Central neuroinflammation is important in the pathophysiological processes of neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury. Recently, interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been detected in different inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system and contributes to neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The present study, based on the ra...

The present study was undertaken to further investigate the role of glial cells in the development of the neuropathic pain-like state induced by sciatic nerve ligation in mice. At 7 days after sciatic nerve ligation, the immunoreactivities (IRs) of the specific astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the specific microglial marker OX-42, but not the specific oligodendrocyte ...

BACKGROUND The glial glutamate transporter GLT-1 is abundantly expressed in astrocytes and is crucial for glutamate removal from the synaptic cleft. Decreases in glutamate uptake activity and expression of spinal glutamate transporters are reported in animal models of pathological pain. However, the lack of available specific inhibitors and/or activators for GLT-1 makes it difficult to determin...

The effects of caerulin, a CCK receptor agonist, and proglumide, a receptor antagonist, on hyperalgesia induced by sciatic nerve ligation, was studied in mice. Tolerance to the morphine response was obtained 3,7, 14,21 and 28 days after unilateral sciatic nerve ligation. Maximum hyperalgesia was found 14 days after nerve ligation. Caerulin increased morphine antinociception in nerve-ligated ani...

Introduction: Several studies have reported the involvement of age-related changes in the development of neuropathic pain behaviors. However, limited data are available on the role of age in establishing and maintaining chronic neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve injury. Methods: In the present study, we examined age-related neuropathic behavior among rats in 4 age groups: p...

D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) is an enzyme catalyzing oxidative deamination of neutral and polar d-amino acids and is expressed in the kidneys, liver, and central nervous system (CNS) including the spinal cord. We have previously demonstrated that DAO gene deletion/mutation by using mutant ddY/DAO(-/-) mice and systemic administration of the DAO inhibitor sodium benzoate blocked formalin-induced h...

Nerve root deformation magnitude affects behavioral sensitivity and spinal cytokine expression in a lumbar radiculopathy model. Despite evidence suggesting spinal glia play a role in persistent pain, no study has examined the relationship between injury severity in painful radiculopathy and spinal glial activation. This study quantified local in vivo biomechanics for nerve root injury, describi...

Background Neuropathic pain is a major pathology of the central nervous system associated with neuroinflammation. Ryk (receptor-like tyrosine kinase) receptors act as repulsive axon-guidance molecules during development of central nervous system and neural injury. Increasing evidence suggests the potential involvement of Wnt/Ryk (wingless and Int) signaling in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pa...

PURPOSE Lamotrigine, a novel anticonvulsant, is a sodium channel blocker that is efficacious in certain forms of neuropathic pain. Recently, microglial and astrocytic activation has been implicated in the development of nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain. We have assessed the effects of continuous intrathecal administration of lamotrigine on the development of neuropathic pain and glial acti...