Expression changes of microRNA-1 and its targets Connexin 43 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the peripheral ner
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Expression changes of microRNA‑1 and its targets Connexin 43 and brain‑derived neurotrophic factor in the peripheral nervous system of chronic neuropathic rats Elena Neumann1†, Henning Hermanns2†, Franziska Barthel1, Robert Werdehausen1 and Timo Brandenburger1*
Abstract Background: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the neuroplastic changes which induce and maintain neuropathic pain. However, it is unknown whether nerve injury leads to altered miRNA expression and modulation of pain relevant target gene expression within peripheral nerves. In the present study, expression profiles of miR-1 and the pain-relevant targets, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and Connexin 43 (Cx43), were studied in peripheral neuropathic pain, which was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats. The expression of miR-1 was investigated in the sciatic nerve, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and the ipsilateral spinal cord by qPCR. Changes of BDNF and Cx43 expression patterns were studied using qPCR, Western blot analysis, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Results: In sciatic nerves of naïve rats, expression levels of miR-1 were more than twice as high as in DRG and spinal cord. In neuropathic rats, CCI lead to a time-dependent downregulation of miR-1 in the sciatic nerve but not in DRG and spinal cord. Likewise, protein expression of the miR-1 targets BDNF and Cx43 was upregulated in the sciatic nerve and DRG after CCI. Immunohistochemical staining revealed an endoneural abundancy of Cx43 in injured sciatic nerves which was absent after Sham operation. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that CCI leads to a regulation of miRNAs (miR-1) in the peripheral nervous system. This regulation is associated with alterations in the expression and localization of the miR-1 dependent pain-relevant proteins BDNF and Cx43. Further studies will have to explore the function of miRNAs in the context of neuropathic pain in the peripheral nervous system. Keywords: microRNA, miR-1, Connexin 43 (Cx43), BDNF, Neuropathic pain, Chronic constriction injury (CCI) Background Neuropathic pain is caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory system involving alterations in the peripheral and the central nervous system [1]. The exact molecular mechanisms of neuropathic pain are incompletely understood and elucidation of these mechanisms is crucial for the development of new *Correspondence: [email protected]‑duesseldorf.de † Elena Neumann and Henning Hermanns contributed equally 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-HeineUniversity Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
mechanism-oriented treatment strategies [2]. Neuroplastic changes in the peripheral and central nervous system, particularly alterations in protein expression in the pain processing neuronal network play a key role in the development of pathological pain [3]. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs which negatively regu
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