A-type K+ channels (A-channels) are crucial in controlling neuronal excitability, and their downregulation in pain-sensing neurons may increase pain sensation. To test this hypothesis, we first characterized the expression of two A-channels, Kv3.4 and Kv4.3, in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Kv3.4 was expressed mainly in the nociceptive DRG neurons, in their somata, axons, and nerve te...

The excitability of nociceptive neurons increases in the intact dorsal root ganglion (DRG) after a chronic compression, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the ionic mechanisms underlying the hyperexcitability of nociceptive neurons in the compressed ganglion. Chronic compression of DRG (CCD) was produced in adult rats by inserting two rods ...

Immunohistochemical staining with an antiserum against the neuropeptide Y (NPY)-Y1 receptor (Y1-R) protein was shown in rat small dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, which also were Y1-R mRNA-positive and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-positive. The Y1-R-like immunoreactivity was almost exclusively located in the somatic plasmalemma and in the perinuclear region. Intracellular recording...

Various types of tracers are available for use in axon regeneration, but they require an extra operational tracer injection, time-consuming immunohistochemical analysis and cause non-specific labeling. Considerable efforts over the past years have explored other methodologies, especially the use of viral vectors, to investigate axon regeneration after injury. Recent studies have demonstrated th...

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a human alphaherpesvirus that infects sensory ganglia and reactivates from latency to cause herpes zoster. VZV replication was examined in human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) xenografts in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency using multiscale correlative immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. These experiments showed the presence of VZV genomic DNA, viral...

Treating chronic neuropathic pain remains a challenge, despite the existing therapies. Recent years have seen the emergence of promising new technologies, such as the neurostimulation of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). In the present article, we review the clinical evidence for the efficacy and safety of DRG neurostimulation in the treatment of chronic pain. While the results from a number of s...

Two ETS transcription factors of the Pea3 subfamily are induced in subpopulations of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory and spinal motor neurons by target-derived factors. Their expression controls late aspects of neuronal differentiation such as target invasion and branching. Here, we show that the late onset of ETS gene expression is an essential requirement for normal sensory neuron differen...

The health impact of exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles is poorly understood. We recently found treatment with TiO2 microor nanoparticles induce cell death in human astrocytes-like U87 astrocytoma cells and in normal human fibroblasts in a concentration-related manner. Because the cytotoxic effects of these nanoparticles in peripheral nervous system (PNS) neural cells have not been elucidated, we h...

Pain is a hallmark feature of sickle cell disease (SCD). Recurrent and unpredictable acute pain due to vaso-oclussive crises (VOC) is unique to SCD; and can be superimposed on chronic pain. To examine the mechanisms underlying pain in SCD, we performed RNA sequencing of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of transgenic sickle mice and their age-matched control mice expressing normal human hemoglobin A, ...

Inflammatory mediators through the activation of the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway sensitize primary afferent nociceptors to mechanical, thermal, and osmotic stimuli. However, it is unclear which ion conductances are responsible for PKA-induced nociceptor hyperexcitability. We have previously shown the abundant expression of Slack sodium-activated potassium (K(Na)) channels in nociceptive dors...