Neurobiology of disease
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Neurobiology of disease · Jan 2015
BDNF contributes to the development of neuropathic pain by induction of spinal long-term potentiation via SHP2 associated GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors activation in rats with spinal nerve ligation.
The pathogenic mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain still remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated whether spinal BDNF contributes to dorsal horn LTP induction and neuropathic pain development by activation of GluN2B-NMDA receptors via Src homology-2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase-2 (SHP2) phosphorylation in rats following spinal nerve ligation (SNL). We first demonstrated that spinal BDNF participates in the development of long-lasting hyperexcitability of dorsal horn WDR neurons (i.e. central sensitization) as well as pain allodynia in both intact and SNL rats. ⋯ Finally, we validated that BDNF-evoked SHP2 phosphorylation is required for subsequent GluN2B-NMDA receptors up-regulation and spinal LTP induction, and also for pain allodynia development. Blockade of SHP2 phosphorylation in the spinal dorsal horn using a potent SHP2 protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor NSC-87877, or knockdown of spinal SHP2 by intrathecal delivery of SHP2 siRNA, not only prevents BDNF-mediated GluN2B-NMDA receptors activation as well as spinal LTP induction and pain allodynia elicitation in intact rats, but also reduces the SNL-evoked GluN2B-NMDA receptors up-regulation and spinal LTP occlusion, and ultimately alleviates pain allodynia in neuropathic rats. Taken together, these results suggest that the BDNF/SHP2/GluN2B-NMDA signaling cascade plays a vital role in the development of central sensitization and neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury.
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Neurobiology of disease · Jan 2015
Timed conditional null of connexin26 in mice reveals temporary requirements of connexin26 in key cochlear developmental events before the onset of hearing.
Mutations in the Gjb2 gene, which encodes a gap junction protein connexin26 (Cx26), are the most prevalent form of hereditary deafness in humans and represent about half of non-syndromic congenital deafness cases in many ethnic populations. Cochlear potassium (K+) recycling in mature cochlea is required for normal hearing. It is thought that gap junctions are essential for K+ recycling and that Gjb2 mutations cause Gjb2-associated deafness by disrupting K+ recycling in mature cochlea. ⋯ Similar amount of Cx26 reduction in more mature cochleae had a much weaker effect in damaging the hearing sensitivity. Our findings indicated that Cx26 plays essential roles in the maturation process of the organ of Corti prior to the establishment of high K+ in the endolymph and the onset of hearing. These results suggest that successful treatment of Cx26 deafness requires early intervention before the cochlea fully matures.
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Neurobiology of disease · Jan 2015
Characterisation of immune cell function in fragment and full-length Huntington's disease mouse models.
Inflammation is a growing area of research in neurodegeneration. In Huntington's disease (HD), a fatal inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG-repeat expansion in the gene encoding huntingtin, patients have increased plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines and circulating monocytes that are hyper-responsive to immune stimuli. Several mouse models of HD also show elevated plasma levels of inflammatory cytokines. ⋯ However, bone marrow CD11b(+) cells did not show the same hyper-responsive phenotype as spleen and blood cells. Furthermore, macrophages isolated from R6/2 mice show increased levels of phagocytosis, similar to findings in HD patients. Taken together, these results show significant promise for these mouse models to be used to study targeting innate immune pathways identified in human cells, thereby helping to understand the role the peripheral immune system plays in HD progression.