title: Activation of ephrinB-EphB receptor signalling in rat spinal cord contributes to maintenance of diabetic neuropathic pain.
abstract: Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is severe and intractable in clinic. The specific cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying DNP remain elusive and its treatment are limited. We investigated roles of EphB1 receptor in the development of DNP.
  
  
  
  Diabetic neuropathic pain was produced in male, adult, Sprague-Dawley rats by a single i.p. streptozotocin (STZ) or alloxan. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were used to analyse expression of EphB1 receptor as well as the activation of the glial cells and the pro-inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord. DNP manifested as mechanical allodynia, which was determined by measuring incidence of foot withdrawal in response to mechanical indentation of the hind paw by an electro von Frey filament.
  
  
  
  Diabetic neuropathic pain and high blood glucose were exhibited simultaneously in around 70% of animals that received i.p. STZ or alloxan. Phosphorylation of EphB1, activation of the astrocytes and microglial cells, and level of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β in the spinal cord were significantly increased in rats with DNP. Spinal blocking EphB1 receptor activation in the late phase after STZ injection significantly suppressed the established mechanical allodynia as well as activation of the astrocytes and microglial cells and activity of TNF-α and IL-1β. However, spinal treatment of EphB1-Fc in the early phase after STZ injection did not prevent the induction of DNP.
  
  
  
  EphB1 receptor activation in the spinal cord is critical to the maintenance, but not induction of diabetic pain. EphB1 receptor may be a potential target for relieving the established diabetic pain.
  
  
  
  Activation of EphB1 receptor in the spinal cord is critical to maintaining the established diabetic neuropathic pain, but not to diabetic pain induction. Spinal blocking EphB1 receptor activation suppresses ongoing diabetic neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: X-T
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education of China), Center for Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, and Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: M-Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education of China), Center for Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, and Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: P-C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.|Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education of China), Center for Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, and Department of Anesthesiology, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: X-J
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003929:Diabetic Neuropathies / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D036387:Ephrin-B1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D036225:Receptor, EphB1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D036387:Ephrin-B1; D036225:Receptor, EphB1