Study design: This is a narrative review of the literature. Objectives: This review aims to be useful in identifying therapeutic targets. It focuses on the molecular and biochemical neuroplasticity changes that occur in the somatosensory system, including ascending and descending pathways, during the development of neuropathic pain. Furthermore, it highlights the latest experimental strategies, based on the changes reported in the damaged nociceptive neurons during neuropathic pain states. Setting: This study was conducted in Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Methods: A MEDLINE search was performed using the following terms: descending pain pathways; ascending pain pathways; central sensitization; molecular pain; and neuropathic pain pharmacological treatment. Results and conclusion: Neuropathic pain triggered by traumatic lesions leads to sensitization and hyperexcitability of nociceptors and projection neurons of the dorsal horn, a strengthening in the descendent excitatory pathway and an inhibition of the descending inhibitory pathway of pain. These functional events are associated with molecular plastic changes such as overexpression of voltagegated ion channels, algogen-sensitive receptors and synthesis of several neurotransmitters. Molecular studies on the plastic changes in the nociceptive somatosensory system enable the development of new pharmacological treatments against neuropathic pain, with higher specificity and effectiveness than classical drug treatments. Although research efforts have already focused on these aspects, additional research may be necessary to further explore the potential therapeutic targets in neuropathic pain involved in the neuroplasticity changes of neuropathological pathways from the injured somatosensory system.

Nociplastic pain arises from altered nociception despite no clear evidence of tissue or somatosensory system damage, and fibromyalgia syndrome can be highlighted as a prototype of this chronic pain subtype. Currently, there is a lack of effective treatments to alleviate both reflexive and nonreflexive pain responses associated with fibromyalgia condition, and suitable preclinical models are needed to assess new pharmacological strategies. In this context, although in recent years some remarkable animal models have been developed to mimic the main characteristics of human fibromyalgia, most of them show pain responses in the short term. Considering the chronicity of this condition, the present work aimed to develop two mouse models showing long-lasting reflexive and nonreflexive pain responses after several reserpine (RIM) or intramuscular acid saline solution (ASI) injections. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing that RIM6 and ASI mouse models show reflexive and nonreflexive responses up to 5–6 weeks, accompanied by either astro- or microgliosis in the spinal cord as pivotal physiopathology processes related to such condition development. In addition, acute treatment with pregabalin resulted in reflexive pain response alleviation in both the RIM6 and ASI models. Consequently, both may be considered suitable experimental models of fibromyalgia-like condition, especially RIM6.

Efficient transduction of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) is required for gene therapy of acquired and inherited neuropathies, neuromuscular diseases and for pain treatment. We have characterized the tropism and transduction efficiency of different adeno-associated vectors (AAV) pseudotypes after sciatic nerve injection in the mouse. Among the pseudotypes tested, AAV2/1 transduced both Schwann cells and neurons, AAV2/2 infected only sensory neurons and AAV2/8 preferentially transduced Schwann cells. AAV2/8 expression in the sciatic nerve was detected up to 10 weeks after administration, the latest time point analyzed. The injected mice developed neutralizing antibodies against all AAVs tested; the titers were higher against AAV2/1 than AAV2/2 and were the lowest for AAV2/8, correlating with a higher transgene expression overtime. AAV2/8 coding for ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) led to an upregulation of P0 and PMP22 myelin proteins, four weeks after transduction of injured sciatic nerves. Importantly, CNTF-transduced mice showed a significant increase in both GAP43 expression in sensory neurons, a marker of axonal regeneration, and the compound muscle action potential. These results prove the utility of AAV8 as a gene therapy vector for Schwann cells to treat myelin disorders or to improve nerve regeneration.

Peripheral nerve and spinal cord injuries, along with other painful syndromes such as fibromyalgia, diabetic neuropathy, chemotherapeutic neuropathy, trigeminal neuralgia, complex regional pain syndrome, and/or irritable bowel syndrome, cause several neuroplasticity changes in the nervous system along its entire axis affecting the different neuronal nuclei. This paper reviews these changes, focusing on the supraspinal structures that are involved in the modulation and processing of pain, including the periaqueductal gray matter, red nucleus, locus coeruleus, rostral ventromedial medulla, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, habenula, primary, and secondary somatosensory cortex, motor cortex, mammillary bodies, hippocampus, septum, amygdala, cingulated, and prefrontal cortex. Hyperexcitability caused by the modification of postsynaptic receptor expression, central sensitization, and potentiation of presynaptic delivery of neurotransmitters, as well as the reduction of inhibitory inputs, changes in dendritic spine, neural circuit remodeling, alteration of gray matter, and upregulation of proinflammatory mediators (e.g., cytokines) by reactivation of astrocytes and microglial cells are the main functional, structural, and molecular neuroplasticity changes observed in the above supraspinal structures, associated with pathological pain. Studying these changes in greater depth may lead to the implementation and improvement of new therapeutic strategies against pathological pain. Anat Rec, 300:1481-1501, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Different adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotypes efficiently transduce neurons from central and peripheral nervous systems through various administration routes. Direct administration of the vectors to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) could be an efficient and safe strategy. Here, we show that lumbar puncture of a nonhuman AAV leads to wide and stable distribution of the vector along the spinal cord in adult mice. AAVrh10 efficiently and specifically infects neurons, both in dorsal root ganglia (60% total sensory neurons) and in the spinal cord (up to one-third of α-motor neurons). As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the efficacy of AAVrh10 in a mouse model of diabetic neuropathy, in which intrathecal delivery of the vector coding for insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) favored the release of the therapeutic protein into the CSF through its expression by sensory and motor neurons. IGF-I–treated diabetic animals showed increased vascular endothelial growth factor expression, activation of Akt/PI3K pathway, and stimulated nerve regeneration and myelination in injured limbs. Moreover, we achieved restoration of nerve conduction velocities in both sensory and motor nerves by AAVrh10, whereas we reached only sensory nerve improvement with AAV1. Our results indicate that intrathecal injection of AAVrh10 is a promising tool to design gene therapy approaches for sensorimotor diseases.

These findings suggest that at short time EGCG treatment reduces thermal hyperalgesia and gliosis via FASN and RhoA pathway, causing a decrease in cytokines in spinal cord.

A sedentary lifestyle is associated with overweight/obesity, which involves excessive fat body accumulation, triggering structural and functional changes in tissues, organs, and body systems. Research shows that this fat accumulation is responsible for several comorbidities, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic dysfunctions, as well as pathological pain behaviors. These health concerns are related to the crosstalk between adipose tissue and body systems, leading to pathophysiological changes to the latter. To deal with these health issues, it has been suggested that physical exercise may reverse part of these obesity-related pathologies by modulating the cross talk between the adipose tissue and body systems. In this context, this review was carried out to provide knowledge about (i) the structural and functional changes in tissues, organs, and body systems from accumulation of fat in obesity, emphasizing the crosstalk between fat and body tissues; (ii) the crosstalk between fat and body tissues triggering pain; and (iii) the effects of physical exercise on body tissues and organs in obese and non-obese subjects, and their impact on pathological pain. This information may help one to better understand this crosstalk and the factors involved, and it could be useful in designing more specific training interventions (according to the nature of the comorbidity).

The non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse was suggested as an adequate model for diabetic autonomic neuropathy. We evaluated sensory-motor neuropathy and nerve regeneration following sciatic nerve crush in NOD males rendered diabetic by multiple low doses of streptozotocin, in comparison with similarly treated Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice, a widely used model for type I diabetes. Neurophysiological values for both strains showed a decline in motor and sensory nerve conduction velocity at 7 and 8 weeks after induction of diabetes in the intact hindlimb. However, amplitudes of compound muscle and sensory action potentials (CMAPs and CNAPs) were significantly reduced in NOD but not in ICR diabetic mice. Morphometrical analysis showed myelinated fiber loss in highly hyperglycemic NOD mice, but no significant changes in fiber size. There was a reduction of intraepidermal nerve fibers, more pronounced in NOD than in ICR diabetic mice. Interestingly, aldose reductase and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activities were increased already at 1 week of hyperglycemia, persisting until the end of the experiment in both strains. Muscle and nerve reinnervation was delayed in diabetic mice following sciatic nerve crush, being more marked in NOD mice. Thus, diabetes of mid-duration induces more severe peripheral neuropathy and slower nerve regeneration in NOD than in ICR mice.