Publication details
Bilateral propagation of neuroinflammatory reaction in the dorsal root ganglia alongside neuroaxis after unilateral nerve injury and possible intrathecal signaling
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| Year of publication | 2012 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Wallerian degeneration following mechanical injury of the peripheral nerve is essential stimulus for cellular and molecular changes inducing neuropathic pain. Unilateral chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve was performed aseptically in sixty fore rats. Neuropathic pain induction was tested by withdrawal threshold of mechanoallodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Expression of TNFa and IL-6 protein as well as mRNA was investigated bilaterally by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, ELISA and in situ hybridization in both lumbar (L4-5) and cervical (C7-8) DRG following CCI for 1, 3, 7 and 14 days. In addition, FluoroRuby (dextran-TRITC) was injected intrathecally in the level of L4-L5 or C7-C8 spinal segments. Although mechanoallodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were detected predominantly in the ipsilateral hind paws from 1 to 14 days, levels of cytokine proteins and mRNA were enhanced bilaterally in both cervical and lumbar DRG. FluoroRuby penetrated from intrathecal space not only into DRG at the level of application but diffused also into DRG of remote spinal segments. Our results indicate that cytokine proteins and their synthesis in DRG may spread bilaterally from the spinal segments associated with injured nerve and per se are not completely involved in neuropathic pain induction and maintenance. A possible pathway for diffusion of signal molecules inducing changes in the remote DRG is cerebrospinal fluid of spinal intrathecal space. |
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