Expression changes of microRNA-1 and its targets Connexin 43 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the peripheral nervous system of chronic neuropathic rats

Molecular Pain

Timo Brandenburger²  Robert Werdehausen²  Franziska Barthel²  Henning Hermanns¹  Elena Neumann² 

[1] Department of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, Amsterdam, 1100 DD, The Netherlands;Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany

关键词: Chronic constriction injury (CCI);    Neuropathic pain;    BDNF;    Connexin 43 (Cx43);    miR-1;    microRNA;   

Others  :  1217326
DOI  :  10.1186/s12990-015-0045-y

 received in 2015-05-11, accepted in 2015-06-18,  发布年份 2015

【 摘 要 】

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the neuroplastic changes which induce and maintain neuropathic pain. However, it is unknown whether nerve injury leads to altered miRNA expression and modulation of pain relevant target gene expression within peripheral nerves. In the present study, expression profiles of miR-1 and the pain-relevant targets, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Connexin 43 (Cx43), were studied in peripheral neuropathic pain, which was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats. The expression of miR-1 was investigated in the sciatic nerve, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and the ipsilateral spinal cord by qPCR. Changes of BDNF and Cx43 expression patterns were studied using qPCR, Western blot analysis, ELISA and immunohistochemistry.

Results

In sciatic nerves of naïve rats, expression levels of miR-1 were more than twice as high as in DRG and spinal cord. In neuropathic rats, CCI lead to a time-dependent downregulation of miR-1 in the sciatic nerve but not in DRG and spinal cord. Likewise, protein expression of the miR-1 targets BDNF and Cx43 was upregulated in the sciatic nerve and DRG after CCI. Immunohistochemical staining revealed an endoneural abundancy of Cx43 in injured sciatic nerves which was absent after Sham operation.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that CCI leads to a regulation of miRNAs (miR-1) in the peripheral nervous system. This regulation is associated with alterations in the expression and localization of the miR-1 dependent pain-relevant proteins BDNF and Cx43. Further studies will have to explore the function of miRNAs in the context of neuropathic pain in the peripheral nervous system.

【 授权许可】

   
2015 Neumann et al.

【 图 表 】

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