Articles: neuralgia.
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Neuropathic pain (NP) is a type of chronic pain which lacks predictable, effective, and safe therapeutic options. We investigated the role of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) in expression of FUN14 domain-containing 1 (FUNDC1), which is associated with DNA methylation. ⋯ Our findings suggest that DNA methylation is involved in the analgesic effect of HBO via the regulation of FUNDC1.
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Recently, microRNAs are reported to be participated in the development of pain and persistence of neuropathic and inflammatory pain in animal models. Here, we characterized the functional role of miR-129-5p in pain processing in chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat models. Bilateral CCI operation was used to generate neuropathic pain rat model. ⋯ Interestingly, downregulation of miR-129-5p in CCI rats was correlated with increased proinflammatory cytokine expression and pain-related behaviors. Furthermore, we found that miR-129-5p alleviated neuropathic pain through downregulating high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) expression in CCI rats as overexpression of miR-129-5p suppressed expression of both HMGB1 and proinflammatory cytokine and alleviated pain sensation in CCI rats. In summary, our results show that alteration in miR-129-5p expression contributes to pain processing in our CCI pain rat model, suggesting miR-129-5p could be a causal factor in neuropathic pain and serve as a promising potential biomarker and therapeutic target for neuropathic pain.
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Various drugs are used to treat patients with neuropathic pain; however, optimal treatment using acetaminophen (A) and/or tramadol (T) remains unclear. The evidence supporting the drug choice and the timing of administration is insufficient. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of T and/or A on pain-related behavior in a nucleus pulposus (NP) rat model. ⋯ Combined administration of acetaminophen and tramadol maintained in the pain threshold in the rat NP model. These findings suggest that the combination of acetaminophen and tramadol might be a potential therapeutic modality for patients with lumbar disc herniation. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jan 2020
Neurochemical effects of motor cortex stimulation in the periaqueductal gray during neuropathic pain.
Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is a neurosurgical technique used to treat patients with refractory neuropathic pain syndromes. MCS activates the periaqueductal gray (PAG) matter, which is one of the major centers of the descending pain inhibitory system. However, the neurochemical mechanisms in the PAG that underlie the analgesic effect of MCS have not yet been described. The main goal of this study was to investigate the neurochemical mechanisms involved in the analgesic effect induced by MCS in neuropathic pain. Specifically, we investigated the release of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, and glutamate in the PAG and performed pharmacological antagonism experiments to validate of our findings. ⋯ These results suggest that the neurotransmitters glycine and GABA released in the PAG may be involved in the analgesia induced by cortical stimulation in animals with neuropathic pain. Further investigation of the mechanisms involved in MCS-induced analgesia may contribute to clinical improvements for the treatment of persistent neuropathic pain syndromes.