• Longhe Xu, Yaobo Liu, Yuhui Sun, Hao Li, Weidong Mi, and Yuge Jiang.
• Department of Anesthesiology, Hainan Branch of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Sanya, 572013, PR China.
• Biomed. Pharmacother. 2018 Nov 1; 107: 526-533.

ObjectiveChronic neuropathic pain (CNP) is attributed to a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system, may be derived from the peripheral and central system. Recent study revealed that spinal cord stimulation attenuated CNP by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway. The present study focuses on the potential analgesic effects of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway on CNP in a rat model of chronic constriction injury (CCI).MethodsWe successfully established the rat model of CCI by Bennett method, and then inhibited the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway in rat models. Next, we measured the mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) 0D, 2D, 6D, 8D and 12D after operation respectively. MTS510 100 mg/kg, an inhibitor of TLR4, was intrathecal injected into rats after 6D, 8D and 12D after operation. The experiment lasted for 12 days, and then the rats were sacrificed to collect the spinal cord tissues. Protein and mRNA expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and nerve growth factor (NGF) were detected by western blot analysis and RT-qPCR, respectively. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect GDNF, GFAP and NGF expression.ResultsWith the prolongation of MTS510 treatment time, MWT and TWL were increased and finally, the MWT and TWL were close to the baseline level. The levels of TLR4, NF-κB, GDNF, and GFAP as well as NGF increased in rats treated with CCI + Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) or CCI + MTS510, suggesting the model establishment was successful. Besides, with the prolongation of MTS510 treatment time, the protein level and mRNA expression of NF-kB, GDNF, GFAP and NGF decreased in rats treated with CCI + IgG1 or CCI + MTS510. Moreover, the GDNF, GFAP and NGF expression in spinal cord tissue in rats treated with CCI + IgG1 or CCI + MTS510 increased obviously, while the GDNF, GFAP and NGF expression decreased in spinal cord tissue in rats treated with CCI + IgG1 or CCI + MTS510 after MTS510 treatment.ConclusionsCollectively, this study defines the role of TLR4 and NF-κB, and inhibition of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway might contribute to the alleviation of CNP and improvement of MWT and TWL in a rat model of CCI. Additionally, the results obtained from the study provided a promising basis that could aid as an experimental basis for the potential treatment of TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

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