Brain research
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We investigated the anti-hyperalgesic effect of neutralizing antibodies (AB) to tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) in two murine models of neuropathy, the chronic constrictive sciatic nerve injury (CCI) which has a strong epineurial inflammatory component, and the partial sciatic nerve transection (PST), a 'pure' nerve injury model. In both models a single AB injection intra-operatively as well as on day 4 reduced thermal hyperalgesia significantly, whereas mechanical allodynia was only reduced with intraoperative but not with delayed treatment.
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We investigated the effect of trimethyltin (TMT), a well-known neurotoxicant, on murine hippocampal neurons and glial cells. Three days following intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of TMT into 1-month-old Balb/c mice at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg body weight we detected damage of the dentate gyrus granular neurons. The dying cells displayed chromatin condensation and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, which are the most characteristic features of apoptosis. ⋯ Activated microglia were the main source of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta). It is possible that this cytokine may participate in neurodegeneration of granule cells. Alternatively, IL-1beta elaborated by microglia could play a role in increasing NGF expression, both in astroglia and in CA3/CA4 neurons.
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A prominent side effect of Paclitaxel chemotherapy is sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy. Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) supports the survival and regrowth of axotomised sensory and motor neurons and we therefore investigated if systemically administered LIF abrogated Paclitaxel-induced neuropathy. We found that whereas animals administered Paclitaxel alone exhibited a significant decrease in the percentage of large myelinated axons, this reduction was prevented by the co-administration of LIF.
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Teased fibers were made from 153 spontaneous A afferents ending in sciatic nerve end neuromas of 3-14 days standing, 21 A afferents from intact sensory endings in the contralateral sciatic nerve, and 50 intact A afferents from the sciatic nerve in intact rats. Ninety-two percent of the injured fibers responded to adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) (i.v.). However, few fibers from the contralateral nerve or nerves from intact animals responded to ATP. ⋯ Sympathectomy did not affect the ATP-induced effects in injured axons. Close-arterial injection of ATP caused similar results as i.v. injection of ATP. The present study suggests that a novel purinergic sensitivity is developed at the injury site after sciatic nerve transection in rats, which may play a role in neuropathic pain under some conditions such as sympathetic activation.
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In this investigation, changes of mechanical- (MEP) and laser-evoked potentials (LEP) in rat primary somatosensory cortex during the course of pentobarbital (PB) anesthesia were examined. Temporal analysis of changes in the magnitude and latency of MEP and LEP, EEG activity, gross motor behaviors, and the tail flick response following laser stimulation before, during, and after PB administration (50 mg/kg, i.p.) was performed and correlated in chronically implanted rats. During the wakeful condition, there were two major cortical components each following mechanical stimulation (MEP1 and MEP2, n=17) and laser stimulation (LEP1 and LEP2, n=10), respectively. ⋯ After 4 h, LEP1 began to reappear and LEP2 returned to its negative polarity. We found that PB facilitated Abeta fiber-related cortical evoked potential (MEP1), while differentially inhibited Adelta and C fiber-related components (MEP2, LEP1 and LEP2). Characterization of these anesthesia-induced changes in cortical output may be useful in studying the neural basis of tactile and pain sensations.