Chondrodystrophic Dogs as a Pre-clinical Large Animal Model of Discogenic Back Pain
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PROVIDER: PRJNA1217405 | ENA |
REPOSITORIES: ENA
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Project description:Background: Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a major cause of low back pain (LBP) in humans and canines. IVD degeneration affects the structure and function of both the disc and the innervating dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Pre-clinical animal models are necessary for elucidating the mechanisms of IVD degeneration (IVDD) and the pain signaling pathways involved in discogenic back pain. The chondrodystrophic (CD) dog exhibits similar characteristics to the clinical population affected by IVDD-associated LBP. However, further investigation of the translational tools to study these conditions and the efficacy of novel treatments is needed in this canine model. The objectives of the present study are to: (1) assess the changes in the structure and function of the IVD and DRG, including pain behaviors, in response to injury using a comprehensive set of outcome measures and (2) evaluate the efficacy of potential therapeutics in mitigating these pathologic changes due to injury in the CD canine model. Methods: Retired female research beagles underwent spinal surgery where T11/T12, T12/T13, and T13/L1 IVDs were identified and punctured with a needle containing either a protease-activated receptor 2 antagonist (PAR2A) and cromolyn sodium (CS) solution (N=3) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (N=3). Pain phenotyping and related outcomes were assessed longitudinally or at the 12-week endpoint via RNA-seq on the DRG, von Frey analysis, FitBark activity, and C-reactive protein (CRP) plasma levels. Changes in the structure/function of the IVD were assessed via MRI, mechanics, Dimethylmethylene Blue Assay (DMMB), histological staining using Picrosirius red/ Alcian Blue (PR/AB) and fluoroscopy, and electrophysiology on the DRG neurons. Results: We evaluated a comprehensive series of outcome measures to determine the effects of IVD injury on the structure/function of the canine IVD and DRG, and pain in the in vivo CD dog model of IVDD and back pain. Specifically, we established methods to obtain high-quality messenger RNA from canine DRGs to perform bulk RNA-seq. We demonstrated that injury to the disc resulted in significant upregulation of inflammatory and pain-signaling genes, and downregulation of developmental genes in the adjacent innervating DRG neurons. Additionally, we isolated and cultured viable neurons from canine DRGs and found through whole-cell patch-clamp that that DRGs innervating the injured disc demonstrated altered voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSCs) activity compared to controls. Using T2 weighted MRI, we demonstrated that relaxation time in punctured discs was reduced in four out of the six dogs compared to internal control discs, indicating potential compositional changes in these injured IVDs. No significant effect of PAR2A and CS treatment was observed in this small cohort.Conclusion: This study evaluated a rigorous series of outcome measures to determine the effects of IVD injury on the disc joint and pain in a CD canine in vivo model of back pain. This was the first study to investigate the effects of disc injury on canine DRG transcriptome and whole-cell patch clamping on canine DRG neurons. Results support the CD dog as a clinically relevant translational model for studying IVDD and LBP, and for evaluating the potential efficacy of novel therapeutics in mitigating the changes associated with these conditions.
2025-07-23 | GSE288418 | GEO
Project description:Background. Inter- and intra-individual fluctuations in pain intensity pose a major challenge to treatment efficacy, with a majority perceiving their pain relief as inadequate. Recent preclinical studies have identified circadian rhythmicity as a potential contributor to these fluctuations and therapeutic target. Methods. We therefore sought to determine the impact of these rhythms in people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) through a detailed characterization, including questionnaires to evaluate biopsychosocial characteristics, ecological momentary assessment (7-day e-diaries at 8:00/14:00/20:00) to assess pain fluctuations, and intra-day blood transcriptomics (8:00/20:00) to identify genes/pathways of interest. Results. While most individuals displayed constant or variable/mixed pain phenotypes, a distinct subset had daily fluctuations of increasing pain scores (>30% change in intensity over 12-hours in ≥4/7 days). This population had no opioid users, better biopsychosocial profiles, and differentially expressed transcripts relative to other pain phenotypes. The circadian-governed neutrophil degranulation pathway was particularly enriched among arhythmic individuals; the link between neutrophil degranulation and opioid use was further confirmed in a separate CLBP cohort. Conclusion. Our findings identify pain rhythmicity and the circadian expression of neutrophil degranulation pathways as indicators of CLBP outcomes, which may help provide a personalized approach to phenotyping biopsychosocial characteristics and medication use. This highlights the need to better understand the impact of circadian rhythmicity across chronic pain conditions.
2025-07-16 | GSE295758 | GEO
Project description:Neurophysiological and transcriptomic predictors of chronic low back pain: towards precision pain management (NEAT Study)
| PRJNA671156 | ENA
Project description:We performed genome-wide DNA methylation analysis of 850,000 CpG sites in women and men with chronic Low Back Pain (LBP) and pain free-controls. T cells were isolated (Discovery Cohort, n=32) and used to identify differentially methylated CpG sites, and gene ontologies and molecular pathways were identified.T cells were isolated (Discovery Cohort, n=32) and used to identify differentially methylated CpG sites, and gene ontologies and molecular pathways were identified. A polygenic DNA methylation score for LBP was generated in both women and men. Validation was performed in an independent cohort (Validation Cohort, n=63) of chronic LBP and healthy controls. Analysis with the Discovery Cohort revealed a total of 2,496 and 419 differentially methylated CpGs in women and men, respectively. The majority of these sites were hypo-methylated in women and enriched in genes with functions in the extracellular matrix, the immune system (i.e. cytokines) or in epigenetic processes. In men, we identified a unique chronic LBP DNA methylation signature characterized by significant enrichment for genes from the major histocompatibility complex. A sex-specific polygenic DNA methylation score was generated to evaluate the pain status of each individual and confirmed in The Validation Cohort using pyrosequencing.
2021-11-10 | GSE162350 | GEO
Project description:Epigenetic Signature of Chronic Low Back Pain in Human T Cells
| PRJNA681581 | ENA
Project description:Chronic low back pain (cLBP) lacks clear physiological explanations, and the treatment options are of limited effect. Here, we elucidate the underlying biology of cLBP in a subgroup of patients with Modic changes type I (suggestive of inflammatory vertebral bone marrow lesions) by correlating gene expression in blood with patient-reported outcomes on disability and pain intensity and explore sex-differences. Patients were included from the placebo group of a clinical study on patients with cLBP and Modic changes. Blood was collected at the time of inclusion, after three months, and after one year, and gene expression was measured at all time points by high-throughput RNA sequencing. The patients reported disability using the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire, and pain intensity was assessed as a mean of three scores on a 0-10 numeric rating scale: current LBP, worst LBP within the last two weeks, and mean LBP within the last two weeks. The gene expression profiles were then correlated to the reported outcomes. Changes in gene expression over time correlated significantly with changes in both disability and pain. The findings showed distinct patterns in men and women, with negligible overlap in correlated genes between the sexes. The genes involved were enriched in immunological pathways, particularly T cell receptor complex and immune responses related to neutrophils. Several of the genes harbour polymorphisms that previously have been found to be associated with chronic pain. Men and women had distinct sets of correlating genes, suggesting gender differences in the underlying biology of disability and pain in these patients.
2025-01-29 | GSE285917 | GEO
Project description:This study presents the first application of comprehensive single-nuclei RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in a rat model using Parse technology. Our dataset includes two experimental models: (1) control rats representing both sexes and (2) rats with disc-associated chronic lower back pain, alongside sham-treated animals. By leveraging high-resolution transcriptomic profiling, this study provides novel insights into the molecular landscape of DRG neurons, offering a valuable resource for understanding the cellular mechanisms underlying chronic pain.
2025-02-22 | GSE289659 | GEO
Project description:Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation -based proteomics analysis was performed to profile changes in the abundance of spinal cord proteins in two well-established animal pain models of chronic pain using wild-type and Nav1.8 knockout mice
2023-05-24 | PXD042455 |
Project description:Shared transcriptomic and epigenetic changes in two animal models improves our understanding of how chromatin structural changes alter dorsal root ganglion (DRG) gene expression under persistent pain conditions.
2021-08-31 | GSE167369 | GEO
Project description:The aim of the study was to identify genes which are differentially expressed in the blood of dogs suffering from heart failure (HF) in comparison to healthy control dogs. The dogs with HF were categorized according to the ISACHC classification system (International Small Animal Cardiac Health Council).
2013-07-20 | GSE48319 | GEO