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Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the link between axonal regeneration and neuropathic pain by modified analysis of a novel peripheral nerve injury rat model

ABSTRACT: Severe peripheral nerve injury (PNI) often causes significant movement disorders and intractable pain. Therefore, promoting nerve regeneration while avoiding neuropathic pain, a problem that remains unsolved, is key to the clinical treatment of PNI patients. Here, we establish a novel spared nerve crush (SNC) rat model that successfully reproduces axonal regeneration and neuropathic pain after PNI. Subsequently, we obtained single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from rat directly injured and indirectly injured rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons at various time points after SNC and found that the PEP1 neuronal subtype in directly injured DRG is of particular interest. Through experimental design, sc-RNA sequence processing (EDSSP) and functional verification, we identified a potential key gene, Adcyap1, that encodes a key molecule linking nerve regeneration and pain after PNI. Our study sheds new light on the intrinsic link between axonal regeneration and neuropathic pain following PNI and provides new molecular targets and ideas for therapeutic intervention.

ORGANISM(S): Rattus norvegicus

PROVIDER: GSE198608 | GEO | 2022/03/19

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Peripheral nerve injury alters the expression of hundreds of proteins in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Targeting some of these proteins has led to successful treatments for acute pain, but not for sustained postoperative neuropathic pain. The latter may require targeting multiple proteins. Since a single microRNA (miR) can affect the expression of multiple proteins, here, we describe an approach to identify chronic neuropathic pain-relevant miRs. We used two variants of the spared nerve injury (SNI): Sural-SNI and Tibial-SNI and found distinct pain phenotypes between the two. Both models induced strong mechanical allodynia, but only Sural-SNI rats maintained strong mechanical and cold allodynia, as previously reported. In contrast, we found that Tibial-SNI rats recovered from mechanical allodynia and never developed cold allodynia. Since both models involve nerve injury, we increased the probability of identifying differentially regulated miRs that correlated with the quality and magnitude of neuropathic pain and decreased the probability of detecting miRs that are solely involved in neuronal regeneration. We found seven such miRs in L3-L5 DRG. The expression of these miRs increased in Tibial-SNI. These miRs displayed a lower level of expression in Sural-SNI, with four having levels lower than those in sham animals. Bioinformatics analysis of how these miRs could affect the expression of some ion channels supports the view that, following a peripheral nerve injury, the increase of the 7 miRs may contribute to the recovery from neuropathic pain while the decrease of four of them may contribute to the development of chronic neuropathic pain. The approach used resulted in the identification of a small number of potentially neuropathic pain relevant miRs. Additional studies are required to investigate whether manipulating the expression of the identified miRs in primary sensory neurons can prevent or ameliorate chronic neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injuries. To identify the miRs that were differentially dysregulated between Tibial-SNI and Sural-SNI, we first performed 12 microarrays in a limited number of samples (in four individual DRGs per group: Sham, Tibial-SNI and Sural-SNI; two L3-DRG and two L4-DRG). Then, miRs identified as having differential expression were corroborated with real time qRT-PCR in RNA isolated from individual DRGs (L3, L4 and L5) derived from 4 rats per group (not presented here, but in the manuscript).

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Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the link between axonal regeneration and neuropathic pain by modified analysis of a novel peripheral nerve injury rat model

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