Dataset Information

Differences in neural-immune gene expression response in rat spinal dorsal horn correlates with variations in electroacupuncture analgesia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Electroacupuncture (EA) has been widely used to alleviate diverse pains. Accumulated clinical experiences and experimental observations indicated that significant differences exist in sensitivity to EA analgesia for individuals of patients and model animals. However, the molecular mechanism accounting for this difference remains obscure.

Methodology/principal findings

We classified model male rats into high-responder (HR; TFL changes >150) and non-responder (NR; TFL changes ? 0) groups based on changes of their pain threshold detected by tail-flick latency (TFL) before and after 2 Hz or 100 Hz EA treatment. Gene expression analysis of spinal dorsal horn (DH) revealed divergent expression in HR and NR after 2 Hz/100 Hz EA. The expression of the neurotransmitter system related genes was significantly highly regulated in the HR animals while the proinflammation cytokines related genes were up-regulated more significantly in NR than that in HR after 2 Hz and 100 Hz EA stimulation, especially in the case of 2 Hz stimulation.

Conclusions/significance

Our results suggested that differential regulation and coordination of neural-immune related genes might play an important role for individual variations in analgesic effects responding to EA in DH. It also provided new candidate genes related to EA responsiveness for future investigation.

SUBMITTER: Wang K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3411776 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Differences in neural-immune gene expression response in rat spinal dorsal horn correlates with variations in electroacupuncture analgesia.

Wang Ke K Zhang Rong R Xiang Xiaohui X He Fei F Lin Libo L Ping Xingjie X Yu Lei L Han Jisheng J Zhao Guoping G Zhang Qinghua Q Cui Cailian C

PloS one 20120803 8

<h4>Background</h4>Electroacupuncture (EA) has been widely used to alleviate diverse pains. Accumulated clinical experiences and experimental observations indicated that significant differences exist in sensitivity to EA analgesia for individuals of patients and model animals. However, the molecular mechanism accounting for this difference remains obscure.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>We classified model male rats into high-responder (HR; TFL changes >150) and non-responder (NR; TFL cha ...[more]

PMID: 22879942

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Project description:The electroacupuncture-induced analgesic effect has been used widely to alleviate diverse pains. However, significant individual variations in analgesic effect of EA for both experiments and clinics were reported. According to the sensitivity of the analgesic response to EA stimulation, the subjects could be categorized into high responders (HR) and low responders (LR). However, the molecular mechanism of individual variability in the analgesic response to acupuncture stimulation is still uncertain. This study aims to investigate the potential gene expression in spinal dorsal horn induced by 2Hz/100Hz electroacupuncture in HR and LR rats. Rats were given 2Hz or 100Hz electroacupuncture for 30 min and using cDNA microarrays to compare different gene expression in dorsal horn. Transcriptome profiling analysis found that some co-regulated genes related with electroacupuncture or 2Hz or 100Hz freqencies. These co-regulated genes were plasticity-related by GO analysis. We also found some special regulated genes in HR vs. LR in 2Hz/100Hz electroacupuncture stimulation. These results suggested that neurotransmitter system and cytokine different between HR with LR in 2Hz electroacupuncture. But in 100Hz electroacupunture, there were many different regulated genes related with ribosome between HR with LR, which needs more studies to research the function and may play an important role in HR vs. LR by 100Hz electroacupuncture. Keywords: Transcriptome analysis Rats were exposed to different frequencies (2Hz or 100Hz) electroacupuncture stimlation for 30 min and nociceptive testing and returned to home cages for 1 hours before sacrificed. According to the sensitivity of the analgesic response to 2Hz or 100Hz EA stimulation, the rats divided into four groups: 2Hz-HR group, 2Hz-LR group, 100Hz-HR group and 100Hz-LR group. Subsequently analyzed their dorsal horn transcript profile using cDNA microarrays, the rats were without receiving electroacupuncture as control. The tissue of dorsal horn (DH) of the fifth and sixth lumbar (L5 and L6) of four or five rats were selected for transcript analysis in each group. The five control rats were mixed and labeled with cy5, each rat of experiment groups was labeled with cy3.

Project description:Substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons, which are located in the spinal dorsal horn (lamina II), have been identified as the "central gate" for the transmission and modulation of nociceptive information. Rebound depolarization (RD), a biophysical property mediated by membrane hyperpolarization that is frequently recorded in the central nervous system, contributes to shaping neuronal intrinsic excitability and, in turn, contributes to neuronal output and network function. However, the electrophysiological and morphological properties of SG neurons exhibiting RD remain unclarified. In this study, whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed on SG neurons from parasagittal spinal cord slices. RD was detected in 44.44% (84 out of 189) of the SG neurons recorded. We found that RD-expressing neurons had more depolarized resting membrane potentials, more hyperpolarized action potential (AP) thresholds, higher AP amplitudes, shorter AP durations, and higher spike frequencies in response to depolarizing current injection than neurons without RD. Based on their firing patterns and morphological characteristics, we propose that most of the SG neurons with RD mainly displayed tonic firing (69.05%) and corresponded to islet cell morphology (58.82%). Meanwhile, subthreshold currents, including the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I h ) and T-type calcium current (I T ), were identified in SG neurons with RD. Blockage of I h delayed the onset of the first spike in RD, while abolishment of I T significantly blunted the amplitude of RD. Regarding synaptic inputs, SG neurons with RD showed lower frequencies in both spontaneous and miniature excitatory synaptic currents. Furthermore, RD-expressing neurons received either Aδ- or C-afferent-mediated monosynaptic and polysynaptic inputs. However, RD-lacking neurons received afferents from monosynaptic and polysynaptic Aδ fibers and predominantly polysynaptic C-fibers. These findings demonstrate that SG neurons with RD have a specific cell-type distribution, and may differentially process somatosensory information compared to those without RD.

Dataset Information

Differences in neural-immune gene expression response in rat spinal dorsal horn correlates with variations in electroacupuncture analgesia.

Background

Methodology/principal findings

Conclusions/significance

Publications

Differences in neural-immune gene expression response in rat spinal dorsal horn correlates with variations in electroacupuncture analgesia.

Similar Datasets

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