functional Neuroanatomy, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,CellNetworks Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,CellNetworks Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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Naser PV, Kuner R. Molecular, Cellular and Circuit Basis of Cholinergic Modulation of Pain. Neuroscience 2017; 387:135-148. [PMID: 28890048 PMCID: PMC6150928 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.08.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2017] [Revised: 08/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In addition to being a key component of the autonomic nervous system, acetylcholine acts as a prominent neurotransmitter and neuromodulator upon release from key groups of cholinergic projection neurons and interneurons distributed across the central nervous system. It has been more than forty years since it was discovered that cholinergic transmission profoundly modifies the perception of pain. Directly activating cholinergic receptors or extending the action of endogenous acetylcholine via pharmacological blockade of acetylcholine esterase reduces pain in rodents as well as humans; conversely, inhibition of muscarinic cholinergic receptors induces nociceptive hypersensitivity. Here, we aim to review the considerable progress in our understanding of peripheral, spinal and brain contributions to cholinergic modulation of pain. We discuss the distribution of cholinergic neurons, muscarinic and nicotinic receptors over the central nervous system and the synaptic and circuit-level modulation by cholinergic signaling. AchRs profoundly regulate nociceptive transmission at the level of the spinal cord via pre- as well as postsynaptic mechanisms. Moreover, we attempt to provide an overview of how some of the salient regions in the pain network spanning the brain, such as the primary somatosensory cortex, insular cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, the medial prefrontal cortex and descending modulatory systems are influenced by cholinergic modulation. Finally, we critically discuss the clinical relevance of cholinergic signaling to pain therapy. Cholinergic mechanisms contribute to several both conventional as well as unorthodox forms of pain treatments, and reciprocal interactions between cholinergic and opioidergic modulation impact on the function and efficacy of both opioids and cholinomimetic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V Naser
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Cell Networks Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg University, Germany.
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Groener JB, Cheko R, Kender Z, Oikonomou D, Kuner R, Magerl W, Treede RD, Jende J, Nawroth PP, Kopf S. Skin auto-fluorescence and impairment in thermal sensory testing in diabetes mellitus type 2. DIABETOL STOFFWECHS 2017. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1601793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- JB Groener
- Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Innere Medizin I Endokrinologie und Klinische Chemie, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Cheko
- Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Innere Medizin I Endokrinologie und Klinische Chemie, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Z Kender
- Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Innere Medizin I Endokrinologie und Klinische Chemie, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - D Oikonomou
- Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Innere Medizin I Endokrinologie und Klinische Chemie, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - R Kuner
- Pharmakologisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - W Magerl
- Centrum für Biomedizin und Medizintechnik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Neurophysiologie, Mannheim, Germany
| | - RD Treede
- Centrum für Biomedizin und Medizintechnik, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Neurophysiologie, Mannheim, Germany
| | - J Jende
- Neurologische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Neuroradiologie, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - PP Nawroth
- Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Innere Medizin I Endokrinologie und Klinische Chemie, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - S Kopf
- Medizinische Klinik, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Innere Medizin I Endokrinologie und Klinische Chemie, Heidelberg, Germany
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Kuner R. Cortex: Unravelling the final frontier in pain. Can J Pain 2017. [PMCID: PMC8730637 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2017.1329298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/30/2022] Open
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Pitzer C, Kuner R, Tappe-Theodor A. EXPRESS: Voluntary and evoked behavioral correlates in neuropathic pain states under different housing conditions. Mol Pain 2016; 12:12/0/1744806916656635. [PMID: 27306409 PMCID: PMC4956152 DOI: 10.1177/1744806916656635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is an urgent need to develop and incorporate novel behavioral tests in classically used preclinical pain models. Most rodent studies are based upon stimulus-evoked hindpaw measurements even though chronic pain is usually a day and night experience. Chronic pain is indeed a debilitating condition that influences the sociability and the ability for voluntary tasks, but the relevant behavioral readouts for these aspects are mostly under-represented in the literature. Moreover, we lack standardization in most behavioral paradigms to guarantee reproducibility and ensure adequate discussion between different studies. This concerns not only the combination, application, and duration of particular behavioral tasks but also the effects of different housing conditions implicating social isolation. Results Our aim was to thoroughly characterize the classically used spared nerve injury model for 12 weeks following surgery. We used a portfolio of classical stimulus-evoked response measurements, detailed gait analysis with two different measuring systems (Dynamic weight bearing (DWB) system and CatWalk), as well as observer-independent voluntary wheel running and home cage monitoring (Laboras system). Additionally, we analyzed the effects of social isolation in all behavioral tasks. We found that evoked hypersensitivity temporally matched changes in static gait parameters, whereas some dynamic gait parameters were changed in a time-dependent manner. Interestingly, voluntary wheel running behavior was not affected in spared nerve injury mice but by social isolation. Besides a reduced climbing activity, spared nerve injury mice did not showed tremendous alterations in the home cage activity. Conclusion This is the first longitudinal study providing detailed insights into various voluntary behavioral parameters related to pain and highlights the importance of social environment on spontaneous non-evoked behaviors in a mouse model of chronic neuropathy. Our results provide fundamental considerations for future experimental planning and discussion of pain-related behavioral changes.
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Gritsch S, Bali KK, Kuner R, Vardeh D. Functional characterization of a mouse model for central post-stroke pain. Mol Pain 2016; 12:12/0/1744806916629049. [PMID: 27030713 PMCID: PMC4956143 DOI: 10.1177/1744806916629049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Stroke patients often suffer from a central neuropathic pain syndrome called central post-stroke pain. This syndrome is characterized by evoked pain hypersensitivity as well as spontaneous, on-going pain in the body area affected by the stroke. Clinical evidence strongly suggests a dysfunction in central pain pathways as an important pathophysiological factor in the development of central post-stroke pain, but the exact underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. To elucidate the underlying pathophysiology of central post-stroke pain, we generated a mouse model that is based on a unilateral stereotactic lesion of the thalamic ventral posterolateral nucleus, which typically causes central post-stroke pain in humans. Results Behavioral analysis showed that the sensory changes in our model are comparable to the sensory abnormalities observed in patients suffering from central post-stroke pain. Surprisingly, pharmacological inhibition of spinal and peripheral key components of the pain system had no effect on the induction or maintenance of the evoked hypersensitivity observed in our model. In contrast, microinjection of lidocaine into the thalamic lesion completely reversed injury-induced hypersensitivity. Conclusions These results suggest that the evoked hypersensitivity observed in central post-stroke pain is causally linked to on-going neuronal activity in the lateral thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Gritsch
- Institute for Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kiran Kumar Bali
- Institute for Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute for Pharmacology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Daniel Vardeh
- Division of Pain Neurology, Department of Neurology and Anesthesia, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Eliava M, Melchior M, Knobloch-Bollmann HS, Wahis J, da Silva Gouveia M, Tang Y, Ciobanu AC, Triana Del Rio R, Roth LC, Althammer F, Chavant V, Goumon Y, Gruber T, Petit-Demoulière N, Busnelli M, Chini B, Tan LL, Mitre M, Froemke RC, Chao MV, Giese G, Sprengel R, Kuner R, Poisbeau P, Seeburg PH, Stoop R, Charlet A, Grinevich V. A New Population of Parvocellular Oxytocin Neurons Controlling Magnocellular Neuron Activity and Inflammatory Pain Processing. Neuron 2016; 89:1291-1304. [PMID: 26948889 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 270] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 08/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide elaborated by the hypothalamic paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei. Magnocellular OT neurons of these nuclei innervate numerous forebrain regions and release OT into the blood from the posterior pituitary. The PVN also harbors parvocellular OT cells that project to the brainstem and spinal cord, but their function has not been directly assessed. Here, we identified a subset of approximately 30 parvocellular OT neurons, with collateral projections onto magnocellular OT neurons and neurons of deep layers of the spinal cord. Evoked OT release from these OT neurons suppresses nociception and promotes analgesia in an animal model of inflammatory pain. Our findings identify a new population of OT neurons that modulates nociception in a two tier process: (1) directly by release of OT from axons onto sensory spinal cord neurons and inhibiting their activity and (2) indirectly by stimulating OT release from SON neurons into the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Eliava
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Meggane Melchior
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - H Sophie Knobloch-Bollmann
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Jérôme Wahis
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - Miriam da Silva Gouveia
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Yan Tang
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Alexandru Cristian Ciobanu
- Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Hôpital de Cery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne 1008, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo Triana Del Rio
- Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Hôpital de Cery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne 1008, Switzerland
| | - Lena C Roth
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Ferdinand Althammer
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Virginie Chavant
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - Yannick Goumon
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - Tim Gruber
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Nathalie Petit-Demoulière
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - Marta Busnelli
- National Research Council, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan 20129, Italy
| | - Bice Chini
- National Research Council, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan 20129, Italy; Humanitas Clinical and Research Center, Rozzano 20089, Italy
| | - Linette L Tan
- Department for Molecular Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit with European Molecular Biology Laboratories, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Mariela Mitre
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Robert C Froemke
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Moses V Chao
- Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Günter Giese
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Department for Molecular Pharmacology and Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit with European Molecular Biology Laboratories, Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Pierrick Poisbeau
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France
| | - Peter H Seeburg
- Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Ron Stoop
- Center for Psychiatric Neurosciences, Hôpital de Cery, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Lausanne 1008, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Institut of Cellular and Integrative Neurosciences (INCI) UPR3212, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg 67084, France; University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS), Strasbourg 67000, France.
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides at German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) and Cell Network Cluster of Excellence at the University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Central Institute of Mental Health (ZI), Mannheim 68159, Germany.
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Njoo C, Agarwal N, Lutz B, Kuner R. The Cannabinoid Receptor CB1 Interacts with the WAVE1 Complex and Plays a Role in Actin Dynamics and Structural Plasticity in Neurons. PLoS Biol 2015; 13:e1002286. [PMID: 26496209 PMCID: PMC4619884 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular composition of the cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor complex beyond the classical G-protein signaling components is not known. Using proteomics on mouse cortex in vivo, we pulled down proteins interacting with CB1 in neurons and show that the CB1 receptor assembles with multiple members of the WAVE1 complex and the RhoGTPase Rac1 and modulates their activity. Activation levels of CB1 receptor directly impacted on actin polymerization and stability via WAVE1 in growth cones of developing neurons, leading to their collapse, as well as in synaptic spines of mature neurons, leading to their retraction. In adult mice, CB1 receptor agonists attenuated activity-dependent remodeling of dendritic spines in spinal cord neurons in vivo and suppressed inflammatory pain by regulating the WAVE1 complex. This study reports novel signaling mechanisms for cannabinoidergic modulation of the nervous system and demonstrates a previously unreported role for the WAVE1 complex in therapeutic applications of cannabinoids. A proteomic study reveals the actin nucleation complex WAVE1 as a hitherto unknown binding partner of cannabinoid receptor 1 and explores the functional role of this interaction in regulating pain-related structural plasticity. One of the most interesting features of the endocannabinoid system (a group of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors, which promotes homeostasis in a variety of physiological processes) is its ability to counteract nociception or pain. This function is largely mediated by the receptor component of the endocannabinoid system. One of the most-studied types of cannabinoid receptors, the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R), exerts its antinociceptive function at all levels of the central nervous system, from the periphery up to the brain. Despite numerous studies on the role of CB1R and its antinociceptive effect, our knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying this particular feature is still lacking. In this study, we identify the WAVE1-complex—known to be involved in actin nucleation—as novel interacting partners of CB1R. We observe a functional relationship between the WAVE1-complex and CB1R in the regulation of actin filaments in developing as well as mature cultured neurons. Furthermore, we show that inflammation-induced structural plasticity in spinal neurons that contributes to hyperalgesia is regulated by CB1R in a WAVE1-dependent fashion. These findings expand our understanding of CB1R signaling and of the physiological as well as pathological context of pain.
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MESH Headings
- Actin Cytoskeleton/drug effects
- Actin Cytoskeleton/metabolism
- Animals
- COS Cells
- Cannabinoids/pharmacology
- Cells, Cultured
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- Dendritic Spines/drug effects
- Dendritic Spines/metabolism
- Embryo, Mammalian/cytology
- Frontal Lobe/cytology
- Frontal Lobe/drug effects
- Frontal Lobe/metabolism
- Growth Cones/drug effects
- Growth Cones/metabolism
- Luminescent Proteins/genetics
- Luminescent Proteins/metabolism
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/agonists
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Neurogenesis/drug effects
- Neuronal Plasticity/drug effects
- Neurons/cytology
- Neurons/drug effects
- Neurons/metabolism
- Parietal Lobe/cytology
- Parietal Lobe/drug effects
- Parietal Lobe/metabolism
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/agonists
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/genetics
- Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1/metabolism
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/chemistry
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins/metabolism
- Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein, Neuronal/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Njoo
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nitin Agarwal
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Beat Lutz
- Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Medical Faculty Heidelberg, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Niederberger E, Kuner R, Geißlinger G. [Pharmacological aspects of pain research in Germany]. Schmerz 2015; 29:531-8. [PMID: 26294077 DOI: 10.1007/s00482-015-0042-0] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In spite of several approved analgesics, the therapy of pain still constitutes a challenge due to the fact that the drugs do not exert sufficient efficacy or are associated with severe side effects. Therefore, the development of new and improved painkillers is still of great importance. A number of highly qualified scientists in Germany are investigating signal transduction pathways in pain, effectivity of new drugs and the so far incompletely investigated mechanisms of well-known analgesics in preclinical and clinical studies. The highlights of pharmacological pain research in Germany are summarized in this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Niederberger
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland
| | - R Kuner
- Pharmakologisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120, Heidelberg, Deutschland
| | - G Geißlinger
- pharmazentrum frankfurt/ZAFES, Institut für Klinische Pharmakologie, Klinikum der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590, Frankfurt am Main, Deutschland.
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Kahn N, Kaduthanam S, Schirmer U, Muley T, Kuner R, Herth FJF, Meister M, Sueltmann H. miR-126 is a potential diagnostic marker for malignant pulmonary nodules in endobronchial epithelial lining fluid. Pneumologie 2015. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1556666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Selvaraj D, Gangadharan V, Michalski CW, Kurejova M, Stösser S, Srivastava K, Schweizerhof M, Waltenberger J, Ferrara N, Heppenstall P, Shibuya M, Augustin HG, Kuner R. A Functional Role for VEGFR1 Expressed in Peripheral Sensory Neurons in Cancer Pain. Cancer Cell 2015; 27:780-96. [PMID: 26058077 PMCID: PMC4469373 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccell.2015.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cancer pain is a debilitating disorder and a primary determinant of the poor quality of life. Here, we report a non-vascular role for ligands of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) family in cancer pain. Tumor-derived VEGF-A, PLGF-2, and VEGF-B augment pain sensitivity through selective activation of VEGF receptor 1 (VEGFR1) expressed in sensory neurons in human cancer and mouse models. Sensory-neuron-specific genetic deletion/silencing or local or systemic blockade of VEGFR1 prevented tumor-induced nerve remodeling and attenuated cancer pain in diverse mouse models in vivo. These findings identify a therapeutic potential for VEGFR1-modifying drugs in cancer pain and suggest a palliative effect for VEGF/VEGFR1-targeting anti-angiogenic tumor therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepitha Selvaraj
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vijayan Gangadharan
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph W Michalski
- Department of Surgery, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Martina Kurejova
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Stösser
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kshitij Srivastava
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Schweizerhof
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Waltenberger
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, University Hospital Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany; Cells-in-Motion Cluster of Excellence (EXC 1003-CiM), University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany
| | - Napoleone Ferrara
- University of California, San Diego, 3855 Health Sciences Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Paul Heppenstall
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, Italy; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Otto Meyerhof Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Masabumi Shibuya
- Department of Molecular Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Tokyo Dental and Medical University, 1-5-45 Yushima Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Hellmut G Augustin
- Division of Vascular Oncology and Metastasis, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ-ZMBH Alliance), Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Vascular Biology and Tumor Angiogenesis, Medical Faculty Mannheim (CBTM), Heidelberg University, Ludolph-Krehl-Straße 14, 68167 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Otto Meyerhof Center, Im Neuenheimer Feld, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.
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Chen JTC, Guo D, Campanelli D, Frattini F, Mayer F, Zhou L, Kuner R, Heppenstall PA, Knipper M, Hu J. Presynaptic GABAergic inhibition regulated by BDNF contributes to neuropathic pain induction. Nat Commun 2014; 5:5331. [PMID: 25354791 PMCID: PMC4220496 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms6331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The gate control theory proposes the importance of both pre- and post-synaptic inhibition in processing pain signal in the spinal cord. However, although postsynaptic disinhibition caused by brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been proved as a crucial mechanism underlying neuropathic pain, the function of presynaptic inhibition in acute and neuropathic pain remains elusive. Here we show that a transient shift in the reversal potential (EGABA) together with a decline in the conductance of presynaptic GABAA receptor result in a reduction of presynaptic inhibition after nerve injury. BDNF mimics, whereas blockade of BDNF signalling reverses, the alteration in GABAA receptor function and the neuropathic pain syndrome. Finally, genetic disruption of presynaptic inhibition leads to spontaneous development of behavioural hypersensitivity, which cannot be further sensitized by nerve lesions or BDNF. Our results reveal a novel effect of BDNF on presynaptic GABAergic inhibition after nerve injury and may represent new strategy for treating neuropathic pain. Disinhibition of neural activity in the spinal cord is implicated in neuropathic pain. Chen et al. show that disinhibition of neural activity arises from a shift in reversal potential of GABA and a decrease in the conductance of presynaptic GABA, which are both regulated by brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Da Guo
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Otfried-Mueller-Strasse 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dario Campanelli
- 1] Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Otfried-Mueller-Strasse 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany [2] Hearing Research Centre, Elfriede Aulhornstrasse 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Flavia Frattini
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Otfried-Mueller-Strasse 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Florian Mayer
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Otfried-Mueller-Strasse 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Luming Zhou
- Laboratory for NeuroRegeneration and Repair, Center for Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Pharmacology Institute, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 584, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Paul A Heppenstall
- Mouse Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Via Ramarini 32, 00016 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Hearing Research Centre, Elfriede Aulhornstrasse 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jing Hu
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Otfried-Mueller-Strasse 25, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
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