Long-lasting neuroplastic changes induced by transient decrease in G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) in nociceptors enhances and prolongs inflammatory hyperalgesia. Here, we investigated the effects of paroxetine (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor and GRK2 inhibitor) on GRK2 expression in superior cervical ganglion (SCG) in a rat model of complex regional pain syndrome type I (C...

Serotonin in the spinal cord acutely modulates nociceptive transmission and motor reflexes and may also assist functional restoration after spinal cord injury (SCI). It is released there mainly by descending axons of the medulla's nucleus raphe magnus (NRM). We examined whether mechanical allodynia (cutaneous hypersensitivity) after incomplete SCI is sustainably reversed by prolonged, intermitt...

Ciguatera, the most common form of nonbacterial ichthyosarcotoxism, is caused by consumption of fish that have bioaccumulated the polyether sodium channel activator ciguatoxin. The neurological symptoms of ciguatera include distressing, often persistent sensory disturbances such as paraesthesias and the pathognomonic symptom of cold allodynia. We show that intracutaneous administration of cigua...

This paper discusses the general concept of the Super Mechano-System, or SMS and its anticipated applications. The SMS is a new type of robot system, which can transform its shape and also its internal control system in accordance with the given tasks. Snake robots, running and walking robot with manipulation function, group robots, and unified and reconfigurable robots are the three main examp...

Oscillations play an important role in many dynamic cellular processes. They can emerge as the collective dynamic behavior of an ensemble of interacting components in the cell. Examples include oscillations in cytoskeletal structures such as the axonemes of cilia. Spontaneous oscillations of mechano-sensitive hair bundles have been shown to give frequency selectivity and amplification to mechan...

Tetanic stimulation of the sciatic nerve (TSS) induces sciatic nerve injury and long-lasting pain hypersensitivity in rats, and spinal glial activation and proinflammatory cytokines releases are involved. In the present study, we showed that spinal interleukin (IL)-23 and its receptor, IL-23R, are crucial for the development of mechanical allodynia after TSS. In the spinal dorsal horn, both IL-...

Oxaliplatin, a chemotherapy drug, induces acute peripheral neuropathy characterized by cold allodynia, spinal glial activation and increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Herein, we determined whether Cinnamomi Cortex (C. Cortex), a widely used medicinal herb in East Asia for cold-related diseases, could attenuate oxaliplatin-induced cold allodynia in rats and the mechanisms involved. A...

Up-regulation of P2X4 receptors in spinal cord microglia is crucial for tactile allodynia, an untreatable pathological pain reaction occurring after peripheral nerve injury. How nerve injury in the periphery leads to this microglia reaction in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord is not yet understood. It is shown here that CCL21 was rapidly expressed in injured small-sized primary sensory neuron...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This study was designed to clarify mechanisms responsible for the anti-allodynic effects of duloxetine in diabetes. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model was used to compare the efficacy of duloxetine, 5-HT, the 5-HT(2A) receptor agonist [1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane hydrochloride (DOI)] and two antagonists (ketanserin and ...

Cold allodynia is a complaint in patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and significantly impairs their quality of life. We treated cold allodynia with continuous lumbar sympathetic nerve block (CLSNB) with patientcontrolled analgesia (PCA) and determined the therapeutic outcome in long-term follow-up. Eight patients with a median age of 52.0 years were enrolled between September 2013 and ...