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Neuropathic pain causes both sensory and emotional maladaptation. Preclinical animal studies of neuropathic pain-induced negative affect could result in novel insights into the mechanisms of chronic pain. Modeling pain-induced negative affect, however, is variable across research groups and conditions. The same injury may or may not produce robust negative affective behavioral responses across different species, strains, and laboratories. Here, we sought to identify negative affective consequences of the spared nerve injury model on C57BL/6J male and female mice. We found no significant effect of spared nerve injury across a variety of approach-avoidance conflict, hedonic choice, and coping strategy assays. We hypothesized these inconsistencies may stem in part from the short test duration of these assays. To test this hypothesis, we used the homecage-based Feeding Experimentation Device version 3 to conduct 12-hour, overnight progressive ratio testing to determine whether mice with chronic spared nerve injury had decreased motivation to earn palatable food rewards. Our data demonstrate that despite equivalent task learning, spared nerve injury mice are less motivated to work for a sugar pellet than sham controls. Furthermore, when we normalized behavioral responses across all the behavioral assays we tested, we found that a combined normalized behavioral score is predictive of injury state and significantly correlates with mechanical thresholds. Together, these results suggest that homecage-based operant behaviors provide a useful platform for modeling nerve injury-induced negative affect and that valuable pain-related information can arise from agglomerative data analyses across behavioral assays--even when individual inferential statistics do not demonstrate significant mean differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neuropathic pain (NP) is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system and is characterized by abnormal hypersensitivity to stimuli and nociceptive responses to non-noxious stimuli, affecting approximately 7–10% of the general population. However, current first-line drugs like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and opioids have limitations, including dose-limiting side effects, dependence, and tolerability issues. Therefore, developing new interventions for the management of NP is urgent. In this study, we discovered that the high-frequency terahertz stimulation (HFTS) at approximately 36 THz effectively alleviates NP symptoms in mice with spared nerve injury. Computational simulation suggests that the frequency resonates with the carbonyl group in the filter region of Kv1.2 channels, facilitating the translocation of potassium ions. In vivo and in vitro results demonstrate that HFTS reduces the excitability of pyramidal neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex likely through enhancing the voltage-gated K+ and also the leak K+ conductance. This research presents a novel optical intervention strategy with terahertz waves for the treatment of NP and holds promising applications in other nervous system diseases.

Chronic pain occurs at epidemic levels throughout the population. Hypersensitivity to touch, is a cardinal symptom of chronic pain. Despite dedicated research for over a century, quantifying this hypersensitivity has remained impossible at scale. To address these issues, we developed the Chainmail Sensitivity Test (CST). Our results show that control mice spend significantly more time on the chainmail portion of the device than mice subject to neuropathy. Treatment with gabapentin abolishes this difference. CST-derived data correlate well with von Frey measurements and quantify hypersensitivity due to inflammation. Our study demonstrates the potential of the CST as a standardized tool for assessing mechanical hypersensitivity in mice with minimal operator input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microglia contribute to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain, highlighting a potential target for therapeutic intervention. • STING is predominantly expressed in microglia in the spinal cord and upregulated after nerve injury. • STING activation and IFN-ß alleviate neuropathic pain in male, but not female, mice. • STING activation in female mice leads transcriptional increases of proinflammatory cytokines, which may counteract its analgesic effect. • STING-mediated attenuation of neuropathic pain in male mice requires STING signaling in microglia, but not sensory neurons. Microglia, resident immune cells in the central nervous system, play a role in neuroinflammation and the development of neuropathic pain. We found that the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is predominantly expressed in spinal microglia and upregulated after peripheral nerve injury. However, mechanical allodynia, as a marker of neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury, did not require microglial STING expression. In contrast, STING activation by specific agonists (ADU-S100, 35 nmol) significantly alleviated neuropathic pain in male mice, but not female mice. STING activation in female mice leads to increase in proinflammatory cytokines that may counteract the analgesic effect of ADU-S100. Microglial STING expression and type I interferon-ß (IFN-ß) signaling were required for the analgesic effects of STING agonists in male mice. Mechanistically, downstream activation of TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and the production of IFN-ß, may partly account for the analgesic effect observed. These findings suggest that STING activation in spinal microglia could be a potential therapeutic intervention for neuropathic pain, particularly in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study utilized the spared nerve injury (SNI) to create a mouse model of depression to investigate the impact of esketamine on depressive-like behaviors, on the expression of PSD-95 and CRMP2 proteins, and on changes in neuronal dendritic spine plasticity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Depressive-like behavioral tests were performed 1 h after esketamine treatment, and the PFC tissues were obtained on the fourth day after completing the behavioral tests. Then, dendritic spine density and morphology in the PFC were measured using Golgi staining, and CRMP2 and PSD-95 proteins were obtained from PFC tissue by western blotting. The results of this study showed that esketamine significantly increased the immobility time in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test. In the open field test, esketamine increased the time spent in the open arms, the time spent in the central area, and the total distance covered. It also increased the protein expression levels of CRMP2 and PSD-95 in addition to the total and mature dendritic spine density of the PFC in SNI-depressed mice. Esketamine can significantly improve depression-like behaviors in SNI-depressed mice and promote an increase in dendritic spine density and maturation in the PFC. These effects may be associated with changes in CRMP2 and PSD-95 expression.

Neuropathic pain, a type of chronic pain caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory system, affects ~10% of the general population and is difficult to treat. It is strongly associated with mood disorder comorbidities and impairs quality of life. It was recently suggested that hypervigilance caused by chronic pain might be of advantage in some species, helping them avoid predators during injury when they are most vulnerable. Here, we sought to confirm the hypervigilance hypothesis by using two predator odor (PO) paradigms, one with transient and one with continuous odor presentation. We observed behavioral responses to PO in neuropathic and control mice in an open field setting. We find that neuropathic mice show hypervigilance to PO, confirming previous results. However, we also find increased anxiety responses to neutral odor in neuropathic mice, which manifests as maladaptive pain. This demonstrates that this maladaptive nature of pain could be an evolutionary adaptation aimed at reducing injury-induced vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain occurs at epidemic levels throughout the population. Hypersensitivity to touch, is a cardinal symptom of chronic pain. Despite dedicated research for over a century, quantifying this hypersensitivity has remained impossible at scale. To address these issues, we developed the Chainmail Sensitivity Test (CST). Our results show that control mice spend significantly more time on the chainmail portion of the device than mice subject to neuropathy. Treatment with gabapentin abolishes this difference. CST-derived data correlate well with von Frey measurements and quantify hypersensitivity due to inflammation. Our study demonstrates the potential of the CST as a standardized tool for assessing mechanical hypersensitivity in mice with minimal operator input.

Neuropathic pain, a type of chronic pain caused by injury or disease of the somatosensory system, affects ∼10% of the general population and is difficult to treat. It is strongly associated with mood disorder comorbidities and impairs quality of life. It was recently suggested that hypervigilance caused by chronic pain might be of advantage in some species, helping them avoid predators during injury when they are most vulnerable. Here, we sought to confirm the hypervigilance hypothesis by using two predator odor (PO) paradigms, one with transient and one with continuous odor presentation. We observed behavioral responses to PO in neuropathic and control mice in an open field setting. We find that neuropathic mice show hypervigilance to PO, confirming previous results. However, we also find increased anxiety responses to neutral odor in neuropathic mice, which manifests as maladaptive pain. This demonstrates that this maladaptive nature of pain could be an evolutionary adaptation aimed at reducing injury-induced vulnerability.

Mechanical allodynia can be evoked by punctate pressure contact with the skin (punctate mechanical allodynia) and dynamic contact stimulation induced by gentle touching of the skin (dynamic mechanical allodynia). Dynamic allodynia is insensitive to morphine treatment and is transmitted through the spinal dorsal horn by a specific neuronal pathway, which is different from that for punctate allodynia, leading to difficulties in clinical treatment. K+-Cl− cotransporter-2 (KCC2) is one of the major determinants of inhibitory efficiency, and the inhibitory system in the spinal cord is important in the regulation of neuropathic pain. The aim of the current study was to determine whether neuronal KCC2 is involved in the induction of dynamic allodynia and to identify underlying spinal mechanisms involved in this process. Dynamic and punctate allodynia were assessed using either von Frey filaments or a paint brush in a spared nerve injury (SNI) mouse model. Our study discovered that the downregulated neuronal membrane KCC2 (mKCC2) in the spinal dorsal horn of SNI mice is closely associated with SNI-induced dynamic allodynia, as the prevention of KCC2 downregulation significantly suppressed the induction of dynamic allodynia. The over activation of microglia in the spinal dorsal horn after SNI was at least one of the triggers in SNI-induced mKCC2 reduction and dynamic allodynia, as these effects were blocked by the inhibition of microglial activation. Finally, the BDNF-TrkB pathway mediated by activated microglial affected SNI-induced dynamic allodynia through neuronal KCC2 downregulation. Overall, our findings revealed that activation of microglia through the BDNF-TrkB pathway affected neuronal KCC2 downregulation, contributing to dynamic allodynia induction in an SNI mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the chronic neuropathic pain state often originates at the level of peripheral sensory neurons, whose abnormal function elicits central sensitization and maladaptive plasticity in the nociceptive circuits of the spinal dorsal horn. These changes eventually reach supraspinal areas bringing about cognitive and affective co-morbidities of chronic pain such as anxiety and depression. This transmission presumably relies on the function of spinal projection neurons at the origin of the anterolateral system (AS). However, the identity of these neurons and the extent of their functional contribution remain unknown. Here, we asked these questions in the context of the mouse AS neurons that require the transcription factor Phox2a for their normal target connectivity and function in transmitting acute nociceptive information to the brain. To this end, we examined the effects of a spinal cord-specific loss of Phox2a (Phox2acKO) on the development of central sensitization evoked by the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of chronic pain. We found that SNI-treated Phox2acKO mice developed normal reflexive spinal responses such as mechanical allodynia evidenced by a decreased withdrawal threshold to von Frey filament stimulation and dynamic brush. On the other hand, Phox2acKO attenuated the development of cold but not mechanical hyperalgesia, in behavioral paradigms that require the relay of nociceptive information to the brain. Furthermore, Phox2acKO attenuated anxio-depressive-like behaviors evoked by SNI, measured by performance in the open field test and tail suspension test. Thus, Phox2a AS neurons play a critical role in the generation and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Temporal patterns of stimulation represent a novel dimension for improving the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic neuropathic pain. Objective: We hypothesized that nonregular temporal patterns of stimulation designed using a computational model would be superior to conventional stimulation at constant frequencies or completely random patterns of stimulation. Methods: Using a computational model of the dorsal horn network and an optimization algorithm based on biological evolution, we designed an optimized pattern of spinal cord stimulation with comparable efficacy and increased efficiency relative to constant frequency (CF) stimulation. We evaluated the effect of different temporal patterns on individual neurons recorded in the dorsal horn of urethane-anesthetized rats. Results: The optimized pattern and 50 Hz CF stimulation produced greater inhibition of spontaneously firing neurons recorded in vivo than random 50 Hz stimulation or a pattern designed intentionally with poor fitness. Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) led to significant changes in the firing patterns of recorded units, and stimulation patterns that generated significant inhibition also tended to reduce entropy and regularize the firing patterns of units, suggesting that patterns of dorsal horn neuron activity may be important for pain perception in addition to the firing rate. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the computational model can be used as a tool for optimizing stimulation parameters and suggest that optimized temporal patterns may increase the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation.

2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (2,6-DTBP) ameliorates mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia produced by partial sciatic nerve ligation in mice, and selectively inhibits HCN1 channel gating. We hypothesized that the clinically utilized non-anesthetic dimerized congener of 2,6-DTBP, probucol (2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-[2-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)sulfanylpropan-2-ylsulfanyl]phenol), would relieve the neuropathic phenotype that results from peripheral nerve damage, and that the anti-hyperalgesic efficacy in vivo would correlate with HCN1 channel inhibition in vitro. A single oral dose of probucol (800 mg/kg) relieved mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in a mouse spared-nerve injury neuropathic pain model. While the low aqueous solubility of probucol precluded assessment of its possible interaction with HCN1 channels, our results, in conjunction with recent data demonstrating that probucol reduces lipopolysaccharide-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, support the testing/development of probucol as a non-opioid, oral antihyperalgesic albeit one of unknown mechanistic action.

BackgroundNeuropathic pain (NP) takes a heavy toll on individual life quality, yet gaps in its molecular characterization persist and effective therapy is lacking. This study aimed to provide comprehensive knowledge by combining transcriptomic and proteomic data of molecular correlates of NP in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a cortical hub responsible for affective pain processing.MethodsThe NP model was established by spared nerve injury (SNI) in Sprague–Dawley rats. RNA sequencing and proteomic data from the ACC tissue isolated from sham and SNI rats 2 weeks after surgery were integrated to compare their gene and protein expression profiles. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to figure out the functions and signaling pathways of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) enriched in.ResultsTranscriptomic analysis identified a total of 788 DEGs (with 49 genes upregulated) after SNI surgery, while proteomic analysis found 222 DEPs (with 89 proteins upregulated). While Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses of the DEGs suggested that most of the altered genes were involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity, bioinformatics analysis of the DEPs revealed novel critical pathways associated with autophagy, mitophagy, and peroxisome. Notably, we noticed functionally important NP-related changes in the protein that occurred in the absence of corresponding changes at the level of transcription. Venn diagram analysis of the transcriptomic and proteomic data identified 10 overlapping targets, among which only three genes (XK-related protein 4, NIPA-like domain-containing 3, and homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3) showed concordance in the directions of change and strong correlations between mRNA and protein levels.ConclusionThe present study identified novel pathways in the ACC in addition to confirming previously reported mechanisms for NP etiology, and provided novel mechanistic insights for future research on NP treatment. These findings also imply that mRNA profiling alone fails to provide a complete landscape of molecular pain in the ACC. Therefore, explorations of changes at the level of protein are necessary to understand NP processes that are not transcriptionally modulated.

Cannabis sativa plants contain a multitude of bioactive substances, which show broad variability between different plant strains. Of the more than a hundred naturally occurring phytocannabinoids, Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have been the most extensively studied, but whether and how the lesser investigated compounds in plant extracts affect bioavailability or biological effects of Δ9-THC or CBD is not known. We therefore performed a first pilot study to assess THC concentrations in plasma, spinal cord and brain after oral administration of THC compared to medical marijuana extracts rich in THC or depleted of THC. Δ9-THC levels were higher in mice receiving the THC-rich extract. Surprisingly, only orally applied CBD but not THC alleviated mechanical hypersensitivity in the mouse spared nerve injury model, favoring CBD as an analgesic compound for which fewer unwanted psychoactive effects are to be expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The adaption of brain region is fundamental to the development and maintenance of nervous system disorders. The prelimbic cortex (PrL) participates in the affective components of the pain sensation. However, whether and how the adaptation of PrL contributes to the comorbidity of neuropathic pain and depression are unknown. Methods Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), genetic knockdown or overexpression, we systematically investigated the activity of PrL region in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain/depression comorbid using the combined approaches of immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and behavior. Results The activity of PrL and the excitability of pyramidal neurons were decreased, and the osteoclastic tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5 (Acp5) expression in PrL neurons was upregulated following the acquisition of spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced comorbidity. Genetic knockdown of Acp5 in pyramidal neurons, but not parvalbumin (PV) neurons or somatostatin (SST) neurons, attenuated the decrease of spike number, depression-like behavior and mechanical allodynia in comorbidity rats. Overexpression of Acp5 in PrL pyramidal neurons decreased the spike number and induced the comorbid-like behavior in naïve rats. Moreover, the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) and acetylated histone H3 (Ac-H3) were significantly increased following the acquisition of comorbidity in rats. Increased binding of STAT3 to the Acp5 gene promoter and the interaction between STAT3 and p300 enhanced acetylation of histone H3 and facilitated the transcription of Acp5 in PrL in the modeled rodents. Inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 pathway prevented the Acp5 upregulation and attenuated the comorbid-like behaviors in rats. Conclusions These data suggest that the adaptation of PrL mediated by IL-6/STAT3/Acp5 pathway contributed to the comorbidity of neuropathic pain/depression induced by SNI.

Background: Men and women with chronic pain report increased alcohol use and are more likely to be diagnosed with alcohol use disorder. The relationship between alcohol use and pain is bidirectional. Alcohol is used as an analgesic, but chronic alcohol intake increases pain. Sex differences in the relationship between chronic pain and alcohol are reported in the clinical and preclinical literature, but due to this bidirectional relationship, it is challenging to investigate the mechanisms that contribute to these differences. Thus, animal models of chronic pain are needed to characterize the efficacy of ethanol as an analgesic in males and females. The current experiments tested the hypothesis that ethanol differentially reduces pain behaviors in male and female mice in chronic neuropathic pain. Methods: The spared nerve injury (SNI) model was used to investigate the analgesic effects of multiple doses of ethanol (0.5, 1, 2, g/kg i.p.) in male and female mice using von Frey and dynamic weight‐bearing (DWB) assays. Results: In both male and female mice, SNI led to robust allodynia and shifts in dynamic weight bearing. In male SNI mice, all three doses of ethanol fully reversed mechanical allodynia and shifts in DWB. In SNI females, only the highest dose (2.0 g/kg) was fully antiallodynic in the von Frey assay, while shifts in weight bearing were reversed at the 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg doses. The differences between male and females were not due to lower blood ethanol concentrations in female mice. Conclusion: These data indicate that while ethanol has antiallodynic and antinociceptive effects in male and female mice, the doses and time course of these effects are distinct. Studies investigating the relationship between pain and ethanol exposure in mice should consider sex as a key variable. These data also inform reported sex differences in rodent models of chronic pain and in chronic pain patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Targeted muscle reinnervation in the spared nerve injury model recapitulates clinical successes and further supports the relationship of nerve regeneration and reinnervation in neuropathic pain. Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is a clinical intervention that is rapidly becoming common in major limb amputation to prevent or reduce amputation-related pain. However, TMR is much less effective when applied long after injury compared with acute TMR. Since the mechanisms governing pain relief in TMR of amputated nerves are unknown, we developed a preclinical model as a platform for mechanistic examination. Following spared nerve injury (SNI), rats underwent either TMR, simple neuroma excision, or a sham manipulation of the injury site. These interventions were performed immediately or delayed (3 or 12 weeks) after SNI. Pain behavior was measured as sensitivity to mechanical stimuli (pin, von Frey, and dynamic brush) and thermal stimuli (acetone and radiant heat). Spared nerve injury produced hypersensitivity to all mechanical stimuli and cold, which persisted after sham surgery. Targeted muscle reinnervation at the time of SNI prevented the development of pain behaviors and performing TMR 3 weeks after SNI reversed pain behaviors to baseline. By contrast, TMR performed at 12 weeks after SNI had no effect on pain behaviors. Neuroma excision resulted in significantly less reduction in hyperalgesia compared with TMR when performed 3 weeks after SNI but had no effect at 12 weeks after SNI. In this model, the pain phenotype induced by nerve transection is reduced by TMR when performed within 3 weeks after injury. However, TMR delayed 12 weeks after injury fails to reduce pain behaviors. This replicates clinical experience with limb amputation, supporting validity of this model for examining the mechanisms of TMR analgesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NADPH oxidase isoform-2 (NOX2) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain (NP), mostly through the modulation of neuroinflammation. Since it is also accepted that some neuroimmune mechanisms underlying NP are sex-dependent, we aimed to evaluate the effects of early systemic treatment with the NOX2-selective inhibitor (NOX2i) GSK2795039 on behavioral responses and spinal neuroinflammation in spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced NP in male and female mice. Mechanical sensitivity was evaluated with the von Frey test, while general well-being and anxiety-like behavior were assessed with burrowing and light/dark box tests. Spinal microglial activation and cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, as well as macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were evaluated by immunofluorescence and multiplex immunoassay, respectively. NOX2i treatment reduced SNI-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and early SNI-induced microglial activation in both sexes. SNI-females, but not males, showed a transient reduction in burrowing activity. NOX2i treatment did not improve their burrowing activity, but tendentially reduced their anxiety-like behavior. NOX2i marginally decreased IL-6 in females, and increased M-CSF in males. Our findings suggest that NOX2-selective inhibition may be a potential therapeutic strategy for NP in both male and female individuals, with particular interest in females due to its apparent favorable impact in anxiety-like behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drugs enhancing the availability of noradrenaline are gaining prominence in the therapy of chronic neuropathic pain. However, underlying mechanisms are not well understood, and research has thus far focused on α2-adrenergic receptors and neuronal excitability. Adrenergic receptors are also expressed on glial cells, but their roles toward antinociception are not well deciphered. This study addresses the contribution of β2-adrenergic receptors (β2-ARs) to the therapeutic modulation of neuropathic pain in mice. We report that selective activation of β2-ARs with Formoterol inhibits pro-inflammatory signaling in microglia ex vivo and nerve injury-induced structural remodeling and functional activation of microglia in vivo. Systemic delivery of Formoterol inhibits behaviors related to neuropathic pain, such as mechanical hypersensitivity, cold allodynia as well as the aversive component of pain, and reverses chronically established neuropathic pain. Using conditional gene targeting for microglia-specific deletion of β2-ARs, we demonstrate that the anti-allodynic effects of Formoterol are primarily mediated by microglia. Although Formoterol also reduces astrogliosis at late stages of neuropathic pain, these functions are unrelated to β2-AR signaling in microglia. Our results underline the value of developing microglial β2-AR agonists for relief from neuropathic pain and clarify mechanistic underpinnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the chronic neuropathic pain state often originates at the level of peripheral sensory neurons, whose abnormal function elicits central sensitization and maladaptive plasticity in the nociceptive circuits of the spinal dorsal horn. These changes eventually reach supraspinal areas bringing about cognitive and affective co-morbidities of chronic pain such as anxiety and depression. This transmission presumably relies on the function of spinal projection neurons at the origin of the anterolateral system (AS). However, the identity of these neurons and the extent of their functional contribution remain unknown. Here, we asked these questions in the context of the mouse AS neurons that require the transcription factor Phox2a for their normal target connectivity and function in transmitting acute nociceptive information to the brain. To this end, we examined the effects of a spinal cord-specific loss of Phox2a (Phox2acKO) on the development of central sensitization evoked by the spared nerve injury (SNI) model of chronic pain. We found that SNI-treated Phox2acKO mice developed normal reflexive spinal responses such as mechanical allodynia evidenced by a decreased withdrawal threshold to von Frey filament stimulation and dynamic brush. On the other hand, Phox2acKO attenuated the development of cold but not mechanical hyperalgesia, in behavioral paradigms that require the relay of nociceptive information to the brain. Furthermore, Phox2acKO attenuated anxiodepressive-like behaviors evoked by SNI, measured by performance in the open field test and tail suspension test. Thus, Phox2a AS neurons play a critical role in the generation and maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical allodynia can be evoked by punctate pressure contact with the skin (punctate mechanical allodynia) and dynamic contact stimulation induced by gentle touching of the skin (dynamic mechanical allodynia). Dynamic allodynia is insensitive to morphine treatment and is transmitted through the spinal dorsal horn by a specific neuronal pathway, which is different from that for punctate allodynia, leading to difficulties in clinical treatment. K+-Cl-cotransporter-2 (KCC2) is one of the major determinants of inhibitory efficiency, and the inhibitory system in the spinal cord is important in the regulation of neuropathic pain. The aim of the current study was to determine whether neuronal KCC2 is involved in the induction of dynamic allodynia and to identify underlying spinal mechanisms involved in this process. Dynamic and punctate allodynia were assessed using either von Frey filaments or a paint brush in a spared nerve injury (SNI) mouse model. Our study discovered that the downregulated neuronal membrane KCC2 (mKCC2) in the spinal dorsal horn of SNI mice is closely associated with SNI-induced dynamic allodynia, as the prevention of KCC2 downregulation significantly suppressed the induction of dynamic allodynia. The over activation of microglia in the spinal dorsal horn after SNI was at least one of the triggers in SNI-induced mKCC2 reduction and dynamic allodynia, as these effects were blocked by the inhibition of microglial activation. Finally, the BDNF-TrkB pathway mediated by activated microglial affected SNI-induced dynamic allodynia through neuronal KCC2 downregulation. Overall, our findings revealed that activation of microglia through the BDNF-TrkB pathway affected neuronal KCC2 downregulation, contributing to dynamic allodynia induction in an SNI mouse model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Chronic pain is an impeding condition that affects day-to-day life and poses a substantial economic burden, surpassing many other health conditions. This study employs a cross-species integrated approach to uncover novel pain mediators/regulators., Methods: We used weighted gene coexpression network analysis to identify pain-enriched gene module. Functional analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of the module genes were conducted. RNA sequencing compared pain model and control mice. PheWAS was performed to link genes to pain-related GWAS traits. Finally, candidates were prioritized based on node degree, differential expression, GWAS associations, and phenotype correlations., Results: A gene module significantly over-enriched with the pain reference set was identified (referred to as "pain module"). Analysis revealed 141 pain module genes interacting with 46 pain reference genes in the PPI network, which included 88 differentially expressed genes. PheWAS analysis linked 53 of these genes to pain-related GWAS traits. Expression correlation analysis identified Vdac1, Add2, Syt2, and Syt4 as significantly correlated with pain phenotypes across eight brain regions. NCAM1, VAMP2, SYT2, ADD2, and KCND3 were identified as top pain response/regulator genes., Conclusion: The identified genes and molecular mechanisms may enhance understanding of pain pathways and contribute to better drug target identification., (© 2025 The Author(s). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Aims: The comorbidity of anxiety-like symptoms in neuropathic pain (NP) is a significant yet often overlooked health concern. Anxiety sufferers may have a lower tolerance for pain, but which is difficult to treat. Accumulating evidence suggests a strong link between astrocytes and the manifestation of NP with concurrent anxiety-like behaviors. And the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) has emerged as a key player in pain modulation and related emotional processing. However, the complex mechanisms that astrocytes in ACC influence anxiety behavior in mouse models of NP remain largely unexplored., Methods: Utilizing the traditional spared nerve injury (SNI) surgical model, we employed chemogenetic approaches, immunofluorescence, and western blot to investigate the functional significance and interactive dynamics between ACC astrocytes and excitatory neurons., Results: Our results revealed that SNI surgery induces NP and delayed anxiety-like behaviors, accompanied by increased astrocyte activity in the ACC. Chemogenetic manipulation demonstrated that inhibiting astrocytes alleviates anxiety symptoms, while activating them exacerbates anxiety-like behaviors, affecting local excitatory neurons and synapse density. Direct manipulation of ACC excitatory neurons also significantly impacted anxiety-like behaviors., Conclusion: Our results highlight the pivotal role of ACC astrocytes in modulating anxiety-like behavior, suggesting a novel therapeutic strategy for anxiety associated with NP by targeting astrocyte function., (© 2025 The Author(s). CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

• Spared nerve injury (SNI) altered the action potential (AP) output of lamina I spino-parabrachial neurons (SPNs) without affecting their resting potential or membrane resistance.• In one-third of SPNs, high-threshold dorsal root stimulation elicited persistent AP firing which was never observed in cells from naïve animals.• 38% of SPNs from SNI rats showed spontaneous persistent AP firing.• After SNI low- and high-output SPNs were no longer nociceptive-specific as part of them responded with APs to low-threshold stimulation.• These SNI-induced changes of SPN output might represent cellular mechanisms for neuropathy-associated allodynia, hyperalgesia, and spontaneous pain.

Growing evidence points to the histamine system as a promising target for the management of neuropathic pain. Preclinical studies reported the efficacy of H3R antagonists in reducing pain hypersensitivity in models of neuropathic pain through an increase of histamine release within the CNS. Recently, a promising efficacy of H4R agonists as anti-neuropathic agents has been postulated. Since H3R and H4R are both localized in neuronal areas devoted to pain processing, the aim of the study is to investigate the role of H4R in the mechanism of anti-hyperalgesic action of the H3R antagonist GSK189254 in the spared nerve injury (SNI) model in mice. Oral (6 mg/kg), intrathecal (6 µg/mouse), or intra locus coeruleus (LC) (10 µg/µL) administration of GSK189254 reversed mechanical and thermal allodynia in the ipsilateral side of SNI mice. This effect was completely prevented by pretreatment with the H4R antagonist JNJ 10191584 (6 µg/mouse i.t.; (10 µg/µL intraLC). Furthermore, GSK189254 was devoid of any anti-hyperalgesic effect in H4R deficient mice, compared with wild type mice. Conversely, pretreatment with JNJ 10191584 was not able to prevent the hypophagic activity of GSK189254. In conclusion, we demonstrated the selective contribution of H4R to the H3R antagonist-induced attenuation of hypernociceptive behavior in SNI mice. These results might help identify innovative therapeutic interventions for neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complexity of neuropathic pain and its associated comorbidities, including dysautonomia, make it difficult to treat. Overlap of anatomical regions and pharmacology of sympathosensory systems in the central nervous system (CNS) provide targets for novel treatment strategies. The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) is an integral component of both the descending pain modulation system and the acute stress response and is critically involved in both analgesia and the regulation of sympathetic activity. Local manipulation of the endocannabinoid signaling system holds great promise to provide analgesia without excessive adverse effects and also influence autonomic output. Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increases brain concentrations of the endocannabinoid N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and reduces pain-related behaviors in neuropathic pain models. Neuropathic hyperalgesia and reduced sympathetic tone are associated with increased FAAH activity in the dPAG, which suggests the hypothesis that inhibition of FAAH in the dPAG will normalize pain sensation and autonomic function in neuropathic pain. To test this hypothesis, the effects of systemic or intra-dPAG FAAH inhibition on hyperalgesia and dysautonomia developed after spared nerve injury (SNI) were assessed in male and female rats. Administration of the FAAH inhibitor PF-3845 into the dPAG reduces hyperalgesia behavior and the decrease in sympathetic tone induced by SNI. Prior administration of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM281, attenuated the antihyperalgesic and sympathetic effects of FAAH inhibition. No sex differences were identified. These data support an integrative role for AEA/CB1 receptor signaling in the dPAG contributing to the regulation of both hyperalgesia behavior and altered sympathetic tone in neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the interaction between glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and HCN4 channels in the rat model of spared nerve injury (SNI) in Sprague-Dawley rats (n=124). The animals were randomly divided into 6 groups: sham-operated (SO; n=24), SNI (reference group; n=20), and 4 experimental SNI groups intrathecally treated with dexamethasone (DEX; GR agonist; n=20), RU38486 (GR antagonist; n=20), ZD7288 (HCN channels blocker; n=20), and ZD7288+DEX (n=20). The paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PWT) was measured one day before surgery (SO group) and on days 1, 3, 7, 14, and 21 after surgery. Behavioral results showed that mechanical hyperalgesia appeared on day 1 after SNI, while PWT decreased gradually with time. The expression of GR and HCN4 channels in L4-L6 dorsal horn of the spinal cord was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. In the reference group, SNI significantly increased GR expression up to day 14 after surgery in comparison with the SO group. The expression of GR showed a tendency to increase in the DEX group (with the maximum expression on days 14 and 21), significantly increased in the RU38486 group (maximum on day 7). In the ZD7288 group, GR expression was lower than in the SNI group and did not change throughout the experiment, suggesting that ZD7288 could block the expression of GR. In the DEX group, the expression of HCN4 channels was significantly higher on day 1 after SNI, but there were no differences in this parameter between the RU38486 and ZD7288 groups. In the ZD7288+DEX group, the expression of HCN4 channels significantly increased on days 14 and 21 after SNI. Thus, GR and HCN4 have the same linkage in the formation of central sensitization after SNI, but antagonists have no significant effect on the improvement of pain behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temporal patterns of stimulation represent a novel dimension for improving the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation to treat chronic neuropathic pain. We hypothesized that nonregular temporal patterns of stimulation designed using a computational model would be superior to conventional stimulation at constant frequencies or completely random patterns of stimulation. Using a computational model of the dorsal horn network and an optimization algorithm based on biological evolution, we designed an optimized pattern of spinal cord stimulation with comparable efficacy and increased efficiency relative to constant frequency (CF) stimulation. We evaluated the effect of different temporal patterns on individual neurons recorded in the dorsal horn of urethane-anesthetized rats. The optimized pattern and 50 Hz CF stimulation produced greater inhibition of spontaneously firing neurons recorded in vivo than random 50 Hz stimulation or a pattern designed intentionally with poor fitness. Spinal Cord Stimulation (SCS) led to significant changes in the firing patterns of recorded units, and stimulation patterns that generated significant inhibition also tended to reduce entropy and regularize the firing patterns of units, suggesting that patterns of dorsal horn neuron activity may be important for pain perception in addition to the firing rate. These results demonstrate that the computational model can be used as a tool for optimizing stimulation parameters and suggest that optimized temporal patterns may increase the efficacy of spinal cord stimulation. [Display omitted] • Novel method for computational design of non-regular temporal patterns of stimulation. • Novel patterns show equivalent efficacy compared to conventional 50 Hz stimulation and improve efficiency. • Patterns evaluated in both healthy and nerve-injured animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though both neuropathy and fibromyalgia are serious complications that cause widespread pain, distinguishing between the two in order to provide adequate care is difficult. Metabolic disorders, chemotherapy, and neurotoxic exposure are frequently reported with neuropathic pain, whereas inflammatory and musculoskeletal diseases are associated with fibromyalgia. In recent years, these pain syndromes have become a significant challenge for healthcare experts due to their complex etiology, limited drug availability, and effectiveness. Notably, pharmaceutical drugs (antidepressants, anticonvulsants) available today have adverse effects, including physical dependence and tolerance. Therefore, a plethora of nutraceuticals has drawn considerable attention from patients seeking relief from chronic pain conditions. Nonetheless, only a few preclinical and clinical studies have been conducted to establish the safety and efficacy of these supplements. The current review concentrates on the role of a variety of nutraceuticals in the treatment of neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia, as well as their potential mechanisms and clinical trials.

A large portion of neuropathic pain suffering patients may also concurrently experience neuropathic itch, with a negative impact on the quality of life. The limited understanding of neuropathic itch and the low efficacy of current anti-itch therapies dictate the urgent need of a better comprehension of molecular mechanisms involved and development of relevant animal models. This study was aimed to characterize the itching phenotype in a model of trauma-induced peripheral neuropathy, the spared nerve injury (SNI), and the molecular events underlying the overlap with the nociceptive behavior. SNI mice developed hyperknesis and spontaneous itch 7–14 days after surgery that was prevented by gabapentin treatment. Itch was associated with pain hypersensitivity, loss of intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) density and increased epidermal thickness. In coincidence with the peak of scratching behavior, SNI mice showed a spinal overexpression of IBA1 and GFAP, microglia and astrocyte markers respectively. An increase of the itch neuropeptide B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) in NeuN+ cells, of its downstream effector interleukin 17 (IL17) along with increased pERK1/2 levels occurred in the spinal cord dorsal horn and DRG. A raise in BNP and IL17 was also detected at skin level. Stimulation of HaCat cells with conditioned medium from BV2-stimulated SH-SY5Y cells produced a dramatic reduction of HaCat cell viability. This study showed that SNI mice might represent a model for neuropathic itch and pain. Collectively, our finding suggest that neuropathic itch might initiate at spinal level, then affecting skin epidermis events, through a glia-mediated neuroinflammation-evoked BNP/IL17 mechanism. [Display omitted] • Neuropathic pain suffering patients may also concurrently experience neuropathic itch. • The etiology of neuropathic itch is still poorly understood and lacks approved therapy. • Behavioral, histological, and biological analysis showed that SNI mice developed neuropathic pain and neuropathic itch. • Spinal neuroinflammation initiates itch sensation by the release of BNP/IL17, amplified by the release of BNP in the skin. • SNI can be proposed as animal model to test the efficacy of new therapeutic interventions for neuropathic itch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Neuropathic pain has long-term consequences in affective and cognitive disturbances, suggesting the involvement of supraspinal mechanisms. In this study, we used the spared nerve injury (SNI) model to characterize the development of sensory and aversive components of neuropathic pain and to determine their electrophysiological impact across prefrontal cortex and limbic regions. Moreover, we evaluated the regulation of several genes involved in immune response and inflammation triggered by SNI. We showed that SNI led to sensorial hypersensitivity (cold and mechanical stimuli) and depressive-like behavior lasting 12 months after nerve injury. Of interest, changes in nonemotional cognitive tasks (novel object recognition and Y maze) showed in 1-month SNI mice were not evident normal in the 12-month SNI animals. In vivo electrophysiology revealed an impaired long-term potentiation at prefrontal cortex-nucleus accumbens core pathway in both the 1-month and 12-month SNI mice. On the other hand, a reduced neural activity was recorded in the lateral entorhinal cortex-dentate gyrus pathway in the 1-month SNI mice, but not in the 12-month SNI mice. Finally, we observed the upregulation of specific genes involved in immune response in the hippocampus of 1-month SNI mice, but not in the 12-month SNI mice, suggesting a neuroinflammatory response that may contribute to the SNI phenotype. These data suggest that distinct brain circuits may drive the psychiatric components of neuropathic pain and pave the way for better investigation of the long-term consequences of peripheral nerve injury for which most of the available drugs are to date unsatisfactory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The P2X4 receptor (P2X4R) can be upregulated after nerve injury, and its mediated spinal microglial activation makes a critical contribution to pathologically enhanced pain processing in the dorsal horn. Although some studies have partly clarified the mechanism underlying altered P2X4R expression, the specific mechanism is not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs which control gene expression by binding with their target mRNAs. Thus, in the present study, we investigated whether miRNA is involved in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain by regulating P2X4R. Our results showed that P2X4R was upregulated in the spinal dorsal horn of mice following spared nerve injury (SNI), and 69 miRNAs (46 upregulated and 23 downregulated miRNAs) were differentially expressed (fold change > 2.0, P < 0.05). P2X4R was found to be a major target of miR-106b-5p (one of the downregulated miRNAs) using bioinformatics technology; quantitative real-time PCR analysis confirmed the change in expression of miR-106b-5p, and dual-luciferase reporter assays confirmed the correlation between them. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to show cell co-localization of P2X4R and miR-106b-5p in the spinal dorsal horn. Transfection with miR-106b-5p mimic into BV2 cells reversed the upregulation of P2X4R induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Moreover, miR-106b-5p overexpression significantly attenuated neuropathic pain induced by SNI, with decreased expression of P2X4R mRNA and protein in the spinal dorsal horn; intrathecal miR-106b-5p antagomir induced pain behaviors, and increased expression of P2X4R in the spinal dorsal horn of naïve mice. These data suggest that miR-106b-5p can serve as an important regulator of neuropathic pain development by targeting P2X4R. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adaption of brain region is fundamental to the development and maintenance of nervous system disorders. The prelimbic cortex (PrL) participates in the affective components of the pain sensation. However, whether and how the adaptation of PrL contributes to the comorbidity of neuropathic pain and depression are unknown.Methods: Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), genetic knockdown or overexpression, we systematically investigated the activity of PrL region in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain/depression comorbid using the combined approaches of immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and behavior.Results: The activity of PrL and the excitability of pyramidal neurons were decreased, and the osteoclastic tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5 (Acp5) expression in PrL neurons was upregulated following the acquisition of spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced comorbidity. Genetic knockdown of Acp5 in pyramidal neurons, but not parvalbumin (PV) neurons or somatostatin (SST) neurons, attenuated the decrease of spike number, depression-like behavior and mechanical allodynia in comorbidity rats. Overexpression of Acp5 in PrL pyramidal neurons decreased the spike number and induced the comorbid-like behavior in naïve rats. Moreover, the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) and acetylated histone H3 (Ac-H3) were significantly increased following the acquisition of comorbidity in rats. Increased binding of STAT3 to the Acp5 gene promoter and the interaction between STAT3 and p300 enhanced acetylation of histone H3 and facilitated the transcription of Acp5 in PrL in the modeled rodents. Inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 pathway prevented the Acp5 upregulation and attenuated the comorbid-like behaviors in rats.Conclusions: These data suggest that the adaptation of PrL mediated by IL-6/STAT3/Acp5 pathway contributed to the comorbidity of neuropathic pain/depression induced by SNI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rong Hu,1– 3 Jintao Zhang,1,2,4 Xuemei Liu,1,2 Dong Huang,3 Yu-Qing Cao1,2 1Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; 2Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; 3Department of Pain Management, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yu-Qing CaoDepartment of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Box 8054, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USATel +1 314 362 8726Fax +1 314 362 8334Email caoy@anest.wustl.eduPurpose: Nerve injury-induced mechanical hyper-sensitivity, in particular stroking-induced dynamic allodynia, is highly debilitating and difficult to treat. Previous studies indicate that the immunosuppressive regulatory T (Treg) cells modulate the magnitude of punctate mechanical allodynia resulting from sciatic nerve injury. However, whether enhancing Treg-mediated suppression attenuates dynamic allodynia is not known. In the present study, we addressed this knowledge gap by treating mice with low-dose interleukin-2 (ld-IL2) injections or adoptive transfer of Treg cells.Methods: Female Swiss Webster mice received daily injections of ld-IL2 (1 μg/mouse, intraperitoneally) either before or after unilateral spared nerve injury (SNI). Male C57BL/6J mice received adoptive transfer of 1 x 106 Treg cells 3 weeks post-SNI. The responses to punctate and dynamic mechanical stimuli on the hindpaw were monitored before and up to 4– 6 weeks post-SNI. We also compared the distribution of Treg cells and CD3+ total T cells after SNI and/or ld-IL2 treatment.Results: Ld-IL2 pretreatment in female Swiss Webster mice completely blocked the development of SNI-induced dynamic mechanical allodynia and reduced the magnitude of punctate allodynia. Delayed ld-IL2 treatment in female mice significantly attenuated the morphine-resistant punctate and dynamic allodynia at 3– 5 weeks post-SNI. Adoptive transfer of Treg cells to male C57BL/6J mice 3 weeks post-SNI effectively reversed the persistent punctate and dynamic allodynia, supporting that the effect of ld-IL2 is mediated through endogenous Treg cells, and is likely independent of mouse strain and sex. Neither ld-IL2 treatment nor Treg transfer affected the basal responses to punctate or brush stimuli. Ld-IL2 significantly increased the frequency of Treg cells among total CD3+ T cells in the injured sciatic nerves but not in the uninjured nerves or the dorsal root ganglia, suggesting the injured nerve as ld-IL2’s site of action.Conclusion: Collectively, results from the present study supports Treg as a cellular target and ld-IL2 as a potential therapeutic option for nerve injury-induced persistent punctate and dynamic mechanical allodynia.Keywords: spared nerve injury, chronic pain, punctate allodynia, dynamic allodynia, low-dose interleukin-2, regulatory T cell

AbstractMorphine is a well-characterized and effective analgesic commonly used to provide pain relief to patients suffering from both acute and chronic pain conditions. Despite its widespread use and effectiveness, one of the major drawbacks of morphine is its relatively short half-life of approximately 4 h. This short half-life often necessitates multiple administrations of the drug each day, which may contribute to both dependence and tolerance to morphine. Here, we tested the analgesic properties of a new polymer form of morphine known as PolyMorphine. This polymer has monomeric units of morphine incorporated into a poly(anhydride-ester) backbone that has been shown to hydrolyze into free morphine in vitro. Using an animal model of chronic pain, the spared nerve injury surgery, we showed that PolyMorphine is able to block spared nerve injury-induced hypersensitivity in mice for up to 24-h post-administration. Free morphine was shown to only block spared nerve injury-induced hypersensitivity for up to 2-h post-injection. PolyMorphine was also shown to act through the mu opioid receptor due to the ability of naloxone (a mu opioid receptor antagonist) to block PolyMorphine-induced analgesia in spared nerve injury animals pretreated with PolyMorphine. Additionally, we observed that PolyMorphine causes similar locomotor and constipation side effects as free morphine. Finally, we investigated if PolyMorphine had any effects in a non-evoked pain assay, conditioned place preference. Pretreatment of spared nerve injury mice with PolyMorphine blocked the development of conditioned place preference for 2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine (MPEP), a short-lasting mGluR5 antagonist with analgesic-like properties. Free morphine does not block the development of preference for MPEP, suggesting that PolyMorphine has longer lasting analgesic effects compared to free morphine. Together, these data show that PolyMorphine has the potential to provide analgesia for significantly longer than free morphine while likely working through the same receptor.

Abstract Pathogen infection triggers pain via activation of the innate immune system. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and Nod-like receptors (NLRs) are the main components of innate immunity and have been implicated in pain signaling. We previously revealed that the TLR2-NLRP3-IL33 pathway mediates inflammatory pain responses during hyperactivity of innate immunity. However, their roles in neuropathic pain had remained unclear. Here we report that although knockout of TLR2 or NLRP3 does not affect spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain, intrathecal inhibition of IL33/ST2 signaling with ST2 neutralizing antibodies reverses mechanical thresholds in SNI mice compared to PBS vehicle treated animals. This effect indicates a universal role of IL33 in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain states, and that targeting the IL33/ST2 axis could be a potential therapeutic approach for pain treatment.

Persistent, severe pain negatively impacts health and wellbeing, but half of patients do not receive adequate relief from current treatments. Understanding signals that modulate central pain processing could point to new strategies to manage severe pain. Administering Neurotensin (Nts) or Nts receptor (NtsR) agonists into the brain provides analgesia comparable to pharmacologic opioids. However, the endogenous sources of Nts that modify pain processing and might be leveraged for pain relief remained unknown. We previously characterized a large population of Nts-expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA Nts neurons) that project to brain regions that participate in descending control of pain processing. We hypothesized that LHA Nts neurons are an endogenous source of Nts and activating them would alleviate pain dependent on Nts signaling via NtsRs. To test this, we injected Nts Cre mice in the LHA with AAVs to cre-dependently express either mCherry (Control) or the excitatory hM3Dq in LHA Nts neurons, permitting their stimulation after treatment with the hM3Dq ligand clozapine N-oxide (CNO). Activating LHA Nts neurons had no effect on thermal pain and mechanical responses in naïve mice. By contrast, both spared nerve injury- (SNI) and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced mechanical hypersensitivity was completely reversed by CNO-stimulation of LHA Nts neurons. Pretreatment with the Nts receptor antagonist SR142948 reduced CNO-mediated analgesia, indicating that LHA Nts neurons alleviate chronic pain in an Nts receptor-dependent manner. Taken together these data identify LHA Nts neurons as an endogenous source of Nts that modulates central pain processing and may inform future development of Nts-based targets to treat severe pain., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

Alterations in anion balance potential, along with the involvement of cation-chloride cotransporters, play pivotal roles in the development of hyperalgesia after peripheral nerve injury. Chloride voltage-gated channel seven (CLCN7) is the predominant member of the CLC protein family. Investigations on CLCN7 have focused primarily on its involvement in osteosclerosis and lysosomal storage disorders; nevertheless, its contribution to neuropathic pain has not been determined. In this investigation, we noted high expression of CLCN7 in neurons situated within the spinal dorsal horns and dorsal root ganglions (DRGs). Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that CLCN7 was predominantly distributed among IB4-positive and CGRP-positive neurons. Furthermore, the expression of CLCN7 was observed to be mainly reduced in neurons within the spinal dorsal horns and in small- and medium-sized neurons located in the DRGs of spared nerve injury mice. Knockdown of CLCN7 via siRNA in the DRGs resulted in increased mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in naïve mice. Furthermore, the excitability of cultured DRG neurons in vitro was augmented upon treatment with CLCN7 siRNA. These findings suggested that CLCN7 downregulation following SNI was crucial for the manifestation of mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia, highlighting potential targeting strategies for treating neuropathic pain., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Retinoic acid receptors are important for homeostatic synaptic plasticity and have many beneficial effects within the brain. New work by Cao et al. 1 uncovers a role for these receptors in driving neuropathic pain development, thus identifying a potential preventative therapeutic target. Retinoic acid receptors are important for homeostatic synaptic plasticity and have many beneficial effects within the brain. New work by Cao et al. uncovers a role for these receptors in driving neuropathic pain development, thus identifying a potential preventative therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional opioids have proven analgesic effects in clinical applications but are also associated with side effects, especially hyperalgesia. Reducing the occurrence of hyperalgesia is part of effective clinical pain management. In this study, we investigated the difference between MEL-0614, a novel endomorphin analog that can effectively penetrate the blood–brain barrier, and morphine in inducing hyperalgesia. Under mechanical and thermal stimulation conditions, intravenous administration of morphine led to hyperalgesia even at low concentrations, which was not observed with MEL-0614 even at high concentrations. In a spared nerve injury model, significantly less aggravation of allodynia was caused by an intravenous injection of MEL-0614 compared with that caused by morphine, and the allodynia symptoms occurred later. Notably, MEL-0614 significantly relieved the symptoms of morphine-induced allodynia. The activation of N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor and expression of inflammatory mediators differed in spinal microglia after intravenous injections of MEL-0614 and morphine. Intravenous injections of morphine induced increases in the number of microglia and overexpression of inflammatory factors, including tumor necrotic factor and interleukin-1β. Conversely, the effects of MEL-0614 administration did not differ from those of saline, and there was no inflammatory mediator overexpression. Especially in the spared nerve injury model, the cross-administration of morphine and MEL-0614 could reduce the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 and other related genes to different degrees compared with the use of morphine alone. Concurrently, the results could also explain the alleviating effect of MEL-0614 on morphine-induced pain sensitivity in behavioral experiments. Our findings may provide important information regarding the clinical treatment of neuropathic pain in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NADPH oxidase isoform-2 (NOX2) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain (NP), mostly through the modulation of neuroinflammation. Since it is also accepted that some neuroimmune mechanisms underlying NP are sex-dependent, we aimed to evaluate the effects of early systemic treatment with the NOX2-selective inhibitor (NOX2i) GSK2795039 on behavioral responses and spinal neuroinflammation in spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced NP in male and female mice. Mechanical sensitivity was evaluated with the von Frey test, while general well-being and anxiety-like behavior were assessed with burrowing and light/dark box tests. Spinal microglial activation and cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-10, as well as macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) were evaluated by immunofluorescence and multiplex immunoassay, respectively. NOX2i treatment reduced SNI-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and early SNI-induced microglial activation in both sexes. SNI-females, but not males, showed a transient reduction in burrowing activity. NOX2i treatment did not improve their burrowing activity, but tendentially reduced their anxiety-like behavior. NOX2i marginally decreased IL-6 in females, and increased M-CSF in males. Our findings suggest that NOX2-selective inhibition may be a potential therapeutic strategy for NP in both male and female individuals, with particular interest in females due to its apparent favorable impact in anxiety-like behavior.

Background: Whether electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at different frequencies has a similar effect on spared nerve injury (SNI) as other neuropathic pain models, and how EA at different frequencies causes distinct analgesic effects on neuropathic pain is still not clear. Methods: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham SNI, SNI, 2 Hz, 100 Hz and sham EA groups. Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) were measured. EA was performed once a day on days 1 to 14 after SNI. The expressions of transient receptor potential cation subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) and peripheral purinergic P2X receptor 3 (P2X3) were determined by western blotting and immunofluorescence. TRPV1 siRNA and P2X3 siRNA were administered by intrathecal injection. TRPV1 or P2X3 agonists were combined with EA. Results: There were significant decreases in PWT, but no changes in PWL in the 14 days after SNI. EA using 2- or 100-Hz stimulation similarly increased PWT at every time point. The cytosol protein expression of P2X3 in the L4–L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) increased, but the expression of TRPV1 decreased in the SNI model. Both these effects were ameliorated by EA, with 2-Hz stimulation having a stronger effect than 100-Hz stimulation. Blocking either TRPV1 or P2X3 specific siRNAs attenuated the decreased PWT induced by SNI. Administration of either a TRPV1 or P2X3 agonist inhibited EA analgesia. Conclusion: 2- and 100-Hz EA similarly induced analgesic effects in SNI. This effect was related to up-regulation and down-regulation, respectively, of cytosol protein expression of P2X3 and TRPV1 in L4–L6 DRG, with 2 Hz having a better effect than 100 Hz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yang-yang Xia,1 Meng Xue,1 Ying Wang,1 Zhi-hua Huang,1,2 Cheng Huang1,2 1Department of Physiology, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, People’s Republic of China; 2Pain Medicine Research Institute, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Cheng Huang; Zhi-hua HuangDepartment of Physiology, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou 341000, People’s Republic of ChinaEmail huangc6a2013@163.com; 18970786003@163.comBackground: Neuropathic pain with complications greatly affects patients worldwide. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) has been shown to contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain; thus, suppression of HMGB1 may provide a novel therapeutic option for neuropathic pain. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been indicated to be effective in attenuating neuropathic pain, but the underlying mechanism remains to be fully clarified. We aim to explore whether 2Hz EA stimulation regulates the spinal HMGB1/NF-κB signaling in neuropathic pain induced by spared nerve injury (SNI).Materials and methods: Paw withdrawal threshold and CatWalk gait analysis were used to assess the effect of 2Hz EA on pain-related behaviors in SNI rats. Administration of 2Hz EA to SNI rats once every other day lasting for 21 days. Expression of spinal protein molecules were detected using Western blot and immunofluorescence staining.Results: It was found that SNI significantly induced mechanical hypersensitivity and decrease of gait parameters, and subsequently increased the levels of HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB p65 protein expression. 2Hz EA stimulation led to remarkable attenuation of mechanical hypersensitivity, upregulation of spinal HMGB1, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB p65 protein expressions induced by SNI, and significant improvement in gait parameters. Furthermore, immunofluorescence staining also confirmed that 2Hz EA obviously suppressed the co-expression of microglia activation marker CD11b and TLR4 or MyD88, as well as the activation of NF-κB p65 in SNI rats.Conclusion: This study suggested that blockade of HMGB1/NF-κB signaling in the spinal cord may be a promising therapeutic approach for 2Hz EA management of SNI-induced neuropathic pain.Keywords: electroacupuncture, neuropathic pain, spared nerve injury, HMGB1/NF-κB signaling, TLR4

Background: Evidence shows that the Janus kinase 2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway participates in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. Our previous study revealed that electroacupuncture (EA) attenuated neuropathic pain via activation of alpha-7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) in the spinal cord. However, whether 2 Hz EA alleviates neuropathic pain by regulating the downstream molecules JAK2/STAT3 has not been fully clarified. Methods: Paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) was used as a marker of mechanical allodynia in rats with spared nerve injury (SNI). After applying 2 Hz EA on day 3, 7, 14 and 21 post-surgery, spinal expression of JAK2, STAT3 and pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-6 was examined using quantitative reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Intrathecal injection of the α7nAChR antagonist alpha-bungarotoxin (α-Bgtx) was used to further explore the mechanism underlying the effects of 2 Hz EA on expression of JAK2/STAT3 in SNI rats. Results: It was found that levels of spinal STAT3 and IL-6 mRNA, as well as levels of phosphorylated (p)-JAK2, p-STAT3 and IL-6 protein, were markedly increased in SNI rats. 2 Hz EA attenuated the SNI-induced up-regulation of p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and IL-6 expression in the spinal cord. Furthermore, intrathecal injection of α-Bgtx (1.0 μg/kg) not only inhibited the effect of 2 Hz EA on mechanical hypersensitivity but also ameliorated the down-regulation of p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and IL-6 expression induced by 2 Hz EA. Conclusion: This study revealed that 2 Hz EA attenuated SNI-induced mechanical hypersensitivity and the concomitant up-regulation of spinal JAK2, STAT3 and IL-6 in SNI rats, suggesting that suppression of the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway might be the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effect of 2 Hz EA on neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peripheral inflammatory and neuropathic pain are closely related to the activation of purinergic receptor P2X ligand-gated ion channel 3 (P2X3) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), but the interaction between P2X3 and TRPV1 in different types of pathological pain has rarely been reported. In this study, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain and spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain models were established in adult rats. The interactions between P2X3 and TRPV1 in the dorsal root ganglion were observed by pharmacological, co-immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and whole-cell patch-clamp recording assays. TRPV1 was shown to promote the induction of spontaneous pain caused by P2X3 in the SNI model, but the induction of spontaneous pain behaviour by TRPV1 was not completely dependent on P2X3 in vivo. In both the CFA and SNI models, the activation of peripheral P2X3 enhanced the effect of TRPV1 on spontaneous pain, while the inhibition of peripheral TRPV1 reduced the induction of spontaneous pain by P2X3 in the CFA model. TRPV1 and P2X3 had inhibitory effects on each other in the inflammatory pain model. During neuropathic pain, P2X3 facilitated the function of TRPV1, while TRPV1 had an inhibitory effect on P2X3. These results suggest that the mutual effects of P2X3 and TRPV1 differ in cases of inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Golgi-Cox staining has been used extensively in neuroscience. Despite its unique ability to identify neuronal interconnections and neural processes, its lack of consistency and time-consuming nature reduces its appeal to researchers. Here, using a spared nerve injury (SNI) mouse model and control mice, we present a modified Golgi-Cox staining protocol that can stain mouse hippocampal neurons within 8 days. In this improved procedure, the mouse brain was fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and then stored in a modified Golgi-Cox solution at 37 ± 2°C. The impregnation period was reduced from 5–14 days to 36–48 h. Brain slices prepared in this way could be preserved long-term at –80°C for up to 8 weeks. In addition to minimizing frequently encountered problems and reducing the time required to conduct the method, our modified protocol maintained, and even improved, the quality of traditional Golgi-Cox staining as applied to hippocampal neuronal morphology in SNI mice.

Clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that local administration of opioid agonists into peripheral tissue attenuates inflammatory pain. However, few studies have examined whether peripherally restricted opioids are effective in reducing mechanical allodynia and hyperalgesia that usually follows nerve injury. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the mechanical responsiveness of C-fiber mechanical nociceptors innervating skin under neuropathic pain conditions is depressed by direct activation of delta opioid receptors (DORs) on their peripheral terminals. A murine model of peripheral neuropathic pain was induced with a spared nerve (tibial) injury, in which mice survived 7 or 28 days after surgery before electrophysiological testing began. Control groups comprised naïve and sham-operated animals. An ex vivo preparation of mouse plantar skin with attached tibial nerve was used to examine electrophysiologically the effects of the selective DOR agonist, deltorphin II, on the response properties of individual cutaneous C-fiber nociceptors. In contrast to naïve and sham-operated animals, deltorphin II induced an inhibition of the mechanical responsiveness of C-fiber mechanical nociceptors innervating skin under neuropathic conditions. The effects of deltorphin II were concentration-dependent and prevented by pretreatment with naltrindole indicating DOR-mediated inhibitory effects of deltorphin II. Our results provide the first direct evidence for expression of functional DORs on mechanical nociceptors innervating skin in an animal model of neuropathic pain.

Chronic pain is associated with cognitive deficits. Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) has been shown to ameliorate pain and pain-related cognitive impairments by restoring glutamatergic synapses functioning in the spared nerve injury (SNI) of the sciatic nerve in mice. SNI reduced mechanical and thermal threshold, spatial memory and LTP at the lateral entorhinal cortex (LEC)-dentate gyrus (DG) pathway. It decreased also postsynaptic density, volume and dendrite arborization of DG and increased the expression of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 and 7 (mGluR1 and mGluR7), of the GluR1, GluR1s845 and GluR1s831 subunits of AMPA receptor and the levels of glutamate in the DG. The level of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) was instead increased in the LEC. Chronic treatment with PEA, starting from when neuropathic pain was fully developed, was able to reverse mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, memory deficit and LTP in SNI wild type, but not in PPARα null, mice. PEA also restored the level of glutamate and the expression of phosphorylated GluR1 subunits, postsynaptic density and neurogenesis. Altogether, these results suggest that neuropathic pain negatively affects cognitive behavior and related LTP, glutamatergic synapse and synaptogenesis in the DG. In these conditions PEA treatment alleviates pain and cognitive impairment by restoring LTP and synaptic maladaptative changes in the LEC-DG pathway. These outcomes open new perspectives for the use of the N-acylethanolamines, such as PEA, for the treatment of neuropathic pain and its central behavioural sequelae.

Pathogen infection triggers pain via activation of the innate immune system. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and Nod-like receptors (NLRs) are the main components of innate immunity and have been implicated in pain signaling. We previously revealed that the TLR2-NLRP3-IL33 pathway mediates inflammatory pain responses during hyperactivity of innate immunity. However, their roles in neuropathic pain had remained unclear. Here we report that although knockout of TLR2 or NLRP3 does not affect spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced neuropathic pain, intrathecal inhibition of IL33/ST2 signaling with ST2 neutralizing antibodies reverses mechanical thresholds in SNI mice compared to PBS vehicle treated animals. This effect indicates a universal role of IL33 in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain states, and that targeting the IL33/ST2 axis could be a potential therapeutic approach for pain treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]