title: [Curcumin down-regulates CX3CR1 expression in spinal cord dorsal horn and DRG in neuropathic pain rats].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of curcumin on the behavior of chronic constrictive injury (CCI) rats and the CX3CR1 expression in spinal cord dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglia (DRG).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two male SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: 1) Sham operation group (Sham); 2) Chronic constrictive injury group (CCI); 3) Curcumin treated group (Cur), administrated with curcumin 100 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1) ip for 14 days after CCI; 4) Solvent contrast group (SC), administrated with an equal volume of solvent for 14 days after CCI. Paw thermal withdrawal (PTWL) and paw mechanical withdrawal threshold (PMWT) were measured on 2 pre-operative and 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 14 post-operative days respectively. The lumbar segments L4-5 of the spinal cord and the L4, L5 DRG were removed at 3, 7, 14 days after surgery. The expression of CX3CR1 was determined by immunohistochemical staining.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with Sham group, PTWL and PMWT in CCI group were significantly lower on each post-operative day (P<0.01), which reached a nadir on the 3rd day after CCI (PTWL was 6.5 +/- 1.1, PMWT was 22.6 +/- 5.1), and the expression of CX3CR1 were markedly increased in spinal cord dorsal horn and DRG. In Cur group, PTWL were higher than in CCI group on 7, 10, 14 post-operative day (P<0.05), and PMWT were higher than those in CCI group on 10 and 14 post-operative day (P<0.05). The administration of curcumin could significantly attenuate the activation of CX3CR1 induced by CCI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests that curcumin ameliorates the CCI-induced neuropathic pain, probably by attenuating the expression of CX3CR1 in spinal cord dorsal horn and dorsal root ganglia.
authors.affiliation: Second Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou 325027, China.
authors.forename: Jinwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Changjian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qingquan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lian
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000073883:CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1; D003474:Curcumin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D000073883:CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1; C516305:CX3CR1 protein, rat; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D003474:Curcumin