title: Peripheral nerve injury alters the expression of NF-κB in the rat's hippocampus.
abstract: The hippocampus plays an important role in learning and memory and possibly contributes to the formation of pain-related memory and emotional responses. However, there is currently little data linking the hippocampus to neuropathic pain. It has been reported that NF-κB is an important regulatory factor in memory consolidation within the hippocampus. This study aims to examine a possible relationship between the hippocampal NF-κB expression and nerve injury-induced thermal hyperalgesia using a rat model of constriction sciatic nerve injury (CCI). Immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis were performed to detect and quantify the hippocampal NF-κB expression. Thermal hyperalgesia was examined on day 0 and postoperative days 1, 7 and 14. The nuclear portion of the p65 NF-κB expression was significantly increased on the contralateral side on days 7 and 14 as well as significantly increased on the ipsilateral side on day 14 as compared to the sham control group. Intraperitoneal administration of MK-801, an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, reduced hyperalgesia and modulated the NF-κB expression in the contralateral side of hippocampus. These results suggest an association between the hippocampal NF-κB expression and the behavioral manifestation of thermal hyperalgesia, which is likely to be mediated through activation of the NMDA receptor.
authors.affiliation: MGH Center for Translational Pain Research, Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care, WACC 324, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Chiu-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Gordon T C
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Grewo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: McCabe
authors.forename: Shuxing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Irwin
authors.forename: Jianren
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000378:metabolism*; D008026:Ligation; D008297:Male; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000187:drug effects; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000293:injuries
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016328:NF-kappa B; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D016291:Dizocilpine Maleate