• Xiao-Dan Liu, Jing-Jing Yang, Dong Fang, Jie Cai, You Wan, and Guo-Gang Xing.
• Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, People's Republic of China; Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
• Plos One. 2014 Jan 1;9(12):e114623.

AbstractWe have previously reported that enhanced excitability of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons contributes to the development of bone cancer pain, which severely decreases the quality of life of cancer patients. Nav1.8, a tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) sodium channel, contributes most of the sodium current underlying the action potential upstroke and accounts for most of the current in later spikes in a train. We speculate that the Nav1.8 sodium channel is a potential candidate responsible for the enhanced excitability of DRG neurons in rats with bone cancer pain. Here, using electrophysiology, Western blot and behavior assays, we documented that the current density of TTX-R sodium channels, especially the Nav1.8 channel, increased significantly in DRG neurons of rats with cancer-induced bone pain. This increase may be due to an increased expression of Nav1.8 on the membrane of DRG neurons. Accordantly, blockade of Nav1.8 sodium channels by its selective blocker A-803467 significantly alleviated the cancer-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in rats. Taken together, these results suggest that functional upregulation of Nav1.8 channels on the membrane of DRG neurons contributes to the development of cancer-induced bone pain.

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