Transcriptional profiling of spinal cord injury‐induced central neuropathic pain
Open Access
- 10 October 2005
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Neurochemistry
- Vol. 95 (4), 998-1014
- https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2005.03462.x
Abstract
Central neuropathic pain (CNP) is an important problem following spinal cord injury (SCI), because it severely affects the quality of life of SCI patients. As in the patient population, the majority of rats develop significant allodynia (CNP rats) after moderate SCI. However, about 10% of SCI rats do not develop allodynia, or develop significantly less allodynia than CNP rats (non‐CNP rats). To identify transcriptional changes underlying CNP development after SCI, we used Affymetrix DNA microarrays and RNAs extracted from the spinal cords of CNP and non‐CNP rats. DNA microarry analysis showed significantly increased expression of a number of genes associated with inflammation and astrocytic activation in the spinal cords of rats that developed CNP. For example, mRNA levels of glial fibrilary acidic protein (GFAP) and Aquaporin 4 (AQP4) significantly increased in CNP rats. We also found that GFAP, S100β and AQP4 protein elevation persisted for at least 9 months throughout contused spinal cords, consistent with the chronic nature of CNP. Thus, we hypothesize that CNP development results, in part, from dysfunctional, chronically “over‐activated” astrocytes. Although, it has been shown that activated astrocytes are associated with peripheral neuropathic pain, this has not previously been demonstrated in CNP after SCI.Keywords
This publication has 81 references indexed in Scilit:
- Inflammation, degeneration and regeneration in the injured spinal cord: insights from DNA microarraysTrends in Neurosciences, 2003
- Differential expression of protein tyrosine kinase genes during microglial activationGlia, 2002
- Overexpression of glia maturation factor in astrocytes leads to immune activation of microglia through secretion of granulocyte–macrophage-colony stimulating factorBiochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 2002
- Group I Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Spinal Cord Injury: Roles in Neuroprotection and the Development of Chronic Central PainJournal of Neurotrauma, 2002
- IL-1 Receptor Antagonist Prevents Apoptosis and Caspase-3 Activation after Spinal Cord InjuryJournal of Neurotrauma, 2001
- Significance analysis of microarrays applied to the ionizing radiation responseProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2001
- GFAP and S100β Expression in the Cortex and Hippocampus in Response to Mild Cortical ContusionJournal of Neurotrauma, 1997
- Serial Measurement of Interleukin-6, Transforming Growth Factor-β, and S-100 Protein in Patients With Acute StrokeStroke, 1996
- Human brain S100β and S100β mRNA expression increases with age: Pathogenic implications for Alzheimer's diseaseNeurobiology of Aging, 1996
- Update on the Pathophysiology and Pathology of Acute Spinal Cord InjuryBrain Pathology, 1995