J Huazhong U Sci Med
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J Huazhong U Sci Med · Jan 2005
Effects of intrathecally administerd NaV1. 8 antisense oligonucleotide on the expression of sodium channel mRNA in dorsal root ganglion.
Neuropathic pain has been hypothesized to be the result of aberrant expression and function of sodium channels at the site of injury. To investigate the effects of NaV1. 8 antisense oligonucleotide on the expression of sodium channel mRNA in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in chronic neuropathic pain. 24 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200-260 g were anesthetized with the intraperitoneal injection of 300 mg x kg(-1) choral hydrate. The CCI model was made by loose ligation of sciatic nerve trunk by 4-0 chromic gut. ⋯ Pain threshold was significantly lowered after CCI as compared with that in control group and was elevated 3 days after antisense oligonucleotide injection. Sensory neuron specific TTX-R sodium channel NaV1. 8 transcript was down-regulated after antisense oligonucleotide injection at the dosage of 45 microg as compared with that in CCI group (P < 0.01), and it was even greater at the dosage of 90 microg. The intrathecally injected NaV1. 8 antisense oligonucleotide can reduce the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia partially by downregulating the SNS transcript expression.
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J Huazhong U Sci Med · Jan 2005
Effect of touch-stimulus on the expression of C-fos and TrkA in spinal cord following chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve in rats.
To study the mechanism of the innoxious touch-stimulus on the modulation of hyperalgesia and the expression of the C-fos and the nerve growth factor (NGF) receptor-TrkA in the spinal dorsal horn neurons following the chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats, 60 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham-operation group and CCI group, with each group being further divided into 3 subgroups on the 7th, 14th and 28th day after operation (n = 10). The mechanical and the thermal withdrawal threshold were assessed following the touch stiumulation after the CCI, immunohistochemical methods were employed to observe the expression of the C-fos and TrkA in spinal dorsal horn. Our results showed that the hyperalgesia appeared on the 4th day and reached the maximal level on the 14th day after operation. ⋯ It is concluded that the level of the C-fos expression changed with the paw withdrawal threshold variation and increased markedly following the innoxious touch-stimulus. The expression of the TrkA receptors also increased gradually following the development of the neuropathic pain. The results suggest that C-fos may play a crucial role in the development of the hyperalgesia in the earlier-time of the neuropathic pain, but TrkA receptors may be involved in the long-lasting adaptive changes of the central pathway in neuropathic pain.