title: Sialic acid accelerates the electrophoretic velocity of injured dorsal root ganglion neurons.
abstract: Peripheral nerve injury has been shown to result in ectopic spontaneous discharges on soma and injured sites of sensory neurons, thereby inducing neuropathic pain. With the increase of membrane proteins on soma and injured site neurons, the negatively charged sialic acids bind to the external domains of membrane proteins, resulting in an increase of this charge. We therefore speculate that the electrophoretic velocity of injured neurons may be faster than non-injured neurons. The present study established rat models of neuropathic pain via chronic constriction injury. Results of the cell electrophoresis test revealed that the electrophoretic velocity of injured neuronal cells was faster than that of non-injured (control) cells. We then treated cells with divalent cations of Ca(2+) and organic compounds with positive charges, polylysine to counteract the negatively charged sialic acids, or neuraminidase to specifically remove sialic acids from the membrane surface of injured neurons. All three treatments significantly reduced the electrophoretic velocity of injured neuronal cells. These findings suggest that enhanced sialic acids on injured neurons may accelerate the electrophoretic velocity of injured neurons.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Sciences; Department of Physiology, Medical College, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Chen-Xu
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Sciences; Department of Physiology, Medical College, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Ying
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Sciences; Department of Physiology, Medical College, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Min-Fang
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Sciences; Department of Physiology, Medical College, Shanxi Datong University, Datong, Shanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: cell electrophoresis; dorsal root ganglion; electrophoresis velocity; glycosylated membrane protein; heat-hyperalgesia behavior; hyperalgesia; nerve regeneration; neural regeneration; neuraminidase; pain sense model; peripheral nerve injury; primary sensory neuron; sialic acid