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Neuropathic pain activates the endogenous kappa opioid system in mouse spinal cord and induces opioid receptor tolerance.

ABSTRACT: Release of endogenous dynorphin opioids within the spinal cord after partial sciatic nerve ligation (pSNL) is known to contribute to the neuropathic pain processes. Using a phosphoselective antibody [kappa opioid receptor (KOR-P)] able to detect the serine 369 phosphorylated form of the KOR, we determined possible sites of dynorphin action within the spinal cord after pSNL. KOR-P immunoreactivity (IR) was markedly increased in the L4-L5 spinal dorsal horn of wild-type C57BL/6 mice (7-21 d) after lesion, but not in mice pretreated with the KOR antagonist nor-binaltorphimine (norBNI). In addition, knock-out mice lacking prodynorphin, KOR, or G-protein receptor kinase 3 (GRK3) did not show significant increases in KOR-P IR after pSNL. KOR-P IR was colocalized in both GABAergic neurons and GFAP-positive astrocytes in both ipsilateral and contralateral spinal dorsal horn. Consistent with sustained opioid release, KOR knock-out mice developed significantly increased tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in both the early (first week) and late (third week) interval after lesion. Similarly, mice pretreated with norBNI showed enhanced hyperalgesia and allodynia during the 3 weeks after pSNL. Because sustained activation of opioid receptors might induce tolerance, we measured the antinociceptive effect of the kappa agonist U50,488 using radiant heat applied to the ipsilateral hindpaw, and we found that agonist potency was significantly decreased 7 d after pSNL. In contrast, neither prodynorphin nor GRK3 knock-out mice showed U50,488 tolerance after pSNL. These findings suggest that pSNL induced a sustained release of endogenous prodynorphin-derived opioid peptides that activated an anti-nociceptive KOR system in mouse spinal cord. Thus, endogenous dynorphin had both pronociceptive and antinociceptive actions after nerve injury and induced GRK3-mediated opioid tolerance.

SUBMITTER: Xu M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2376823 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Accumulating evidence suggests that spinal cord astrocytes play an important role in neuropathic pain sensitization by releasing astrocytic mediators (e.g. cytokines, chemokines and growth factors). However, it remains unclear how astrocytes control the release of astrocytic mediators and sustain late-phase neuropathic pain. Astrocytic connexin-43 (now known as GJ1) has been implicated in gap junction and hemichannel communication of cytosolic contents through the glial syncytia and to the extracellular space, respectively. Connexin-43 also plays an essential role in facilitating the development of neuropathic pain, yet the mechanism for this contribution remains unknown. In this study, we investigated whether nerve injury could upregulate connexin-43 to sustain late-phase neuropathic pain by releasing chemokine from spinal astrocytes. Chronic constriction injury elicited a persistent upregulation of connexin-43 in spinal astrocytes for >3 weeks. Spinal (intrathecal) injection of carbenoxolone (a non-selective hemichannel blocker) and selective connexin-43 blockers (connexin-43 mimetic peptides (43)Gap26 and (37,43)Gap27), as well as astroglial toxin but not microglial inhibitors, given 3 weeks after nerve injury, effectively reduced mechanical allodynia, a cardinal feature of late-phase neuropathic pain. In cultured astrocytes, TNF-α elicited marked release of the chemokine CXCL1, and the release was blocked by carbenoxolone, Gap26/Gap27, and connexin-43 small interfering RNA. TNF-α also increased connexin-43 expression and hemichannel activity, but not gap junction communication in astrocyte cultures prepared from cortices and spinal cords. Spinal injection of TNF-α-activated astrocytes was sufficient to induce persistent mechanical allodynia, and this allodynia was suppressed by CXCL1 neutralization, CXCL1 receptor (CXCR2) antagonist, and pretreatment of astrocytes with connexin-43 small interfering RNA. Furthermore, nerve injury persistently increased excitatory synaptic transmission (spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents) in spinal lamina IIo nociceptive synapses in the late phase, and this increase was suppressed by carbenoxolone and Gap27, and recapitulated by CXCL1. Together, our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism of astrocytic connexin-43 to enhance spinal cord synaptic transmission and maintain neuropathic pain in the late-phase via releasing chemokines.

Project description:Objective: Chronic pain is a major problem in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). According to different studies, approximately 70% of patients with SCI experience persistent pain. Although previous gene expression profiling studies have been conducted in animal models, gene expression profiling study in human whole blood has not been reported yet. The objective of this study was to define the gene expression profile of neuropathic pain in spinal cord injured patients. Materials and Methods: We performed gene expression analysis including 20.000 genes using Affymetrix GeneChip® Primeview™ Human Gene Expression Arrays. For confirmation of expression levels of selected genes, we performed real time polymerase chain reaction. We gathered samples from periferic blood mononuclear cells. Data of twelve patients with intractable neuropathic pain was compared with thirteen patients who don’t have pain. All patients have complete injuries with a level of injury above T5. Results: A total of 16 differentially expressed genes including 9 up-regulated and 7 down-regulated were obtained with a cut-off degree at 4 fold change. EIF1AY, RPS4Y1, DDX3Y, RPL31, ETS1, KLF3, JUN, CYorf15B, and ERAP2 were in up-regulated and HLA-C, XIST, C4BPA, FAM118A, ZNF506, OVOS2, and C1D were in down-regulated group. KEGG pathway database showed that 14.6% of genes were enriched in the nodes of immune system. Real time polymerase chain reaction analyses did not increase to statistically significant levels for confirmation of gene expression analyze results. Conclusions: Considering these data, findings of this first gene expression study in humans with SCI might provide valuable information for future targets for understanding neuropathic pain pathogenesis. The results of gene expression analyses were not confirmed by real time polymerase chain reaction. Studies with larger sample size are needed for confirmation. This is a cross-sectional study with a control group. Patients were divided into two groups according to intractable neuropathic pain existence.There were 12 patients in group A (Patients with pain) and 13 patients in control group.

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Neuropathic pain activates the endogenous kappa opioid system in mouse spinal cord and induces opioid receptor tolerance.

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