Kaushal R, Ma F, Zhang L, Bright CR, Taylor BK, Westlund KN (2012) Knockdown of noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC) neurons alleviates chronic orofacial pain. Neuroscience 2012 Abstracts 164.19. Society for Neuroscience, New Orleans, LA.
Summary: Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is an excruciating and debilitating form of clinical orofacial pain. Noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC, pontine A6 neurons) is involved in bidirectional modulation of pain. Multiple studies indicate that LC activity is increased during noxious stimulation and following inflammation or nerve damage. Predominantly known for its role in the feedback inhibition of pain, emerging studies also indicate a contribution of the LC in pain facilitation. For example, lesions of the LC significantly reduce tonic behavioral responses to intraplantar formalin injection, prevent autotomy, and reduce hypersensitivity associated with peripheral nerve injury. In this study we hypothesized that noradrenergic (LC) neurons contribute to the facilitation of chronic pain in TN. We used a rat model of TN involving infraorbital nerve chronic constriction injury (ION-CCI) which produces mechanical hypersensitivity as assessed by a reduction in von Frey threshold. Administration of anti-dopamine-β-hydroxylase saporin (anti-DβH-saporin) toxin was performed for selective elimination of noradrenergic LC neurons or IgG saporin (nonspecific) as the control either by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v space 2) or by bilateral spinal trigeminal nucleus (STN) injections. Under minimal restraint, rats received either no stimulation or repeated stimulation with either a 2 or 15-gm von Frey hair applied directly to the maxillary branch. Withdrawal threshold (tactile allodynia) from von Frey fiber stimulation to the face was not changed as compared to baseline in animals subjected to sham surgery; this was true in both saporin and anti-DβH-saporin groups. However, i.c.v. anti-DβH-saporin significantly increased withdrawal threshold animals with ION-CCI as compared to IgG saporin controls. More selective destruction of the LC-trigeminal pathway with bilateral STN anti-DβH-saporin injection also alleviated behavioral signs of chronic orofacial hyperalgesia. Elimination of noradrenergic LC neurons was confirmed by complete loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity in anti-DβH-saporin injected animals. Compared to unstimulated controls, mechanical stimulation increased immunoreactive phosphorylated extracellular cell-regulated protein kinase (pERK), a marker of neuronal activity, in the LC and STN. Nerve injury also increased expression of a neuronal injury and stress marker, activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3), in trigeminal ganglia neurons. Together, these results indicate that noradrenergic locus coeruleus neurons facilitate chronic orofacial neuropathic pain.
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