Objective:Neuropathic pain(NP)is one of the most common forms of chronic pain,yet current treatment options are limited in effectiveness.Peripheral nerve injury activates spinal microglia,altering their inflammatory r...Objective:Neuropathic pain(NP)is one of the most common forms of chronic pain,yet current treatment options are limited in effectiveness.Peripheral nerve injury activates spinal microglia,altering their inflammatory response and phagocytic functions,which contributes to the progression of NP.Most current research on NP focuses on microglial inflammation,with relatively little attention to their phagocytic function.Early growth response factor 2(EGR2)has been shown to regulate microglial phagocytosis,but its specific role in NP remains unclear.This study aims to investigate how EGR2 modulates microglial phagocytosis and its involvement in NP,with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets.Methods:Adult male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were used to establish a chronic constriction injury(CCI)model of the sciatic nerve.Pain behaviors were assessed on days 1,3,7,10,and 14 post-surgery to confirm successful model induction.The temporal and spatial expression of EGR2 in the spinal cord was examined using real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR),Western blotting,and immunofluorescence staining.Adeno-associated virus(AAV)was used to overexpress EGR2 in the spinal cord,and behavioral assessments were performed to evaluate the effects of EGR2 modulation of NP.CCI and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)models were established in animals and microglial cell lines,respectively,and changes in phagocytic activity were measured using RT-qPCR and fluorescent latex bead uptake assays.After confirming the involvement of microglial phagocytosis in NP,AAV was used to overexpress EGR2 in both in vivo and in vitro models,and phagocytic activity was further evaluated.Finally,eukaryotic transcriptome sequencing was conducted to screen differentially expressed mRNAs,followed by Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analyses to identify potential downstream effectors of EGR2.Results:The CCI model successfully induced NP.Following CCI,EGR2 expression in the spinal cord was upregulated in parallel with NP development.Overexpression of EGR2 via spinal AAV injection enhanced microglial phagocytic activity and increased pain hypersensitivity in rats.Both animal and cellular models showed that CCI or LPS stimulation enhanced microglial phagocytosis,which was further amplified by EGR2 overexpression.Transcriptomic analysis of spinal cord tissues from CCI rats overexpressing EGR2 revealed upregulation of numerous genes associated with microglial phagocytosis and pain regulation.Among them,Lag3 emerged as a potential downstream target of EGR2.Conclusion:EGR2 contributes to the maintenance of NP by enhancing microglial phagocytosis in the spinal dorsal horn.展开更多
目的:探讨大鼠背根神经节(dorsal root ganglion,DRG)持续受压(chronic compression of right side dorsal root ganglion,CCD)后脊髓背角瞬时感受器电位离子通道4(TRPV4)基因及蛋白变化,明确脊髓背角TRPV4在CCD致神经病理性疼痛中的作...目的:探讨大鼠背根神经节(dorsal root ganglion,DRG)持续受压(chronic compression of right side dorsal root ganglion,CCD)后脊髓背角瞬时感受器电位离子通道4(TRPV4)基因及蛋白变化,明确脊髓背角TRPV4在CCD致神经病理性疼痛中的作用。方法:采用健康成年雄性Wistar大鼠,共36只,随机分为3组,分别为空白对照组、CCD手术组、CCD+钌红组。制备大鼠背根神经节持续受压模型,于术前1天、术后第7天、给药前及给药2h后,测量大鼠机械刺激缩爪反应阈值,观察机械痛阈的变化;利用RT-PCR及Western Blot技术检测各组大鼠手术侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达的变化。结果:与空白对照组相比,术后第7天,CCD组大鼠术侧机械痛阈值明显下降(P<0.001),同侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达升高(P<0.05);与给药前相比,给予钌红2h后,术侧机械痛阈值明显升高(P<0.001),同侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达下降(P<0.05)。结论:CCD后大鼠术侧机械痛阈下降,脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达升高;钌红可部分逆转CCD后痛觉过敏,部分降低脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达。脊髓背角TRPV4参与CCD后大鼠神经病理性疼痛形成。展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82071249 and 81771207).
文摘Objective:Neuropathic pain(NP)is one of the most common forms of chronic pain,yet current treatment options are limited in effectiveness.Peripheral nerve injury activates spinal microglia,altering their inflammatory response and phagocytic functions,which contributes to the progression of NP.Most current research on NP focuses on microglial inflammation,with relatively little attention to their phagocytic function.Early growth response factor 2(EGR2)has been shown to regulate microglial phagocytosis,but its specific role in NP remains unclear.This study aims to investigate how EGR2 modulates microglial phagocytosis and its involvement in NP,with the goal of identifying potential therapeutic targets.Methods:Adult male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats were used to establish a chronic constriction injury(CCI)model of the sciatic nerve.Pain behaviors were assessed on days 1,3,7,10,and 14 post-surgery to confirm successful model induction.The temporal and spatial expression of EGR2 in the spinal cord was examined using real-time quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR),Western blotting,and immunofluorescence staining.Adeno-associated virus(AAV)was used to overexpress EGR2 in the spinal cord,and behavioral assessments were performed to evaluate the effects of EGR2 modulation of NP.CCI and lipopolysaccharide(LPS)models were established in animals and microglial cell lines,respectively,and changes in phagocytic activity were measured using RT-qPCR and fluorescent latex bead uptake assays.After confirming the involvement of microglial phagocytosis in NP,AAV was used to overexpress EGR2 in both in vivo and in vitro models,and phagocytic activity was further evaluated.Finally,eukaryotic transcriptome sequencing was conducted to screen differentially expressed mRNAs,followed by Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analyses to identify potential downstream effectors of EGR2.Results:The CCI model successfully induced NP.Following CCI,EGR2 expression in the spinal cord was upregulated in parallel with NP development.Overexpression of EGR2 via spinal AAV injection enhanced microglial phagocytic activity and increased pain hypersensitivity in rats.Both animal and cellular models showed that CCI or LPS stimulation enhanced microglial phagocytosis,which was further amplified by EGR2 overexpression.Transcriptomic analysis of spinal cord tissues from CCI rats overexpressing EGR2 revealed upregulation of numerous genes associated with microglial phagocytosis and pain regulation.Among them,Lag3 emerged as a potential downstream target of EGR2.Conclusion:EGR2 contributes to the maintenance of NP by enhancing microglial phagocytosis in the spinal dorsal horn.
文摘目的:探讨大鼠背根神经节(dorsal root ganglion,DRG)持续受压(chronic compression of right side dorsal root ganglion,CCD)后脊髓背角瞬时感受器电位离子通道4(TRPV4)基因及蛋白变化,明确脊髓背角TRPV4在CCD致神经病理性疼痛中的作用。方法:采用健康成年雄性Wistar大鼠,共36只,随机分为3组,分别为空白对照组、CCD手术组、CCD+钌红组。制备大鼠背根神经节持续受压模型,于术前1天、术后第7天、给药前及给药2h后,测量大鼠机械刺激缩爪反应阈值,观察机械痛阈的变化;利用RT-PCR及Western Blot技术检测各组大鼠手术侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达的变化。结果:与空白对照组相比,术后第7天,CCD组大鼠术侧机械痛阈值明显下降(P<0.001),同侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达升高(P<0.05);与给药前相比,给予钌红2h后,术侧机械痛阈值明显升高(P<0.001),同侧脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达下降(P<0.05)。结论:CCD后大鼠术侧机械痛阈下降,脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达升高;钌红可部分逆转CCD后痛觉过敏,部分降低脊髓背角TRPV4基因及蛋白表达。脊髓背角TRPV4参与CCD后大鼠神经病理性疼痛形成。
