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The neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is involved in numerous physiological functions and plays a key role in pain modulation including neuropathic pain. Diabetic neuropathy is a common complication of diabetes mellitus often accompanied by chronic neuropathic pain. Animal models of diabetes offer relevant tools for studying the pathophysiological mechanisms and pharmacological sensitivity of diabetic neuropathic pain and for identifying new therapeutic targets. In this review, we report data from preclinical work published over the last 15 years on the analgesic activity of drugs acting on the serotonergic system, such as serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) antidepressants, and on the involvement of certain serotonin receptors-in particular 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A/2c and 5-HT6 receptors-in rodent models of painful diabetic neuropathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic neuropathy is often associated with chronic pain. Serotonin type 6 (5-HT6) receptor ligands, particularly inverse agonists, have strong analgesic potential and may be new candidates for treating diabetic neuropathic pain and associated co-morbid cognitive deficits. The current study addressed the involvement of 5-HT6 receptor constitutive activity and mTOR signaling in an experimental model of diabetic neuropathic pain induced by streptozocin (STZ) injection in the rat. Here, we show that mechanical hyperalgesia and associated cognitive deficits are suppressed by the administration of 5-HT6 receptor inverse agonists or rapamycin. The 5-HT6 receptor ligands also reduced tactile allodynia in traumatic and toxic neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve ligation and oxaliplatin injection. Furthermore, both painful and co-morbid cognitive symptoms in diabetic rats are reduced by intrathecal delivery of a cell-penetrating peptide that disrupts 5-HT6 receptor-mTOR physical interaction. These findings demonstrate the deleterious influence of the constitutive activity of spinal 5-HT6 receptors upon painful and cognitive symptoms in diabetic neuropathic pains of different etiologies. They suggest that targeting the constitutive activity of 5-HT6 receptors with inverse agonists or disrupting the 5-HT6 receptor-mTOR interaction might be valuable strategies for the alleviation of diabetic neuropathic pain and cognitive co-morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite common pathophysiological mechanisms, inflammatory and neuropathic pain do not respond equally to the analgesic effect of antidepressants, except for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which show a limited efficacy in both conditions. We previously demonstrated that an interfering peptide (TAT-2ASCV) disrupting the interaction between 5-HT2A receptors and its associated PDZ proteins (e.g. PSD-95) reveals a 5-HT2A receptor-mediated anti-hyperalgesic effect and enhances the efficacy of fluoxetine (a SSRI) in diabetic neuropathic pain conditions in rats. Here, we have examined whether the same strategy would be useful to treat inflammatory pain. Sub-chronic inflammatory pain was induced by injecting λ-carrageenan (100 µl, 2%) into the left hind paw of the rat. Mechanical hyperalgesia was assessed after acute treatment with TAT-2ASCV or/and fluoxetine (SSRI) 2.5 h after λ-carrageenan injection. Possible changes in the level of 5-HT2A receptors and its associated PDZ protein PSD-95 upon inflammation induction were quantified by Western blotting in dorsal horn spinal cord. Administration of TAT-2ASCV peptide (100 ng/rat, intrathecally) but not fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) relieves mechanical hyperalgesia (paw pressure test) in inflamed rats. This anti-hyperalgesic effect involves spinal 5-HT2A receptors and GABAergic interneurons as it is abolished by a 5-HT2A antagonist (M100907, 150 ng/rat, intrathecally) and a GABAA antagonist, (bicuculline, 3 µg/rat, intrathecally). We also found a decreased expression of 5-HT2A receptors in the dorsal spinal cord of inflamed animals which could not be rescued by TAT-2ASCV injection, while the amount of PSD-95 was not affected by inflammatory pain. Finally, the coadministration of fluoxetine does not further enhance the anti-hyperalgesic effect of TAT-2ASCV peptide. This study reveals a role of the interactions between 5-HT2A receptors and PDZ proteins in the pathophysiological pathways of inflammatory pain and opens new perspectives in its control thanks to molecules disrupting 5-HT2A receptor/PDZ protein interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antidepressants remain one of the first line treatments prescribed to neuropathic pain patients despite their limited efficacy and/or their numerous side effects. More and more, pharmacotherapy for neuropathic pain has evolved towards the use of therapeutic combinations. The goal of the present study was to assess the efficacy of the combination of antidepressants - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and serotonin-noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors-with a peptide (TAT-2ASCV) able to disrupt the interaction between serotonin type 2A (5-HT 2A ) receptors and associated PDZ proteins. Mechanical hypersensitivity was assessed in sciatic nerve ligation-induced neuropathic pain in rats using paw pressure test after acute treatment with TAT-2ASCV alone or in combination with repeated treatment with fluoxetine or duloxetine or clomipramine. First, we validated the anti-hyperalgesic effect of TAT-2ASCV on mechanical hypersensitivity at the dose of 100 ng/rat (single i.t. injection). Second, using selective receptor antagonists, we found that the effect of TAT-2ASCV on mechanical hypersensitivity involves 5-HT 2A as well as GABA A receptors. Finally, we showed that the association of TAT-2ASCV (100 ng, single i.t. injection) with fluoxetine (10 mg/kg, five i.p. injections) reveals its anti-hyperalgesic effect, while the association with duloxetine (1 mg/kg, five i.p. injections) or clomipramine (2.5 mg/kg, five i.p. injections) is only additive. Those results further accentuate the interest to develop small molecules acting like TAT-2ASCV in order to treat neuropathic pain as a monotherapy or in combination with antidepressants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antidepressants are one of the first line treatments for neuropathic pain but their use is limited by the incidence and severity of side effects of tricyclics and the weak effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Serotonin type 2A (5-HT 2A ) receptors interact with PDZ proteins that regulate their functionality and SSRI efficacy to alleviate pain. We investigated whether an interfering peptide (TAT-2ASCV) disrupting the interaction between 5-HT 2A receptors and associated PDZ proteins would improve the treatment of traumatic neuropathic allodynia. Tactile allodynia was assessed in spinal nerve ligation-induced neuropathic pain in rats using von Frey filaments after acute treatment with TAT-2ASCV and/or 5-HT 2A receptor agonist, alone or in combination with repeated treatment with fluoxetine. In vivo microdialysis was performed in order to examine the involvement of GABA in TAT-2ASCV/fluoxetine treatment-associated analgesia. TAT-2ASCV (100 ng, single i.t. injection) improved SNL-induced tactile allodynia by increasing 5-HT 2A receptor responsiveness to endogenous 5-HT. Fluoxetine alone (10 mg/kg, five i.p. injections) slightly increased tactile thresholds and its co-administration with TAT-2ASCV (100 ng, single i.t. injection) further enhanced the anti-allodynic effect. This effect depends on the integrity of descending serotonergic bulbospinal pathways and spinal release of GABA. The anti-allodynic effect of fluoxetine can be enhanced by disrupting 5-HT 2A receptor-PDZ protein interactions. This enhancement depends on 5-HT 2A receptor activation, spinal GABA release and GABAA receptor activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Disrupting the interaction between the PDZ protein, PSD-95, and its target ligands (such as the glutamate NMDA receptor or the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor) was found to reduce hyperalgesia in various models of neuropathic pain. Here, we set out to identify lead molecules which would interact with PSD-95, and hence, would potentially display analgesic activity. We describe the virtual screening of the Asinex and Cambridge databases which together contain almost one million molecules. Using three successive docking filters and visual inspection, we identified three structural classes of molecules and synthesized a potential lead compound from each class. The binding of the molecules with the PDZ domains of PSD-95 was assessed by 1H–15N HSQC NMR experiments. The analgesic activity of the best ligand, quinoline 2, was evaluated in vivo in a model of neuropathic pain and showed promising results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Antidepressants are one of the first-line treatments for neuropathic pain. Despite the influence of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) in pain modulation, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are less effective than tricyclic antidepressants. Here, we show, in diabetic neuropathic rats, an alteration of the antihyperalgesic effect induced by stimulation of 5-HT2A receptors, which are known to mediate SSRI-induced analgesia. 5-HT2A receptor density was not changed in the spinal cord of diabetic rats, whereas postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95), one of the PSD-95/disc large suppressor/zonula occludens-1 (PDZ) domain containing proteins interacting with these receptors, was upregulated. Intrathecal injection of a cell-penetrating peptidyl mimetic of the 5-HT2A receptor C-terminus, which disrupts 5-HT2A receptor–PDZ protein interactions, induced an antihyperalgesic effect in diabetic rats, which results from activation of 5-HT2A receptors by endogenous 5-HT. The peptide also enhanced antihyperalgesia induced by the SSRI fluoxetine. Its effects likely resulted from an increase in receptor responsiveness, because it revealed functional 5-HT2A receptor-operated Ca2+ responses in neurons, an effect mimicked by knockdown of PSD-95. Hence, 5-HT2A receptor/PDZ protein interactions might contribute to the resistance to SSRI-induced analgesia in painful diabetic neuropathy. Disruption of these interactions might be a valuable strategy to design novel treatments for neuropathic pain and to increase the effectiveness of SSRIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Constitutively active spinal 5-HT 6 receptors activate mTOR in neuropathic pain. • 5-HT 6 receptor inverse agonists prevent allodynia and co-morbid cognitive deficits. • Disrupting 5-HT 6 receptor/mTOR complex prevents allodynia and cognitive deficits. • Blocking the 5-HT 6 /mTOR pathway is a new avenue for neuropathic pain treatment. Chronic neuropathic pain is a highly disabling syndrome that is poorly controlled by currently available analgesics. Here, we show that painful symptoms and associated cognitive deficits induced by spinal nerve ligation in the rat are prevented by the administration of serotonin 5-HT 6 receptor inverse agonists or by the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin. In contrast, they are not alleviated by the administration of 5-HT 6 receptor neutral antagonists. Likewise, activation of mTOR by constitutively active 5-HT 6 receptors mediates allodynia in oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy in rats but not mechanical nociception in healthy rats. Furthermore, both painful and co-morbid cognitive symptoms in neuropathic rats are strongly reduced by intrathecal delivery of a cell-penetrating peptide that disrupts 5-HT 6 receptor/mTOR physical interaction. Collectively, these findings demonstrate a deleterious influence of non-physiological mTOR activation by constitutively active spinal 5-HT 6 receptors upon painful and cognitive symptoms in neuropathic pains of different etiologies. They suggest that targeting the constitutive activity of 5-HT 6 receptors with inverse agonists or disrupting the 5-HT 6 receptor/mTOR interaction might be valuable strategies for the alleviation of neuropathic pain and cognitive co-morbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]