Project description:Pain sensing neurons, nociceptors, are key drivers of neuropathic pain. We used translating ribosome affinity purification (trap) to comprehensively characterize up- and down-regulated mRNA translation in Scn10a-positive nociceptors in chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. We provide evidence that an underlying mechanism driving these changes in gene expression is a sustained mTORC1 activation driven by MNK1-eIF4E signaling. RagA, a GTPase controlling mTORC1 activity, is identified as a novel target of MNK1-eIF4E signaling, demonstrating a new link between these distinct signaling pathways. Neuropathic pain and RagA translation are strongly attenuated by genetic ablation of eIF4E phosphorylation, MNK1 elimination or treatment with the MNK inhibitor eFT508. We reveal a novel translational circuit for the genesis of neuropathic pain with important implications for next generation neuropathic pain therapeutics.
Project description:We demonstrate single-cell RNA sequencing with time course study on DSS-induced colitis mouse model to reveal the overall cellular status during colon inflammation. Based on single cell transcriptome analysis in inflamed colon, we showed that the stromal cell population of colon functions as a hub to coordinate dynamic change with other cell type. We also found the Serpina3n, a serine protease inhibitor is specific up-regulation in the stromal cells during the resolution phase of colon inflammation. Furthermore, we found that systemic administration of Serpina3n promoted the recovery of resolution phase and ameliorated colitis-related symptoms. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of cell-cell interactions during colorectal inflammation at the single-cell level and reveals a potential therapeutic target by hijacking the endogenous inflammation resolution mechanism.
Project description:Neuropathic pain is an apparently spontaneous experience triggered by abnormal physiology of the peripheral or central nervous system, which evolves with time. Neuropathic pain arising from peripheral nerve injury is characterized by a combination of spontaneous pain, hyperalgesia and allodynia. There is no evidence of this type of pain in human infants or rat pups; brachial plexus avulsion, which causes intense neuropathic pain in adults, is not painful when the injury is sustained at birth. Since infants are capable of nociception from before birth and display both acute and chronic inflammatory pain behaviour from an early neonatal age, it appears that the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain are differentially regulated over a prolonged postnatal period. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of gene expression underlying the differences in nerve injury between along the postnatal development and identified distinct classes of regulated genes during the injury Experiment Overall Design: We have performed a microarray analysis of the rat L4/L5 dorsal root ganglia, 7 days post spared nerve injury, a model of neuropathic pain. Genes that are regulated in adult rats displaying neuropathic behaviour were compared to those regulated in young rats (10 days old) that did not show the same neuropathic behaviour.
Project description:To reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain, we investigated putative pain-associated mediators, pain-related behaviors and gene modulation in a rat oral mucositis model. On day 1 after acetic acid treatment, the mucosal area showed slight redness and swelling but no evidence of ulceration or pain induction. On day 2, oral ulcers were obvious, as was the induction of spontaneous and mechanical pain. In the treated mucosal area, bacterial loading and prostaglandin E2 increased beginning on day 2; no significant changes were observed on day 1. DNA microarray analysis of trigeminal ganglion tissue collected on day 2 identified 32 significantly regulated genes (>1.5-fold change in expression). The up-regulation of the top 3 genes, Hamp (hepcidin antimicrobial peptide), Reg3b (regenerating islet-derived 3β) and Serpina3n (serine peptidase inhibitor A3N), was validated through quantitative RT-PCR. Systemic antibiotic pre-treatment did not increase the mRNA levels. Therefore, we conclude that the oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain is caused by infectious inflammation of the ulcerative area and stimulates anti-bacterial and anti-peptidase gene expressions in sensory neurons.
Project description:• Project description: Why only half of the idiopathic peripheral polyneuropathy (IPN) patients develop neuropathic pain is unknown. By conducting a proteomics analysis on IPN patients, we aimed to discover proteins and new pathways that are associated with neuropathic pain. We conducted unbiased mass-spectrometry proteomics analysis on blood plasma from 31 IPN patients with severe neuropathic pain and 29 IPN patients with no pain, to investigate protein biomarkers and protein-protein interactions associated with neuropathic pain. Univariate modeling was done with Linear mixed modeling (LMM) and corrected for multiple testing. Multivariate modelling was performed using elastic net analysis and validated with internal cross validation and bootstrapping.
Project description:To reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain, we investigated putative pain-associated mediators, pain-related behaviors and gene modulation in a rat oral mucositis model. On day 1 after acetic acid treatment, the mucosal area showed slight redness and swelling but no evidence of ulceration or pain induction. On day 2, oral ulcers were obvious, as was the induction of spontaneous and mechanical pain. In the treated mucosal area, bacterial loading and prostaglandin E2 increased beginning on day 2; no significant changes were observed on day 1. DNA microarray analysis of trigeminal ganglion tissue collected on day 2 identified 32 significantly regulated genes (>1.5-fold change in expression). The up-regulation of the top 3 genes, Hamp (hepcidin antimicrobial peptide), Reg3b (regenerating islet-derived 3β) and Serpina3n (serine peptidase inhibitor A3N), was validated through quantitative RT-PCR. Systemic antibiotic pre-treatment did not increase the mRNA levels. Therefore, we conclude that the oral ulcerative mucositis-induced pain is caused by infectious inflammation of the ulcerative area and stimulates anti-bacterial and anti-peptidase gene expressions in sensory neurons. Oral ulcerative mucositis-induced gene expression in trigeminal ganglion tissue was measured. Ten Wistar rats were divided into the following two groups, control, oral ulcerative mucositis (stomatitis). Five rats were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. A piece of filter paper was soaked in 50% acetic acid diluted with water and placed in the labial fornix region of the inferior incisors of rats for 30 sec. Other five rats received only anesthesia without any treatment were used as a control. On day 2 after acetic acid treatment, oral ulcerative mucositis was obvious and trigeminal ganglion tissues in two groups were collected for DNA microarray analysis.
Project description:The cerebral cortex plays a key role in the multi-dimensional human pain experience. However, the neural mechanisms mediating pain-related cortical activity remain largely unknown, particularly in primary somatosensory cortex (S1). We therefore developed a new animal model of trigeminal neuralgia, a prototypical neuropathic pain, which allowed us to evaluate pain-related cortical dynamics with unprecedented translational relevance. Our novel model (FLIT: Foramen Lacerum Impingement of Trigeminal-nerve) displayed robust clinically relevant trigeminal neuralgia-like behaviors, including asymmetric facial grimacing, dental pain-like behaviors, anxiety-like behavior, and sexual dysfunction, capturing many features of the human pain experience. Awake FLIT mice exhibited highly synchronized spontaneous population activity in S1, due to GABAergic interneuron hypoactivity. Remarkably, clinically effective treatments including carbamazepine and trigeminal nerve root decompression abrogated S1 synchronization and alleviated trigeminal neuralgia-like behaviors. These results reveal synchronized S1 activity as a new and important cortical substrate of neuropathic pain, which can be clinically targeted to provide effective therapy.
Project description:This program addresses the gene signature associated with DRG in the Chung rat model for neuropathic pain. The Chung neuropathic pain profiling data was analyzed by identifying genes that were up- and down-regulated at selected p value and fold change in DRG of the Sprague Dawley rats following spinal nerve ligation compared to the sham-operated controls.