International journal of molecular medicine
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Elucidation of the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain is expected to aid in the discovery and selection of effective therapeutic methods. Currently, microRNA (miRNA) is thought to play an important role in the development and maintenance of the nervous system. We, therefore, hypothesized that miRNAs are involved in neuropathic pain, and investigated this possibility by analyzing miRNA expression in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in a chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model using the TaqMan® Low Density Array (TLDA). ⋯ Certain miRNAs were reported to be related to neuropathic pain; miR-500, -221 and -21. The expression levels of a large number of miRNAs in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord in CCI rats changed. These results provide a step toward elucidation of the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain.