Articles: chronic-pain.
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Chronic pain conditions are characterized by significant individual variability complicating the identification of pathophysiological markers. Leukocyte telomere length (TL), a measure of cellular aging, is associated with age-related disease onset, psychosocial stress, and health-related functional decline. Psychosocial stress has been associated with the onset of chronic pain and chronic pain is experienced as a physical and psychosocial stressor. However, the utility of TL as a biological marker reflecting the burden of chronic pain and psychosocial stress has not yet been explored. ⋯ Although preliminary in nature and based on a modest sample size, these findings indicate that cellular aging may be more pronounced in older adults experiencing high levels of perceived stress and chronic pain.
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2012
Fibronectin inhibits chronic pain development after spinal cord injury.
Chronic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI) is a highly prevalent clinical condition that is difficult to treat. Using both von Frey filaments and radiant infrared heat to assess mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, respectively, we have demonstrated that a one-time injection of fibronectin (50 μg/mL) into the spinal dorsal column (1 μL/min each injection for a total of 5 μL) immediately after SCI inhibits the development of mechanical allodynia (but not thermal hyperalgesia) over an 8-month observation period following spinal cord dorsal column crush (DCC). DCC will only induce mechanical Allodynia, but not thermal hyperalgesia or overt motor deficits. ⋯ Furthermore, we found that acute fibronectin treatment diminished inflammation and blood-spinal cord barrier permeability, which in turn leads to enhanced fiber sparing and sprouting. In particular, the reduction of serotonin (5-HT) in the superficial dorsal horn, an important descending brainstem system in the modulation of pain, was blocked with fibronectin treatment. We conclude that treatment of SCI with fibronectin preserves sensory regulation and prevents the development of chronic allodynia, providing a potential therapeutic intervention to treat chronic pain following SCI.
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Epigenetic processes, such as histone modifications and DNA methylation, have been associated with many neural functions including synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory. Here, we critically examine emerging evidence linking epigenetic mechanisms to the development or maintenance of chronic pain states. Although in its infancy, research in this area potentially unifies several pathophysiological processes underpinning abnormal pain processing and opens up a different avenue for the development of novel analgesics.
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Triptolide is a potent immunosuppressive drug capable of inhibiting T cell activation and proliferation. Recent studies show that T cells play an important role in neuropathic pain following nerve injury in rats. In this study, we investigated the effect of triptolide on T cell activation and development of neuropathic pain. ⋯ In the present study, we demonstrated the suppressive effect of triptolide on the development of neuropathic pain. Therefore, triptolide could be a promising immunosuppressive agent in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Further studies are required to examine the safety of intrathecal triptolide for clinical application.
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We investigated the association of chronic pain with physical and mental comorbidity in the New Zealand population by measuring chronic pain status separate from comorbid conditions. Models of allostatic load provided a conceptual basis for considering multi-morbidity as accumulated comorbid load and for using both discrete conditions and cumulative measures in analyses. The nationally representative cross-sectional survey data included self-reported doctor-diagnosed chronic physical and mental health conditions, Kessler 10-item scale scores, an independent measure of chronic pain, and sociodemographic characteristics. ⋯ This synergistic effect is not apparent for other conditions or for additional comorbid load. Results imply that measurement of chronic pain independent of comorbid conditions and adjustment for comorbid conditions is important for more accurate prevalence estimates and understanding relationships between conditions. Future epidemiological research might usefully incorporate independent measurement of chronic pain alongside adjustment for specific physical and mental health conditions as well as accumulated comorbid load.