Dataset Information

Electrophysiological properties of dural afferents in the absence and presence of inflammatory mediators.

ABSTRACT: Migraine is a debilitating condition characterized by recurrent severe head pain. Although mechanisms underlying a migraine attack remain controversial, one proposal is that inflammatory mediator (IM)-induced activation and sensitization of dural afferents contribute to the initiation of migraine pain. We and others have shown that the electrophysiological properties of afferents, both in the absence and the presence of IM, vary as a function of target of innervation. These differences may account for unique aspects of pain syndromes associated with specific body regions. Therefore the purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that the electrophysiological properties of dural afferents differ from those innervating the temporalis muscle (TM), a structure in close proximity to the dura but that is not associated with pain syndromes at all similar to migraine. Acutely dissociated retrograde labeled primary afferents innervating the dura and TM were examined with whole cell current-clamp recordings. Passive and active electrophysiological properties were determined before and after the application of IM: (in muM) prostaglandin E(2) (1), bradykinin (10), and histamine (1). In the absence of IM, there were significant differences between the two populations, particularly with respect to the response to suprathreshold stimulation where dural afferents were more excitable than TM afferents. Importantly, although both populations of afferents were sensitized by IM, the pattern of passive and active electrophysiological changes associated with IM-induced sensitization of these two populations of afferents suggested that there were both similarities and marked differences between the two with respect to underlying mechanisms of sensitization. If the differences between dural and TM afferents are due to a differential pattern of ion channel expression rather than differences in the relative density/biophysical properties of the same ion channels, it may be possible to selectively treat migraine pain by targeting the distinct mechanisms underlying IM-induced sensitization of dural afferents.

SUBMITTER: Harriott AM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2694126 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Electrophysiological properties of dural afferents in the absence and presence of inflammatory mediators.

Harriott Andrea M AM Gold Michael S MS

Journal of neurophysiology 20090401 6

Migraine is a debilitating condition characterized by recurrent severe head pain. Although mechanisms underlying a migraine attack remain controversial, one proposal is that inflammatory mediator (IM)-induced activation and sensitization of dural afferents contribute to the initiation of migraine pain. We and others have shown that the electrophysiological properties of afferents, both in the absence and the presence of IM, vary as a function of target of innervation. These differences may accou ...[more]

PMID: 19339455

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundMigraine attacks are associated with sterile inflammation of the dura. Immune cells are a primary source of inflammatory mediators, and we therefore sought to further explore the link between dural immune cells and migraine.ObjectiveBased on the observations that migraine is more common in women than in men, stress is the most common trigger for a migraine attack, and sympathetic post-ganglionic innervation of the dura enables local control of dural immune cells, we hypothesized that stress shifts the balance of inflammatory mediator expression in dural immune cells toward those that trigger a migraine attack, where these changes are larger in females and dependent, at least in part, on sympathetic post-ganglionic innervation of the dura. Our objective was to test this hypothesis.MethodsDura were obtained from naïve or stressed, intact or surgically sympathectomized, adult male and female rats. Dura were assessed immediately or 24 hours after termination of 4 continuous days of unpredictable, mild stressors. Following enzymatic digestion of each dura, myeloid and lymphoid-derived dural immune cells were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting for semi-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis.ResultsIn myeloid-derived dural immune cells, there was an increase in pro-inflammatory mediator mRNA following stress, particularly in females, which remained elevated with a 24-hour delay after stress. There was a stress-induced decrease in anti-inflammatory mediator mRNA immediately after stress in females, but not males. The stress-induced changes were attenuated in sympathectomized females. In lymphoid-derived dural immune cells, there was a persistent increase in pro-inflammatory mediator mRNA following stress, particularly in females. A stress-induced increase in anti-inflammatory mediator mRNA was also observed in both males and females, and was further attenuated in sympathectomized females.ConclusionsConsistent with our hypothesis, there is a stress-induced shift in the balance of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediator expression in dural immune cells that is more pronounced in females, and is dependent, at least in part, on sympathetic post-ganglionic innervation in females. This shift in the balance of inflammatory mediator expression may not only play an important role in triggering migraine attacks, but also suggests it may be possible, if not necessary, to employ different strategies to most effectively treat migraine in men and women.

Project description:BACKGROUND: Airway inflammation is a feature of many respiratory diseases and there is a need for newer, more effective anti-inflammatory compounds. The aim of this study was to develop an ex vivo human lung explant model which can be used to help study the mechanisms underlying inflammatory responses and which can provide a tool to aid drug discovery for inflammatory respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD. METHOD: Parenchymal lung tissue from 6 individual donors was dissected and cultured with two pro-inflammatory stimuli, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (1 µg/ml) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1?) (10 ng/ml) in the presence or absence of dexamethasone (1 µM). Inflammatory responses were assessed using Luminex analysis of tissue culture supernatants to measure levels of 21 chemokines, growth factors and cytokines. RESULTS: A robust and reproducible inflammatory signal was detected across all donors for 12 of the analytes measured following LPS stimulation with a modest fold increase (<2-fold) in levels of CCL22, IL-4, and IL-2; increases of 2-4-fold in levels of CXCL8, VEGF and IL-6 and increases >4-fold in CCL3, CCL4, GM-CSF, IL-10, TNF-? and IL-1?. The inflammatory signal induced by IL-1? stimulation was less than that observed with LPS but resulted in elevated levels of 7 analytes (CXCL8, CCL3, CCL4, GM-CSF, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-?). The inflammatory responses induced by both stimulations was supressed by dexamethasone for the majority of analytes. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide proof of concept that this ex vivo human lung explant model is responsive to inflammatory signals and could be used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of existing and novel compounds. In addition this model could be used to help define the mechanisms and pathways involved in development of inflammatory airway disease. ABBREVIATIONS: COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; ICS: inhaled corticosteroids; LPS: lipopolysaccharide; IL-1?: interleukin-1 beta; PSF: penicillin, streptomycin and fungizone.

Project description:We have examined the combined effects of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta), serum and gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) on collagen synthesis by fibroblasts and compared the response of fibroblast subpopulations to TGF-beta. Human diploid fibroblasts were treated with TGF-beta alone and with serum of gamma-IFN. Cells were labelled with radioactive amino acids, and collagen production was measured as collagenase-digestible radioactivity. Collagen mRNA was determined by a solution-hybridization assay using procollagen-alpha 1[I] cDNA clone HF 677. The results showed that either serum or TGF-beta increased incorporation, collagen production and mRNA by fibroblasts approx. 2-fold; however, collagen synthesis relative to total protein synthesis and collagen mRNA relative to total polyadenylated [poly(A)+] RNA were not affected. Only serum activated cell growth. Collagen production increased approx. 4-fold in cells exposed to both TGF-beta and serum, and this increase was equal to that expected for an additive effect by both components. Treatment with gamma-IFN decreased collagen production and collagen mRNA to 44 and 40% respectively, whereas total incorporation and poly(A)+ RNA were affected only marginally. Cells exposed simultaneously to both gamma-IFN and TGF-beta produced less collagen and contained less mRNA than did those treated with TGF-beta alone. The gamma-IFN decreased collagen synthesis in control and TGF-beta-treated cultures to a similar extent, and TGF-beta increased collagen synthesis 2-fold in cells pre-treated with gamma-IFN. Fibroblast strains obtained in medium containing plasma-derived serum synthesized approximately half as much collagen as did cells derived from the same explant in the presence of fresh human serum, and TGF-beta stimulated collagen production and mRNA in both cell strains. We conclude that TGF-beta, serum and gamma-IFN regulate collagen synthesis by independent mechanisms, and that the combined action of these components plays a significant role in regulating collagen synthesis during wound healing and tissue repair.

Dataset Information

Electrophysiological properties of dural afferents in the absence and presence of inflammatory mediators.

Publications

Electrophysiological properties of dural afferents in the absence and presence of inflammatory mediators.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets