Glycine transporter inhibitors as a potential therapeutic strategy for chronic pain with memory impairment.
BACKGROUND
Impaired excitatory and inhibitory balance in the spinal dorsal horn has a crucial role in the pathophysiology of chronic pain. The authors addressed the therapeutic impact of increasing spinal glycine applied exogenously or via blockade of glycine transporter 1 using its selective inhibitors sarcosine and N-[3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4'-phenylphenoxy)propyl]sarcosine on neuropathic and inflammatory pain in mice.


METHODS
Mice with thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity after partial ligation of the sciatic nerve (Seltzer model) or mice with mechanical hypersensitivity after streptozotocin injection received intrathecal injection of glycine, sarcosine, and N-[3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4'-phenylphenoxy)propyl]sarcosine. These drugs were also intrathecally injected in mice to assess their effects on formalin-evoked nociceptive behaviors. The supraspinal effect of blockade of glycine transporter 1 was studied on tetanus-induced long-term potentiation of the Schaffer-collateral synapses in hippocampal slices prepared from Seltzer model mice.


RESULTS
Glycine, sarcosine, and N-[3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4'-phenylphenoxy)propyl]sarcosine ameliorated thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in Seltzer model mice, and reduced mechanical hypersensitivity in streptozotocin-injected diabetic mice. Moreover, they selectively inhibited the second phase of formalin-evoked licking/biting behavior. In hippocampal slices prepared from Seltzer model mice, long-term potentiation was maintained at a significantly lower level than that in sham-treated mice. Such impairment of long-term potentiation was never observed when it was induced in the presence of N-[3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4'-phenylphenoxy)propyl]sarcosine.


CONCLUSIONS
An increase in endogenous glycine via glycine transporter 1 blockade not only results in a net inhibitory influence on pain transmission at the spinal level but also supraspinally relieves decreased synaptic efficacy presumably related to cognitive disturbance often described in patients with chronic pain.
Tanabe
Mitsuo
M
Laboratory of CNS Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya City University, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Japan. mitana@phar.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
Takasu
Keiko
K
Yamaguchi
Sachiko
S
Kodama
Daisuke
D
Ono
Hideki
H
D000208:Acute Disease; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000503:physiopathology; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000188:drug therapy; D005998:Glycine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D050487:Glycine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000700:Analgesics; D050487:Glycine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C435025:N-(3-(4'-fluorophenyl)-3-(4'-phenylphenoxy)-3-(4'-phenylphenoxy)propyl)sarcosine; D005998:Glycine; D012521:Sarcosine