Purinergic system, microglia and neuropathic pain.
Extracellular nucleotides play pivotal roles in the regulation of neuronal and glial functions in the nervous system through P2X receptors (P2XRs) and P2Y receptors (P2YRs). A growing body of evidence shows that microglia express several subtypes of P2XRs and P2YRs, and that these receptors play a key role in pain signaling in the spinal cord under pathological conditions, such as following peripheral nerve injury (neuropathic pain). Following peripheral nerve injury, dorsal horn microglia become activated and show upregulated expression of purinergic receptors, and interference with the function or expression of these receptors strongly suppresses neuropathic pain. This article highlights recent advances that further increase our understanding of the mechanisms by which microglial purinergic receptors contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain.
Department of Molecular and System Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan.
Makoto
M
Tsuda
Hidetoshi
H
Tozaki-Saitoh
Kazuhide
K
Inoue
D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000378:metabolism*; D058469:Receptors, Purinergic P2X / Q000378:metabolism*; D058470:Receptors, Purinergic P2Y / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction
D058469:Receptors, Purinergic P2X; D058470:Receptors, Purinergic P2Y