Articles: neuropathic-pain.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2018
Botulinum toxin-A for the treatment of neuralgia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin-A (BTX-A) for the treatment of neuralgia. ⋯ Based on the current evidence, BTX-A may be an effective and safe option for the treatment of neuralgia. Due to the limited number of patients included in this meta-analysis, more trials are still needed to confirm these results.
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Transcription factors are proteins that modulate the transcriptional rate of target genes in the nucleus in response to extracellular or cytoplasmic signals. Activating transcription factors 2 (ATF2) and 3 (ATF3) respond to environmental signals and maintain cellular homeostasis. There is evidence that inflammation and nerve injury modulate ATF2 and ATF3 expression. ⋯ ATF2 immunoreactivity was found in dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord co-labeling with NeuN mainly in non-peptidergic (IB4+) but also in peptidergic (CGRP+) neurons. ATF2 was found mainly in small- and medium-sized neurons. These results suggest that ATF2, but not ATF3, is found in strategic sites related to spinal nociceptive processing and participates in the maintenance of neuropathic pain in rats.
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Journal of pain research · Jan 2018
Patient-delivered tDCS on chronic neuropathic pain in prior responders to TMS (a randomized controlled pilot study).
Successful response to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the motor cortex requires continued maintenance treatments. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) may provide a more convenient alternative. ⋯ This study did not show a beneficial effect of tDCS in this group of patients and does not support the need for a larger definitive study using the same experimental paradigm.
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Background Diabetic gastropathy is a complex neuromuscular dysfunction of the stomach that commonly occurs in diabetes mellitus. Diabetic patients often present with upper gastrointestinal symptoms, such as epigastric discomfort or pain. The aim of this study was to assess gastric sensation in streptozocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats and to determine the contribution of C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) signaling to gastric hyperalgesia. ⋯ Intense gastric hyperalgesia also developed in DM rats at two weeks after streptozocin administration, which was significantly reduced after intrathecal administration of the CCR2 antagonist INCB3344. Immunochemical analysis indicated that CCR2 expression was substantially upregulated in small and medium-sized dorsal root ganglia neurons of DM rats, although the protein level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, the preferred ligand for CCR2, was not significantly different between the control and DM groups. Conclusions These data suggest that CCR2 activation in nociceptive dorsal root ganglia neurons plays a role in the pathogenesis of gastric hyperalgesia associated with diabetic gastropathy and that CCR2 antagonist may be a promising treatment for therapeutic intervention.
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Frontiers in pharmacology · Jan 2018
Selective Blockade of HCN1/HCN2 Channels as a Potential Pharmacological Strategy Against Pain.
A prominent role of hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels has been suggested based on their expression and (dys)function in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, being likely involved in peripheral nociception. Using HCN blockers as antinociceptive drugs is prevented by the widespread distribution of these channels. However, tissue-specific expression of HCN isoforms varies significantly, HCN1 and HCN2 being considered as major players in DRG excitability. ⋯ MEL55A was able to relieve chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. In conclusion, selective blockade of HCN1/HCN2 channels, over HCN4 isoform, was able to modulate electrophysiological properties of DRG neurons similarly to that reported for classical Ih blockers, ivabradine, resulting in a pain-relieving activity. The availability of small molecules with selectivity toward HCN channel isoforms involved in nociception might represent a safe and effective strategy against chronic pain.