title: Effect of electroconvulsive stimulation on messenger RNA expression in the prefrontal cortex in a rat pain model.
abstract: Previous reports have shown that electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is efficacious in the treatment of neuropathic pain; however, its mechanism of action remains unclear. The present study aimed to understand these mechanisms by investigating the alterations in the expression of neuropeptide Y (NPY) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β) in the prefrontal cortex. A rat model of neuropathic pain produced by chronic constrictive injury of the sciatic nerve was used, and mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia were evaluated starting 2 days after the injury. Using a pulse generator, ECT was administered to the rodents for 6 days from days 7-12 after the injury. Thermal and mechanical stimulation were administered to assess pain thresholds. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction, used to measure gene expression levels in the prefrontal cortex, showed thatNPYandIL-1βgene expression levels in the prefrontal cortex increased following the injury. The present results indicate that these gene expression level variations may be associated with the mechanisms underlying the effect of ECT in treating neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachinaka General Hospital, Ibaraki 312-0057, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo 113-8603, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsuhiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
keywords: electroconvulsive stimulation; interleukin-1β; messenger RNA; neuropeptide Y; prefrontal cortex