title: Amitriptyline upregulates EAAT1 and EAAT2 in neuropathic pain rats.
abstract: Excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) appear to participate in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain. The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline on the expressions of EAATs in neuropathic pain rats. Using spared nerve injured (SNI) male Sprague Dawley rats, we found that SNI induced an initial EAATs upregulation on postoperative day 1 within the ipsilateral spinal cord dorsal horn, followed by a downregulation on postoperative days 3 and 5. Intraperitoneal administration of amitriptyline reversed the downregulation of EAATs in SNI rats on postoperative days 3-5 and attenuated the mechanical allodynia. We further demonstrated that administration of amitriptyline alone induced an upregulation of EAATs in sham-operated rat but do not produce an antinociceptive effect. These results indicate that amitriptyline could increase the expression of EAATs which may be one of its mechanisms in the treatment of neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of XinQiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400037, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Xiang
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Tian-De
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000639:Amitriptyline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D010812:Physical Stimulation; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D027341:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1; D027342:Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2; C493395:Slc1a2 protein, rat; C493392:Slc1a3 protein, rat; D000639:Amitriptyline