Articles: hyperalgesia.
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Chemotherapeutic agents produce dose-limiting peripheral neuropathy through mechanisms that remain poorly understood. We previously showed that AM1710, a cannabilactone CB₂ agonist, produces antinociception without producing central nervous system (CNS)-associated side effects. The present study was conducted to examine the antinociceptive effect of AM1710 in rodent models of neuropathic pain evoked by diverse chemotherapeutic agents (cisplatin and paclitaxel). A secondary objective was to investigate the potential contribution of alpha-chemokine receptor (CXCR4) signaling to both chemotherapy-induced neuropathy and CB₂ agonist efficacy. ⋯ Our results indicate that activation of cannabinoid CB₂ receptors by AM1710 suppresses both mechanical and cold allodynia in two distinct models of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. By contrast, CXCR4 signaling does not contribute to the maintenance of chemotherapy-induced established neuropathy or efficacy of AM1710. Our studies suggest that CB₂ receptors represent a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of toxic neuropathies produced by cisplatin and paclitaxel chemotherapeutic agents.
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Neuroscience letters · Sep 2012
Streptozotocin-induced diabetic hyperalgesia in rats is associated with upregulation of Toll-like receptor 4 expression.
Neuropathic pain is one of the common complications of diabetes mellitus, and current treatments often do not meet medical needs. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been implicated as a potential therapeutic target in neuropathic and other pain models. In this study, we investigated whether TLR4 expression in spinal cord would be altered in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model, which had persistent mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity. ⋯ The protein levels of TNF-α and IL-1β, two downstream proinflammatory cytokines of TLR4 signaling pathway, were also significantly raised and correlated with mechanical/thermal hypersensitivity in diabetic rats. Together, these data have demonstrated that TLR4 and its signaling pathway are associated with neuropathic pain in a diabetic model. It may imply that TLR4 could be a novel target for treating diabetic neuropathy.
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Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Sep 2012
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist rosiglitazone attenuates postincisional pain by regulating macrophage polarization.
Acute inflammation triggered by macrophage infiltration to injured tissue promotes wound repair and may induce pain hypersensitivity. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPAR)γ signaling is known to regulate heterogeneity of macrophages, which are often referred to as classically activated (M1) and alternatively activated (M2) macrophages. M1 macrophages have considerable antimicrobial activity and produce a wide variety of proinflammatory cytokines. ⋯ Moreover, transplantation of rosiglitazone-treated peritoneal macrophages into the incisional sites significantly attenuated hyperalgesia. We speculate that local administration of rosiglitazone significantly alleviated the development of postincisional pain, possibly through regulating macrophage polarity at the inflamed site. PPARγ signaling in macrophages may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of acute pain development.
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We have assessed the mechanism underlying glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-induced mechanical hyperalgesia in the gastrocnemius muscle, using patch clamp electrophysiology, in vivo electrophysiology and behavioral studies. Cultured isolectin B4-positive (IB4+) dorsal root ganglion neurons that innervated this muscle were held under current clamp; the majority developed an increase in action potential duration (a factor of increase of 2.29±0.24, compared to 1.13±0.17 in control, P<0.01) in response to GDNF (200 ng/ml) by 15 min after application. They also demonstrated a depolarization of resting membrane potential, but without significant changes in rheobase, action potential peak, or after-hyperpolarization. ⋯ This was observed in the absence of changes in the mechanical threshold. Finally, injection of iberiotoxin into the gastrocnemius muscle produced dose-dependent mechanical hyperalgesia. These data support the suggestion that GDNF induces nociceptor sensitization and mechanical hyperalgesia, at least in part, by inhibiting BK current in IB4+ nociceptors.
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Peripheral nerve injury causes spontaneous and long-lasting pain, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. Excitatory amino acid receptor-dependent increases in descending facilitatory drive from the brainstem rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) contribute to injury-evoked hypersensitivity. Although increased excitability likely reflects changes in synaptic efficacy, the cellular mechanisms underlying injury-induced synaptic plasticity are poorly understood. ⋯ Here, we use the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in rodents to examine this issue. We show that SNI increases RVM NP1 expression and constitutive deletion or silencing NP1 in the RVM, before or after SNI, attenuates allodynia and hyperalgesia in rats. Selective rescue of RVM NP1 expression restores behavioral hypersensitivity of knock-out mice, demonstrating a key role of RVM NP1 in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain.