Topic: mechanical allodynia

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is frequently accompanied by brain-related comorbidities including anxiety, but the mechanisms of this relationship are far from being elucidated. Having in mind that gaseous neurotransmitter CO signaling could be included in anxiogenesis, we hypothesized that some of the anxiety states in CPPS could be attributed to CO signaling. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of CORM-A1 (slow realizing CO donor) on anxiety-related behavior and pain sensitivity in rats with experimentally induced CP/CPPS. CP/CPPS was induced in male rats by 3% λ-c

Pain is an adaptive and primordial aspect of mammal’s physiology whose role is to warn against potential harmful situations and prevent aggravation of actual physical damages. However, many patients suffer from chronic pain, which overpasses pain’s adaptive trait becoming pathological. Nociceptive signal transmission is first relayed by the spinal cord before reaching the brain through ascending pathways. The control of spinal integration descending pathway is orchestrated by the periaqueductal gray (PAG) and rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM). In the RVM, ON, OFF and neutral cells, are respec

Peripheral diabetic neuropathy (DN) affects 50% of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients and approximately 40-50% progress to painful diabetic neuropathy (pDN). Risk factors for pDN include high alcohol consumption, obesity, and low vitamin D levels, all associated with impaired oligodendrocyte progenitor cell (OPC) differentiation. Additionally, studies indicate that depletion of mature myelinating oligodendrocytes induces nociceptive responses in mice. These findings suggest that DM might disrupt oligodendrocyte dynamics, causing defects in central nervous system (CNS) myelin and the onset of neur

Migraine, a neurological disorder characterized by recurring, intense headaches, disproportionately affects a significant portion of the population, particularly females. While its precise etiology remains elusive, it is thought to have arisen from a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors. This research endeavors to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of both the sensory and emotional aspects of migraine pain, as well as the associated social impairments. Using the nitroglycerin (NTG) migraine model, which induces vasodilation via systemic administration, we simu

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) holds a strategic position in the basal ganglia circuit, controlling both motor and non-motor functions. Alterations in its neuronal activity have been shown to be involved in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In addition to its classical intra-basal ganglia connections, STN neurons also project to several cortical areas. However, the degree of involvement of these subthalamo-cortical projections in motor and non-motor functions, and in the pathophysiology of PD has never been characterized.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of inh

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurological and neurodegenerative disease characterized by themanifestation of motor and non-motor symptoms. Among these, pain is one of the most frequent,affecting around 85% of patients and contributing to a deterioration in their quality of life.Nowadays, pain treatment in PD is still inefficient due to the lack of knowledge of the underlyingmechanisms. However, we know that pain can be modulated by the monoaminergic descendingpathways projecting to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (DHSC). Thus, the aim of the present studyis to unravel the involvement of th

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-limiting adverse reactions in chemotherapy with cytotoxic anticancer agents. We have demonstrated that CIPN caused by paclitaxel involves high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a nuclear protein, derived from macrophages (Mφ) in laboratory animals (Neuropharmacology 141, 201, 2018), and that postmenopausal estrogen decline aggravates CIPN in patients undergoing paclitaxel-based chemotherapy (J Pharmacol Sci 146, 49, 2021). In this study, we analyzed estrogen modulation of upstream and downstream mechanisms of HMGB1. Female mice were subje

We aimed to determine facial and hind paw allodynia in diabetic neuropathy model induced by streptozotocin (STZ) treatment and to determine the anti-allodynic effect of metformin treatment. STZ was intraperitoneally injected (150 mg/kg) to induce painful diabetic neuropathy, and 200 mg/kg of metformin was injected intraperitoneally on the 21st day. Both of the mechanical and cold sensitivity in facial and paw withdrawal region were quantified using von-Frey filaments and acetone solution, respectively. To test heat hyperalgesia, mice were placed into a plastic chamber with a glass floor and ra

Understanding the neurobiological alterations associated with neuropathic pain is crucial for treatment interventions, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Neuropathic pain causes many alterations in brain regions, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The mPFC activity is decreased in the neuropathic pain state, which is associated with increased metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) activity in this region. Here, we investigated whether mGluR5 inactivation restores neuropathic pain and, if so, how this inactivation affects local circuits in the mPFC. First, w

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a global health concern, displaying a diverse range of symptoms and a recognized association with chronic pain. Current evidence suggests that astrocytes play a key role in both disorders. Consequently, we investigated the effect of olfactory bulbectomy (OBX), a well-known model of depression-related behavior, on nociceptive behaviors and the number and morphology of astrocytes within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in male rats. We conducted behavioral test, including the von Frey assessment of mechanical allodynia and acetone test of thermal cold allodynia,

Between 15% and 30% of SARS-CoV-2-infected people still experience neurological symptoms (memory impairment, attention deficits, pain) more than 4 months after the onset of COVID-19. This condition, long-neuro-COVID, is poorly understood and might be explained by a persisting autoimmune response against nervous-derived self-antigens. This study aims to determine whether IgG autoantibodies from long-COVID patients can bind to central and peripheral nervous system epitopes and reproduce neuropsychiatric symptoms upon transfer into mice. Long-COVID patients meeting the consensus WHO definition we

Dynamic reorganization of neuronal circuits in the spinal dorsal horn is assumed to cause sensitization in the neuropathic pain. In our previous study, brain-enriched guanylate kinase associated-protein (BEGAIN) was identified as an increased protein in the spinal dorsal horn in the neuropathic pain and the mechanical allodynia was attenuated in the BEGAIN-knockout mice. BEAGIN-expressing neurons have not yet been identified because BEGAIN protein is detected in highly localized dendritic regions, not in the cell body. To identify BEGAIN-expressing neurons, double in situ hybridization with RN