title: Heme oxygenase-1 inhibits neuropathic pain in rats with diabetic mellitus.
abstract: A diabetes mellitus model was established through single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin into rats. Seven days later, model rats were intraperitoneally administered zinc protoporphyrin, a heme oxygenase-1 inducer, and cobalt protoporphyrin, a heme oxygenase-1 inhibitor, once every two days, for 5 successive weeks. After administration, the paw withdrawal mechanical threshold of diabetic mellitus rats significantly decreased, the myelin sheath of the sciatic nerve thickened or showed vacuole defects, the number of spinal dorsal horn neurons reduced, some neurons degenerated and were necrotic, and heme oxygenase-1 was visible in the cytoplasm of spinal dorsal horn neurons. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labeling demonstrated that the number of apoptotic neurons increased, which could be inhibited by cobalt protoporphyrin, however, zinc protoporphyrin led to an opposite effect. Our experimental findings indicate that heme oxygenase-1 attenuates neuropathic pain in diabetic mellitus rats through amelioration of peripheral neuropathy and inhibition of spinal dorsal horn neuron apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Lingxi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, Hubei Province, China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
keywords: apoptosis; cobalt protoporphyrin; diabetes mellitus; heme oxygenase-1; neural regeneration; neurons; neuropathic pain; peripheral nerve injury; regeneration; zinc protoporphyrin