No abstract

Nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are two major members of the neurotrophin family. Using immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization histochemistry, we examined the effect of L5 spinal nerve ligation (SPNL), a neuropathic pain model, on the expression of BDNF in the uninjured L4 dorsal root ganglion (DRG). After L5 SPNL, both immunoreactivity for BDNF and the hybridization intensity for BDNF mRNA increased mainly in the small- and medium-sized neurons. The percentage of BDNF mRNA-expressing neurons increased in the ipsilateral L4 DRG compared with the contralateral DRG from the third to 28th day after ligation. A significantly greater number of BDNF-immunoreactive neurons were observed in the ipsilateral L4 DRG than contralateral side 14 d after ligation. To test the contribution of BDNF to the thermal hyperalgesia produced in this model, we intrathecally injected anti-BDNF antibody at third day after ligation. This treatment clearly attenuated thermal hyperalgesia for a few hours. Almost all BDNF mRNA-expressing neurons coexpressed trkA, a high-affinity NGF receptor, mRNA. The percentage of BDNF mRNA-expressing cells of trkA cells significantly increased in the ipsilateral L4 DRG 14 d after ligation. Furthermore, we examined the contribution of NGF on this phenotypic change using ELISA, Northern blot analysis, and anti-NGF antibody. NGF content in the ipsilateral L4 DRG linearly increased and reached a statistical significant level 14 d after L5 SPNL. Moreover, at this time point, the increase in NGF mRNA was observed in the ipsilateral L5 DRG and sciatic nerve, but not in the ipsilateral L4 DRG or L4 spinal nerve. Local application of anti-NGF antibody to the L4 spinal nerve beside the L5 spinal nerve-ligation site prevented the development of thermal hyperalgesia for 5 d after ligation. Our data suggest that BDNF, which increased in the uninjured L4 DRG neurons, acts as a sensory neuromodulator in the dorsal horn and contributes to thermal hyperalgesia in this neuropathic pain model. The contribution of locally synthesized NGF to thermal hyperalgesia was also demonstrated. These dynamic alterations in the expression and content of BDNF and NGF in the uninjured DRG neurons might be involved in the pathomechanisms of neuropathic pain.

Neuropathic pain models, such as the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model, are partial nerve injury models where there exist both intact and injured peripheral axons. Recent studies suggested that dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons with intact axons also show the alteration of excitability and gene expression and might have some role in the pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropathic pain. The incidence of pain-related behavior after the CCI is unstable and variable. In the present study, we used activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression as a neuronal injury marker, and analyzed a relationship between the number of axotomized neurons and the incidence of pain-related behavior. We divided all rats into three groups according to the percentage of ATF3-immunoreactive (IR) neurons, group 1 (<12.5%), group 2 (12.5-25%), and group 3 (>25%). We found that rats in groups 2 and 3 showed thermal hyperalgesia, whereas only the rats in group 2 developed tactile allodynia from the third day to the fourteenth day after surgery. Rats in group 1 did not show thermal hyperalgesia or tactile allodynia. The DRG neurons in group 2 contained ATF3-IR neurons mainly in medium- and large-sized neurons. In order to investigate brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and gamma-aminobutyric acid(A)-receptor (GABA(A)-R) regulation in both intact and injured primary afferent neurons after the CCI, we used a double-labeling method with immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, as well as double immunofluorescent staining. The CCI induced an increased number of BDNF-labeled neurons in the ipsilateral DRG and the increase in BDNF expression was observed mainly in small- and medium-sized neurons that were mainly ATF3-negative. On the other hand, the number of GABA(A)-Rgamma2 subunit mRNA-positive neurons decreased in the ipsilateral DRG and GABA(A)-R- and ATF3-labeled neurons rarely overlapped. These changes in molecular phenotype in intact and injured primary afferents may be involved in the pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropathic pain produced by partial nerve injury.

Abstract-We investigated the involvement of actions mediated by endothelin-A (ET A ) and endothelin-B (ET B ) receptors in the pathogenesis of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt-induced hypertension in rats. Two weeks after the start of DOCA-salt treatment, rats were given ABT-627 (10 [mg/kg]/d), a selective ET A receptor antagonist; A-192621 (30 [mg/kg]/d), a selective ET B receptor antagonist; or their vehicle for 2 weeks. Uninephrectomized rats without DOCA-salt treatment served as controls. Treatment with DOCA and salt for 2 weeks led to a mild but significant hypertension; in vehicle-treated DOCA-salt rats, systolic blood pressure increased markedly after 3 to 4 weeks. Daily administration of ABT-627 for 2 weeks almost abolished any further increases in blood pressure, whereas A-192621 did not affect the development of DOCA-salt-induced hypertension. When the degree of vascular hypertrophy of the aorta was histochemically evaluated at 4 weeks, there were significant increases in wall thickness, wall area, and wall-to-lumen ratio in vehicle-treated DOCA-salt rats compared with uninephrectomized control rats. The development of vascular hypertrophy was markedly suppressed by ABT-627. In contrast, treatment with A-192621 significantly exaggerated these vascular changes. In vehicle-treated DOCA-salt rats, renal blood flow and creatinine clearance decreased, and urinary excretion of protein, blood urea nitrogen, fractional excretion of sodium, and urinary N-acetyl-␤-glucosaminidase activity increased. Such damage was overcome by treatment with ABT-627 but not with A-192621; indeed, the latter agent led to worsening of the renal dysfunction. Histopathologic examination of the kidney in vehicle-treated DOCA-salt rats revealed tubular dilatation and atrophy as well as thickening of small arteries. Such damage was reduced in animals given ABT-627, whereas more severe histopathologic changes were observed in A-192621-treated animals. These results strongly support the view that ET A receptor-mediated action plays an important role in the pathogenesis of DOCA-salt-induced hypertension. On the other hand, it seems likely that the ET B receptor-mediated action protects against vascular and renal injuries in this model of hypertension. A selective ET A receptor antagonist is likely to be useful for treatment of subjects with mineralocorticoid-dependent hypertension, whereas ET B -selective antagonism alone is detrimental to such cases. (Hypertension. 1999;33:759-765.)Key Words: receptors, endothelin Ⅲ hypertension, DOCA-salt Ⅲ renal function Ⅲ vascular hypertrophy T here is accumulating evidence indicating that endothelin-1 (ET-1) plays an important role in the development and/or maintenance of hypertension in animal models such as the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt-induced hypertensive rat 1-6 and Dahl salt-sensitive rat. 7,8 This view is based on findings indicating that acute administration of an endothelin-A (ET A )-selective receptor antagonist or nonselective ET A /ET B receptor antagonist to DOCAsal...