Article
Neurosciences
Hourong Wang, Zhifeng Liu, Tianyuan Yu, Yingqi Zhang, Yajing Xu, Yi Jiao, Qian Guan, Di Liu
Summary: This study analyzed the changes in gene expression in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn (SDH) after tuina treatment and investigated the immediate analgesic mechanism of tuina. The results showed that tuina improved nociceptive behavior in rats with minor chronic constriction injury (CCI), especially in thermal hyperalgesia. Additionally, analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the immediate analgesic mechanism of tuina is associated with the calcium signaling pathway, thermogenesis, and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benjamin M. Zemel, Lianteng Zhi, Eric V. Brown, Stephen R. Tymanskyj, Qiansheng Liang, Manuel Covarrubias
Summary: The study suggests that a physical interaction between Kv3.4 channel and functional PKC epsilon primarily determines its stability and localization in DRG neurons, without significantly affecting its gating.
Article
Neurosciences
Laszlo Ducza, Andrea Gajtko, Krisztina Hegedus, Erzsebet Bakk, Greta Kis, Botond Gaal, Roland Takacs, Peter Szucs, Klara Matesz, Krisztina Hollo
Summary: This study provides new evidence for the involvement of neuronal and glial P2X4 receptors in the development of inflammatory pain.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sara Caxaria, Sabah Bharde, Alice M. Fuller, Romy Evans, Bethan Thomas, Petek Celik, Francesco Dell'Accio, Simon Yona, Derek Gilroy, Mathieu-Benoit Voisin, John N. Wood, Shafaq Sikandar
Summary: We demonstrated the role of neutrophils in fibromyalgia by using a back-translational approach in mice. Adoptive transfer of neutrophils from mice with chronic widespread pain or patients with fibromyalgia can induce mechanical pain in recipient mice, sensitize spinal cord neurons, and cause changes in the expression of neutrophil proteins that lead to neutrophil infiltration into dorsal root ganglia. These findings suggest an immunological basis for chronic widespread pain in fibromyalgia mediated by neutrophils.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Kun Ni, Wei Zhang, Yuan Ni, Yan-Ting Mao, Yi Wang, Xiao-Ping Gu, Zheng-Liang Ma
Summary: The study demonstrated that the Epac1-mediated Piezo2 signaling pathway in bone cancer pain may involve the downstream regulator NR2B, contributing to the development of mechanical allodynia. The findings provide insights into potential analgesic strategies for clinical treatment of bone cancer pain.
Article
Neurosciences
Luis F. Queme, Adam J. Dourson, Megan C. Hofmann, Ally Butterfield, Rudolph D. Paladini, Michael P. Jankowski
Summary: This study found that PEGPH20 may sensitize muscle chemosensory nerve afferents by disrupting hyaluronic acid in the muscle extracellular matrix, leading to changes in pain behaviors. Macrophages play an important role in the recovery process after HA disruption.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Cristina Fraquelli, Jasmine Hauzinger, Christian Humpel, Maria Nolano, Vincenzo Provitera, Vinay Kumar Sharma, Peng Loh, Zenon Pidsudko, Georgios Blatsios, Josef Troger
Summary: This study investigated the presence and source of serpinins in the skin, and found that serpinin was present in the dorsal root ganglia and sensory nerves of rats, with colocalization with substance P. Although predominantly found in its free form in the skin, the serpinins may have functional significance in the sensory innervation of the skin.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruirui Lu, Katharina Metzner, Fangyuan Zhou, Cathrin Flauaus, Annika Balzulat, Patrick Engel, Jonas Petersen, Rebekka Ehinger, Anne Bausch, Peter Ruth, Robert Lukowski, Achim Schmidtko
Summary: The sodium-activated potassium channel Slack plays a role in sensory neurons and is involved in mediating sodium-activated potassium current (I-KNa) and modulating neuronal activity. Studies found that Slack activity is reduced in sensory neurons after peripheral nerve injury, contributing to neuropathic pain hypersensitivity, and that it is associated with ATP-sensitive P2X3 receptors. Experiments showed that Slack-mediated I-KNa can be bidirectionally modulated in response to P2X3 activation, suggesting a potential novel strategy for treating neuropathic pain.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Ying Zhao, Qiang Wang, Chen Xie, Yuling Cai, Xue Chen, Yuhui Hou, Liu He, Jianping Li, Min Yao, Shuangxi Chen, Wutian Wu, Xiaojia Chen, An Hong
Summary: This study developed a novel low-molecular-weight peptide agonist CH02 targeting FGFR, which effectively promoted nerve regeneration, enhanced axon growth of sensory neurons, and robustly improved nerve regeneration and sensory-motor behavioral recovery in a rat spinal dorsal root injury model.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Aseer Intisar, Seung Joon Lee, Yu-Gyeong Kim, Woon-Hae Kim, Hyun Young Shin, Min Young Kim, Jong Man Kim, Jungmin Lee, Yun Jeoung Mo, Yu Seon Kim, Seung-Hoon Kim, Yun-Il Lee, Minseok S. Kim
Summary: This study introduces a rapid method for enriching neurons from the mouse embryonic dorsal root ganglion using fully-automated continuous centrifugal microfluidics, achieving effective isolation within 13 minutes. The purified neurons showed improved viability and purity compared to conventional chemical purification methods, highlighting the potential of this automated system to advance neurological research.
Article
Cell Biology
Fangyuan Zhou, Katharina Metzner, Patrick Engel, Annika Balzulat, Marco Sisignano, Peter Ruth, Robert Lukowski, Achim Schmidtko, Ruirui Lu
Summary: The study reveals that Slack serves as a modulator of TRPA1-mediated activation of sensory neurons, but not TRPV1-mediated activation.
Article
Neurosciences
Liliana L. Luz, Susana Lima, Elisabete C. Fernandes, Eva Kokai, Lidia Gomori, Peter Szucs, Boris V. Safronov
Summary: Mirror-image pain arises from pathologic alterations in the nociceptive processing network that controls functional lateralization of the primary afferent input. Our study reveals that decussating primary afferent branches reach contralateral Lamina I, where neurons receive excitatory drive from the contralateral fibers and also ipsilateral input, implying their involvement in bilateral information processing. The contralateral fiber input is under inhibitory control, and a pathological disinhibition of the decussating pathways can contribute to induction of hypersensitivity and mirror-image pain.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ricardo H. Roda, David Bargiela, Weiran Chen, Ken Perry, Ronald J. Ellis, David B. Clifford, Ajay Bharti, Asha R. Kallianpur, Michelli F. Oliveira, Monica M. Diaz, Leah H. Rubin, Christina Gavegnano, Justin C. McArthur, Ahmet Hoke, Michael Polydefkis
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the correlation of large mtDNA deletions in skin samples of people with HIV with measures of neuropathy and prior exposure to therapy. Results showed a correlation between the total mtDNA deletion and intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) and sural nerve amplitude in PWH with HIV-associated sensory neuropathy.
Article
Cell Biology
Anand Krishnan, Aparna Areti, Prashanth Komirishetty, Ambika Chandrasekhar, Chu Cheng, Douglas W. Zochodne
Summary: This study reveals previously unrecognized structural adaptations in adult sensory neurons as a response to growth restraint and associated stress. The neurons modify their cytoskeleton and undergo macrovesicle shedding and neuron size adjustment as survival mechanisms. Additionally, changes in mRNA associated with autophagy were observed in axotomized neurons. These findings provide insights into the resilience of adult sensory neurons to various insults.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Minh Q. Nguyen, Lars J. von Buchholtz, Ashlie N. Reker, Nicholas J. P. Ryba, Steve Davidson
Summary: Through single nuclear transcriptomics of human DRG neurons, it was found that different types of neurons share similarities in their transcriptomic features, but there are species differences in the expression of genes related to sensory function. Surprisingly, several transcriptomic classes without clear equivalents in other species were identified.