Intact sciatic myelinated primary afferent terminals collaterally sprout in the adult rat dorsal horn following section of a neighbouring peripheral nerve

Increasing Antibody Responses to Five Doses of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA Vaccine in Lung Transplant Patients

PURPOSE

COVID-19 causes high mortality in Lung Transplant (LTx) patients, therefore vaccination in this population is potentially life-saving. However, the antibody response is impaired after three vaccinations in LTx patients. We questioned whether this response might be increased, and therefore studied the serological IgG antibody response across up to five doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. In addition, risk factors for non-response were investigated.

METHODS

In this large retrospective cohort study, antibody responses were assessed after 1-5 mRNA-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in all LTx patients between February 2021 and September 2022. A positive vaccine response was defined as an IgG level ≥ 300 BAU/mL. Positive antibody responses due to COVID-19 infection were excluded from the analysis. Outcome and clinical parameters were compared between responders and non-responders, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the risk factors for vaccine-response failure.

RESULTS

The antibody responses of 292 LTx patients were analyzed. Positive antibody response to 1-5 SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations occurred in 0%, 15%, 36%, 46%, and 51%, respectively. During the study period, 146/292 (50%) of the vaccinated individuals tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection. The COVID-19-related mortality was 2.7% (4/146), and all four patients were non-responders. Risk factors associated with non-response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in univariable analyses were age (p = 0.004), chronic kidney disease (CKD) (p = 0.006), and shorter time since transplantation (p = 0.047). In the multivariable analysis, they were CKD (p = 0.043), and shorter time since transplantation (p = 0.028).

CONCLUSION

A two- to five-dose regime of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in LTx patients increases the probability of vaccine response and results in a cumulative vaccine response in 51% of the LTx population. LTx patient antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations is therefore impaired, especially in patients shortly after LTx, patients with CKD, and the elderly.

Impact of chorda tympani nerve injury on cell survival, axon maintenance, and morphology of the chorda tympani nerve terminal field in the nucleus of the solitary tract

Chorda tympani nerve transection (CTX) has been useful to study the relationship between nerve and taste buds in fungiform papillae. This work demonstrated that the morphological integrity of taste buds depends on their innervation. Considerable research focused on the effects of CTX on peripheral gustatory structures, but much less research has focused on the central effects. Here, we explored how CTX affects ganglion cell survival, maintenance of injured peripheral axons, and the chorda tympani nerve terminal field organization in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). After CTX in adult rats, the chorda tympani nerve was labeled with biotinylated dextran amine at 3, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days post-CTX to allow visualization of the terminal field associated with peripheral processes. There was a significant and persistent reduction of the labeled chorda tympani nerve terminal field volume and density in the NTS following CTX. Compared with controls, the volume of the labeled terminal field was not altered at 3 or 7 days post-CTX; however, it was significantly reduced by 44% and by 63% at 30 and 60 days post-CTX, respectively. Changes in the density of labeled terminal field in the NTS paralleled the terminal field volume results. The dramatic decrease in labeled terminal field size post-CTX cannot be explained by a loss of geniculate ganglion neurons or degeneration of central axons. Instead, the function and/or maintenance of the peripheral axonal process appear to be affected. These new results have implications for long-term functional and behavioral alterations.

Treatment of brachial plexus injury with modified contralateral C7 transfer

OBJECTIVE

To study the curative effects of different surgical methods using a contralateral C(7) transfer technique for treatment of brachial plexus injury induced by root avulsion.

METHODS

Sixty-four patients with brachial plexus injury due to root avulsion were divided into two groups: 30 patients were included in Group A and 34 in Group B. In Group A, the contralateral C(7) roots were partially transected and anastomosed to one end of an ulnar nerve graft which had been removed from the affected limb. The other end of the ulnar nerve was divided into two parts and anastomosed to the distal ends of the recipient median and radial nerves, respectively. In Group B, the whole of the contralateral C(7) roots was transected and anastomosed to one side of an ulnar nerve graft, the other side of which was anastomosed eight months later to the distal ends of the recipient median and radial nerves. All subjects were followed up and the outcomes assessed.

RESULTS

Neurological deficit and recovery time of the donor limb in group A were less than those in group B. The nerve transfer procedure to the affected limb was easily completed in group A with less morbidity, and the tension of the stoma in group A was less than that in group B. However, there was no statistical difference between group A and B in the recovery of motor function and results of electrophysiological testing of the affected side (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The method of partial C(7) root transfer results in equally good motor function as does transfer of the whole root, while occurrence of motor and sensory damage is less than that which occurs with transfer of the whole root.

Sprouting of A-fibre primary afferents into lamina II in two rat models of neuropathic pain

Following peripheral nerve section, injured sensory A-fibres into lamina II of the dorsal horn and form aberrant functional synapses. Such structural changes may underlie some of the sensory abnormalities observed in nerve-injured patients, including neuropathic pain. This study compared the ability of intact and injured A-fibres to sprout in two experimental models of neuropathic pain, where the onset and presence of abnormal behaviours indicative of neuropathic pain have been well described. Rats received either a unilateral chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) or lesion of the L5 spinal nerve (SNL). The central distribution of the injured and uninjured afferents labelled with choleragenoid conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (B-HRP) was examined at different postoperative survival times. In both models, the contralateral uninjured side, used for control nerve or ganglion injections, showed labelling of the L3-6 spinal segments in laminae I, III-V, leaving lamina II unlabelled. In CCI rats, injured sciatic afferents sprouted in lamina II of the L4-5 dorsal horn by 10 days postinjury. In SNL rats, injured L5 afferents sprouted into lamina II of the L4-5 dorsal horn by 24 h postinjury and were robust from 3 to 10 days. In both models, the labelling in lamina II was absent by 4 months. Labelling of the adjacent uninjured saphenous or intact L4 spinal nerve afferents did not reveal A-fibre sprouting. As the time-course of sprouting of injured A-fibres parallels the previously described behaviour interpreted as neuropathic pain in these models, this may be a phenomenon that contributes to sensory abnormalities such as ongoing pain and mechanical hypersensitivity.

Reinnervation by the contralateral facial nerve in patients with peripheral facial palsy

INTRODUCTION

Reinnervation activity is triggered after complete unilateral peripheral facial palsy (PFP).

METHODS

In 27 patients with PFP we recorded electromyographic activity with a concentric needle electrode inserted 1 cm lateral to the oral commissure of the affected side. We applied electrical stimuli to the unaffected (contralateral) facial nerve from the tragus to the mid-lower lip and measured the response latency variability and segmental conduction velocity.

RESULTS

Responses to electrical stimulation of the unaffected facial nerve were found in all patients. Mean conduction velocity was 49.6 ± 6.2 m/s between tragus and oral commissure, and 6.0 ± 1.9 m/s between oral commissure and mid-lower lip. Latency variability was 0.27 ms to facial nerve stimulation and 0.08 ms to oral commissure stimulation.

CONCLUSION

Short distance sprouting of axons that innervate muscle fibers, which originate from the unaffected facial nerve, results in propagation of impulses to muscle fibers in the midline.

Neuropathy-induced spinal GAP-43 expression is not a main player in the onset of mechanical pain hypersensitivity

Structural plasticity within the spinal nociceptive network may be fundamental to the chronic nature of neuropathic pain. In the present study, the spatiotemporal expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a protein which has been traditionally implicated in nerve fiber growth and sprouting, was investigated in relation to mechanical pain hypersensitivity. An L5 spinal nerve transection model was validated by the presence of mechanical pain hypersensitivity and an increase in the early neuronal activation marker cFos within the superficial spinal dorsal horn upon innocuous hindpaw stimulation. Spinal GAP-43 was found to be upregulated in the superficial L5 dorsal horn from 5 up to 10 days after injury. GAP-43 was co-localized with calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP), but not vesicular glutamate transporter-1 (VGLUT-1), IB4, or protein kinase-γ (PKC-γ), suggesting the regulation of GAP-43 in peptidergic nociceptive afferents. These GAP-43/CGRP fibers may be indicative of sprouting peptidergic fibers. Fiber sprouting largely depends on growth factors, which are typically associated with neuro-inflammatory processes. The putative role of neuropathy-induced GAP-43 expression in the development of mechanical pain hypersensitivity was investigated using the immune modulator propentofylline. Propentofylline treatment strongly attenuated the development of mechanical pain hypersensitivity and glial responses to nerve injury as measured by microglial and astroglial markers, but did not affect neuropathy-induced levels of spinal GAP-43 or GAP-43 regulation in CGRP fibers. We conclude that nerve injury induces structural plasticity in fibers expressing CGRP, which is regarded as a main player in central sensitization. Our data do not, however, support a major role of these structural changes in the onset of mechanical pain hypersensitivity.

Cellular and molecular insights into neuropathy-induced pain hypersensitivity for mechanism-based treatment approaches

Neuropathic pain is currently being treated by a range of therapeutic interventions that above all act to lower neuronal activity in the somatosensory system (e.g. using local anesthetics, calcium channel blockers, and opioids). The present review highlights novel and often still largely experimental treatment approaches based on insights into pathological mechanisms, which impact on the spinal nociceptive network, thereby opening the 'gate' to higher brain centers involved in the perception of pain. Cellular and molecular mechanisms such as ectopia, sensitization of nociceptors, phenotypic switching, structural plasticity, disinhibition, and neuroinflammation are discussed in relation to their involvement in pain hypersensitivity following either peripheral neuropathies or spinal cord injury. A mechanism-based treatment approach may prove to be successful in effective treatment of neuropathic pain, but requires more detailed insights into the persistence of cellular and molecular pain mechanisms which renders neuropathic pain unremitting. Subsequently, identification of the therapeutic window-of-opportunities for each specific intervention in the particular peripheral and/or central neuropathy is essential for successful clinical trials. Most of the cellular and molecular pain mechanisms described in the present review suggest pharmacological interference for neuropathic pain management. However, also more invasive treatment approaches belong to current and/or future options such as neuromodulatory interventions (including spinal cord stimulation) and cell or gene therapies, respectively.

Intrathecally administered Sema3A protein attenuates neuropathic pain behavior in rats with chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve

Semaphorins, one of the repulsive axonal guidance factors during development, are produced under pathological conditions in adult animals. In the neuropathic pain state associated with peripheral nerve injury, synaptic reorganization occurs in spinal cord dorsal horn. In the present study, we investigated the roles of intrathecal administration of Sema3A, a secreted semaphorin, in the spinal cord of chronic constriction injury (CCI) model rat. Neuropilin 1 (NPR1) and Plexin A (PlexA), co-receptors of Sema3A, were expressed in the dorsal horn of naïve rats. NPR1, and not PlexA, protein expression increased in the dorsal spinal cord of CCI rats. Recombinant Sema3A protein attenuated mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia in CCI rats, whereas heat-inactivated Sema3A had no effect. Immunohistochemistry revealed that Sema3A partially restored the decrease of isolectin B4-positive unmyelinated nerve terminals in lamina II of the ipsilateral dorsal horn of CCI rats. Contrary to our expectations, Sema3A did not change the distribution of myelinated fibers in lamina II at 7 days after CCI. Those results suggested that the suppressive role for Sema3A in the development of neuropathic pain associated with peripheral nerve injury in adult rats, which seemed to be independent from prevention of the myelinated fiber sprouting into lamina II.

PTEN inhibition to facilitate intrinsic regenerative outgrowth of adult peripheral axons

In vivo regeneration of peripheral neurons is constrained and rarely complete, and unfortunately patients with major nerve trunk transections experience only limited recovery. Intracellular inhibition of neuronal growth signals may be among these constraints. In this work, we investigated the role of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) during regeneration of peripheral neurons in adult Sprague Dawley rats. PTEN inhibits phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K)/Akt signaling, a common and central outgrowth and survival pathway downstream of neuronal growth factors. While PI3-K and Akt outgrowth signals were expressed and activated within adult peripheral neurons during regeneration, PTEN was similarly expressed and poised to inhibit their support. PTEN was expressed in neuron perikaryal cytoplasm, nuclei, regenerating axons, and Schwann cells. Adult sensory neurons in vitro responded to both graded pharmacological inhibition of PTEN and its mRNA knockdown using siRNA. Both approaches were associated with robust rises in the plasticity of neurite outgrowth that were independent of the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) pathway. Importantly, this accelerated outgrowth was in addition to the increased outgrowth generated in neurons that had undergone a preconditioning lesion. Moreover, following severe nerve transection injuries, local pharmacological inhibition of PTEN or siRNA knockdown of PTEN at the injury site accelerated axon outgrowth in vivo. The findings indicated a remarkable impact on peripheral neuron plasticity through PTEN inhibition, even within a complex regenerative milieu. Overall, these findings identify a novel route to propagate intrinsic regeneration pathways within axons to benefit nerve repair.

Aberrant sensory responses are dependent on lesion severity after spinal cord contusion injury in mice

Following spinal cord injury (SCI), individuals lose normal sensation and often develop debilitating neuropathic pain. Basic research has helped to elucidate many of the underlying mechanisms, but unanswered questions remain concerning how sensation changes after SCI and potential negative consequences of regenerative therapies. Mouse models provide an opportunity to explore these questions using genetic markers and manipulations. However, despite the increasing use of mice in pain and sensory research, the responses to sensory stimuli after SCI are poorly characterized in this species. This study evaluated behavioral responses to mechanical and nociceptive stimuli applied to the hindlimbs and the dorsal trunk in C57BL/6 mice after mid-thoracic SCI. Adult mice were subjected to laminectomy, contusion injuries of different severities, or complete transections to test the hypothesis that the patterns of sensory pathology depend on the extent of tissue damage at the injury site. In the hind paws, hyper-responsiveness to a heat stimulus developed independent of injury severity, while mechanical sensitivity decreased, except after the most severe contusion injuries sparing less than 2% of the white matter at the injury site, when enhanced sensitivity was observed. On the trunk, mechanical and pin prick testing revealed diminished sensitivity at and below the injury level, while responses above the level of the injury were unchanged. The contrast in injury severity threshold for thermal and mechanical hypersensitivity in the hind paws suggests that these responses have different underlying mechanisms. These results establish essential baseline information for murine studies of pain and changes in sensation after SCI.

Acute and chronic sectioning of fifth lumbar spinal nerve has equivalent effects on the primary afferents of sciatic nerve in rat spinal cord

The mechanism of neuropathic pain may be associated with sprouting of uninjured primary afferents of peripheral nerves into regions of the spinal cord denervated through peripheral injury. However, this remains controversial. Therefore, the purpose of the present investigation was, first, to determine in detail the central distributions of the unmyelinated primary afferents of each of the L4, L5, and L6 components of sciatic nerve, then to assess the distribution of afferent sciatic terminals following acute and chronic injury to (L5) nerve. First, we injected isolectin B4 (IB4), into the sciatic nerves in three groups of rats, each of which had two of the three L4, L5, or L6 components ligated and cut, and the one remaining, uninjured. Although the terminal labelling found in the L5 segment of the spinal cord originated from the L5 component, some terminal labelling remained in cases when either the L4 or L6 component was intact. Second, tracers transported in predominantly unmyelinated (IB4 and WGA-HRP) or myelinated (cholera toxin subunit B) nerves were injected into the sciatic nerve following acute or chronic (21-day) injury restricted to the L5 component. In each case, the central distribution of nerve terminals in the spinal dorsal horn was equivalent following either acute or chronic injury to the L5 component. Consequently, these data provide no support for the suggestion that neuropathic pain in spinal ligation model results from uninjured L4 and L6 components sprouting to occupy sites vacated by the injured L5 component of the sciatic nerve.

Pregabalin in the treatment of chronic pain: an overview

Chronic 'pathological' pain is sustained by mechanisms of peripheral and central sensitization, which are being increasingly investigated at the molecular and cellular levels. The molecular determinants of nociceptive sensitization are natural targets for potential analgesic drugs used in the treatment of different forms of pain. Most of these determinants are common to all forms of chronic pain, and it is therefore not surprising that drugs specifically targeted for the treatment of neuropathic pain are effective in relieving nociceptive inflammatory pain and vice versa. The molecular mechanisms of sensitization that occur in peripheral nociceptors and the dorsal horns of the spinal cord are putative targets for context-dependent drugs, i.e. drugs that are able to discriminate between 'normal' and 'pathological' pain transmission. Among these, pregabalin and gabapentin bind to the alpha(2)delta subunit of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels, which sustain the enhanced release of pain transmitters at the synapses between primary afferent fibres and second-order sensory neurons under conditions of chronic pain. Pregabalin in particular represents a remarkable example of a context-dependent analgesic drug that acts at a critical step of nociceptive sensitization. Preclinical and clinical data suggest that pregabalin is more than a structural and functional analogue of gabapentin and may be effective in the treatment of nociceptive inflammatory pain that is resistant to gabapentin.

Models and mechanisms of hyperalgesia and allodynia

Hyperalgesia and allodynia are frequent symptoms of disease and may be useful adaptations to protect vulnerable tissues. Both may, however, also emerge as diseases in their own right. Considerable progress has been made in developing clinically relevant animal models for identifying the most significant underlying mechanisms. This review deals with experimental models that are currently used to measure (sect. II) or to induce (sect. III) hyperalgesia and allodynia in animals. Induction and expression of hyperalgesia and allodynia are context sensitive. This is discussed in section IV. Neuronal and nonneuronal cell populations have been identified that are indispensable for the induction and/or the expression of hyperalgesia and allodynia as summarized in section V. This review focuses on highly topical spinal mechanisms of hyperalgesia and allodynia including intrinsic and synaptic plasticity, the modulation of inhibitory control (sect. VI), and neuroimmune interactions (sect. VII). The scientific use of language improves also in the field of pain research. Refined definitions of some technical terms including the new definitions of hyperalgesia and allodynia by the International Association for the Study of Pain are illustrated and annotated in section I.

Influences of surgical decompression on the dorsal horn after chronic constriction injury: changes in peptidergic and delta-opioid receptor (+) nerve terminals

To understand plastic changes in the dorsal horn related to neuropathic pain, we developed a model of decompression in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) and investigated corresponding changes in the dorsal horn. At postoperative week 4 (POW 4) of CCI, rats were divided into a decompression group, in which ligatures were removed, and a CCI group, in which ligatures remained. Spinal cords were immunostained for substance P (SP), the delta-opioid receptor (DOR), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Areas of immunoreactive nerve terminals in the dorsal horn were quantified and expressed as the dorsal horn index (immunoreactive areas of the operated side compared with those of the contralateral side). At POW 4, dorsal horn indexes of all of these molecules were significantly reduced in both groups to similar degrees (0.36-0.43). At POW 8, neuropathic pain behaviors had completely disappeared in the decompression group with significant reversal of the dorsal horn indexes compared with the CCI group (0.81+/-0.02 vs. 0.58+/-0.09, P < 0.001 for SP and 0.75+/-0.04 vs. 0.55+/-0.03, P < 0.001 for DOR). In the CCI group, neuropathic pain behaviors became normalized at POW 12 with corresponding changes in dorsal horn indexes for both SP and DOR similar to those of the decompression group. In contrast, changes in the dorsal horn indexes of CGRP were similar in both the CCI and decompression groups throughout the experimental period. These findings suggest that CCI and decompression cause different patterns in peptidergic and DOR (+) nerve terminals in the dorsal horn.

Neural plasticity after peripheral nerve injury and regeneration

Injuries to the peripheral nerves result in partial or total loss of motor, sensory and autonomic functions conveyed by the lesioned nerves to the denervated segments of the body, due to the interruption of axons continuity, degeneration of nerve fibers distal to the lesion and eventual death of axotomized neurons. Injuries to the peripheral nervous system may thus result in considerable disability. After axotomy, neuronal phenotype switches from a transmitter to a regenerative state, inducing the down- and up-regulation of numerous cellular components as well as the synthesis de novo of some molecules normally not expressed in adult neurons. These changes in gene expression activate and regulate the pathways responsible for neuronal survival and axonal regeneration. Functional deficits caused by nerve injuries can be compensated by three neural mechanisms: the reinnervation of denervated targets by regeneration of injured axons, the reinnervation by collateral branching of undamaged axons, and the remodeling of nervous system circuitry related to the lost functions. Plasticity of central connections may compensate functionally for the lack of specificity in target reinnervation; plasticity in human has, however, limited effects on disturbed sensory localization or fine motor control after injuries, and may even result in maladaptive changes, such as neuropathic pain, hyperreflexia and dystonia. Recent research has uncovered that peripheral nerve injuries induce a concurrent cascade of events, at the systemic, cellular and molecular levels, initiated by the nerve injury and progressing throughout plastic changes at the spinal cord, brainstem relay nuclei, thalamus and brain cortex. Mechanisms for these changes are ubiquitous in central substrates and include neurochemical changes, functional alterations of excitatory and inhibitory connections, atrophy and degeneration of normal substrates, sprouting of new connections, and reorganization of somatosensory and motor maps. An important direction for ongoing research is the development of therapeutic strategies that enhance axonal regeneration, promote selective target reinnervation, but are also able to modulate central nervous system reorganization, amplifying those positive adaptive changes that help to improve functional recovery but also diminishing undesirable consequences.

Impaired axonal regeneration by isolectin B4-binding dorsal root ganglion neurons in vitro

The subpopulation of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons recognized by Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin B4 (IB4) differ from other neurons by expressing receptors for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) rather than neurotrophins. Additionally, IB4-labeled neurons do not express the laminin receptor, alpha7-integrin (Gardiner et al., 2005), necessary for optimal axonal regeneration in the peripheral nervous system. In cultures of dissociated DRG neurons of adult mice on laminin, robust spontaneous neurite outgrowth from IB4-negative neurons occurs and is strongly enhanced by previous axotomy. In contrast, IB4-labeled neurons show little neurite outgrowth and do not express GAP 43, even after axotomy or culture with GDNF. Moreover, growth of their axons through collagen gels is impaired compared with other DRG neurons. To determine whether the sparse neurite outgrowth of IB4-labeled neurons is attributable to lack of integrin expression, DRG cultures were infected with a herpes simplex 1 vector encoding alpha7-integrin, but its forced expression failed to promote neurite outgrowth in either IB4-labeled or other DRG neurons or in cultured adult retinal ganglion cells. Forced coexpression of both alpha7-integrin and GAP 43 also failed to promote neurite outgrowth in IB4-labeled neurons. In addition, cultured sciatic nerve segments were found to release much lower levels of GDNF, demonstrated by ELISA, than nerve growth factor. These findings together with their impaired intrinsic axonal regeneration capacity may contribute to the known vulnerability of the IB4-labeled population of DRG neurons to peripheral nerve injury.

Nerve injury, axonal degeneration and neural regeneration: basic insights

Axotomy or crush of a peripheral nerve leads to degeneration of the distal nerve stump referred to as Wallerian degeneration (WD). During WD a microenvironment is created that allows successful regrowth of nerve fibres from the proximal nerve segment. Schwann cells respond to loss of axons by extrusion of their myelin sheaths, downregulation of myelin genes, dedifferentiation and proliferation. They finally aline in tubes (Büngner bands) and express surface molecules that guide regenerating fibres. Hematogenous macrophages are rapidly recruited to the distal stump and remove the vast majority of myelin debris. Molecular changes in the distal stump include upregulation of neurotrophins, neural cell adhesion molecules, cytokines and other soluble factors and their corresponding receptors. Axonal injury not only induces muscle weakness and loss of sensation but also leads to adaptive responses and neuropathic pain. Regrowth of nerve fibres occurs with high specificity with formerly motor fibres preferentially reinnervating muscle. This involves recognition molecules of the L2/HNK-1 family. Nerve regeneration occurs at a rate of 3-4 mm/day after crush and 2-3 mm/day after sectioning a nerve. Nerve regeneration can be fostered pharmacologically. Upon reestablishment of axonal contact Schwann cells remyelinate nerve sprouts and downregulate surface molecules characteristic for precursor/premyelinating or nonmyelinating Schwann cells. At present it is unclear whether axonal regeneration after nerve injury is impeded in neuropathies.

Regenerating Axons Emerge Far Proximal to the Coaptation Site in End-to-Side Nerve Coaptation without a Perineurial Window Using a T-Shaped Chamber

BACKGROUND

Considerable controversy exists concerning the mechanism of axonal regeneration in end-to-side neurorrhaphy. The authors studied the mode of axonal regeneration in end-to-side neurorrhaphy without a perineurial window using a rat sciatic nerve model.

METHODS

Twenty-seven rats were used. A 10-mm segment of peroneal nerve was harvested and coapted to the ipsilateral tibial nerve in end-to-side fashion using a T-shaped silicone chamber to minimize the tibial nerve damaged by surgery. To explain the role of nerve damage on axonal regeneration in end-to-side neurorrhaphy, we also used an isogenic nerve transplantation model in which the peroneal nerve remained intact. The mode of axonal regeneration was studied with electron microscopy, morphometric analysis, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Both morphometric analysis and immunolabeling of neurofilaments demonstrated that regenerating axons emerge at sites far proximal to the coaptation site, travel within the tibial nerve, traverse the perineurium circumferentially around the coaptation site, and then invade into the peroneal nerve. Electron microscopy and a double-labeled immunofluorescence study with antibodies against neurofilament and tenascin-C confirmed large-scale axonal penetration into the perineurium around the coaptation site. Immunofluorescence with antibody against NG2, a marker of axonal regeneration, prevented the possibility of collateral sprouting at the coaptation site. In addition, an end-to-side neurorrhaphy model with an isogenic peroneal nerve clearly demonstrated that nerve damage is a prerequisite for axonal regeneration through end-to-side neurorrhaphy.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors could not locate the site of axonal sprouting in end-to-side neurorrhaphy without a perineurial window; however, this study cast doubts on current hypothesis on the mode of axonal regeneration in end-to-side neurorrhaphy.

Inhibition of Protein Tyrosine Kinases Attenuated Aβ-Fiber-Evoked Synaptic Transmission in Spinal Dorsal Horn of Rats With Sciatic Nerve Transection

Peripheral nerve injury leads to the establishment of a novel synaptic connection between afferent Abeta-fiber and lamina II neurons in spinal dorsal horn, which is hypothesized to underlie mechanical allodynia. However, how the novel synapses transmit nociceptive information is poorly understood. In the present study, the role of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) in Abeta-fiber-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) recorded in lamina II neurons in transverse spinal cord slices of rats was investigated using the whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique. In the slices from sciatic nerve transection (SNT) rats, genistein (50 microM), a broad-spectrum PTKs inhibitor, or PP2 (20 microM), a selective Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitor, significantly reduced the amplitude of Abeta-fiber EPSCs. In sham-operated rats, however, Abeta-fiber EPSCs were insensitive to genistein and PP2. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist AP-V (50 microM) suppressed Abeta-fiber EPSCs in slices from SNT rats but not from sham-operated rats. Following nerve injury, the slow inward currents elicited by bath application of NMDA (100 muM) significantly increased at -70 mV. In SNT rats, genistein and PP2 reduced Abeta-fiber-evoked EPSCs mediated by NMDA receptor; however, genistein produced little effect on Abeta-fiber EPSCs mediated by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor. These data suggested that PTKs, especially Src family members, participated in Abeta-fiber-evoked synaptic transmission following sciatic nerve injury via potentiation of NMDA receptor function.

FLRT3 is expressed in sensory neurons after peripheral nerve injury and regulates neurite outgrowth

We used a molecular screen to identify genes upregulated in regenerating adult rat dorsal root ganglion cells. FLRT3 mRNA and protein characterized by a fibronectin type III domain and a leucine-rich repeat motif was upregulated in damaged sensory neurons. The protein was then transported into their peripheral and central processes where the FLRT3 protein was localized to presynaptic axon terminals. In vitro, the FLRT3 protein was expressed at the cell surface, regulated neurite outgrowth in sensory neurons, but did not exhibit homophilic binding. FLRT3 was widely expressed in the developing embryo, particularly in the central nervous system and somites. However, in the adult, we found no evidence for accumulation or reexpression of the FLRT3 protein in damaged axons of the central nervous system. We conclude that FLRT3 codes for a putative cell surface receptor implicated in both the development of the nervous system and in the regeneration of the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

Central sprouting of uninjured small fiber afferents in the adult rat spinal cord following spinal nerve ligation

Partial nerve injury results in chronic pain that is difficult to treat effectively. To investigate the anatomic basis of this phenomenon we used wheat germ agglutinin-horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) to label the central projections of uninjured small fibers (Adelta and C) in a well-established model of neuropathic pain created by selective spinal nerve ligation in the adult. We found extensive sprouting of uninjured WGA-HRP-labeled afferents into the central termination field in lamina II of dorsal horn normally occupied by L5 afferents whose peripheral axons had been ligated distal to the dorsal root ganglion. The formation of new projections by uninjured fibers into a functionally but not anatomically deafferented field in the adult may play a role in the development of chronic pain.

Electrophysiological mapping of the nociceptive inputs to the substantia gelatinosa in rat horizontal spinal cord slices

To study the functional projection patterns of the primary afferents in the spinal cord, the postsynaptic responses of substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurones evoked by L5 dorsal root stimulation (DRS) were examined from the neurones located at L2 to S1 in horizontal slices of the adult rat spinal cord using a blind whole-cell patch-clamp technique. In the voltage-clamp mode, the L5 DRS evoked the Adelta- and C-afferent-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in more than 70% of the neurones tested at the L5 level. Both Adelta- and C-afferent EPSCs were also recorded in more than 50% of the neurones at L4. At L3 and L6, the number of neurones receiving the C-afferent EPSCs (> 40%) was significantly greater than that of Adelta-afferent EPSCs (< 20%). On the other hand, the Adelta- and C-afferent-mediated inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) elicited by L5 DRS were almost equally observed from L2 to S1. In the current-clamp mode, L5 DRS evoked Adelta- and C-afferent-mediated EPSPs, some of which initiated action potentials (APs). Most of the Adelta-afferent-mediated APs were limited at the L5 level, while C-afferent-mediated APs were observed at L5 and L4. As the L2 DRS-evoked APs in the L2 SG neurones were suppressed by L5 DRS, the widespread distribution of the inhibitory inputs was considered to be functional. These findings suggest that the excitatory projection of the C afferents to the SG neurones was thus spread more rostrocaudally than that of the Adelta afferents, thereby contributing to more diffuse pain transmission. In addition, the widespread distribution of the inhibitory inputs may thus play a role as a lateral inhibitory network and thereby prevent the expansion of the excitatory inputs of noxious stimuli.

Do central terminals of intact myelinated primary afferents sprout into the superficial dorsal horn of rat spinal cord after injury to a neighboring peripheral nerve?

In order to investigate whether normal myelinated primary afferent axons sprout into the territories of adjacent injured peripheral nerve fibers in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord, adult rats underwent either sectioning of the saphenous or femoral nerves on one side, or else unilateral denervation of the skin of the posterior thigh. Two weeks later cholera toxin B subunit (CTb), which is normally transported selectively by myelinated somatic primary afferents, was injected into the ipsilateral (intact) sciatic nerve. The relationship between CTb, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), and binding of Bandeiraea simplicifolia isolectin B4 (IB4) was then examined in the ipsilateral dorsal horn of the second to fifth lumbar spinal segments (L2-L5). Sectioning of the femoral or saphenous nerves resulted in a reduction of IB4 binding in laminae I-II in the medial third of the dorsal horn of L2, L3, and the upper part of L4. VIP-immunoreactivity was upregulated in exactly the same regions in which IB4-binding was reduced. These correspond to the areas that were previously innervated by unmyelinated afferents in the sectioned nerves. CTb-labeling was detected in regions known to receive input from myelinated sciatic afferents: lamina I and a band extending from the inner part of lamina II (IIi) to lamina V in the L3-5 segments, and the deepest part of the dorsal horn in L2. Importantly, no CTb-labeling was detected in the outer part of lamina II (IIo) in the denervated areas. Sectioning of branches of the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh resulted in a reduction of IB4-binding and upregulation of VIP-immunoreactivity in the lateral part of the superficial dorsal horn of caudal L4 and L5. Again, CTb-immunoreactivity showed the normal sciatic pattern in L4-L5, with no labeling detected in lamina IIo in the denervated region. These results do not support the suggestion that the central terminals of intact myelinated afferents sprout into regions of lamina II occupied by adjacent nerves that have been axotomized peripherally.

Primary afferent terminal sprouting after a cervical dorsal rootlet section in the macaque monkey

We examined the role of primary afferent neurons in the somatosensory cortical "reactivation" that occurs after a localized cervical dorsal root lesion (Darian-Smith and Brown [2000] Nat. Neurosci. 3:476-481). After section of the dorsal rootlets that enervate the macaque's thumb and index finger (segments C6-C8), the cortical representation of these digits was initially silenced but then re-emerged for these same digits over 2-4 postlesion months. Cortical reactivation was accompanied by the emergence of physiologically detectable input from these same digits within dorsal rootlets bordering the lesion site. We investigated whether central axonal sprouting of primary afferents spared by the rhizotomy could mediate this cortical reactivation. The cortical representation of the hand was mapped electrophysiologically 15-25 weeks after the dorsal rootlet section to define this reactivation. Cholera toxin subunit B conjugated to horseradish peroxidase was then injected into the thumb and index finger pads bilaterally to label the central terminals of any neurons that innervated these digits. Primary afferent terminal proliferation was assessed in the spinal dorsal horn and cuneate nucleus at 7 days and 15-25 postlesion weeks. Labeled terminal bouton distributions were reconstructed and the "lesion" and control sides compared within each monkey. Distributions were significantly larger on the side of the lesion in the dorsal horn and cuneate nucleus at 15-25 weeks after the dorsal rootlet section, than those mapped only 7 days postlesion. Our results provide direct evidence for localized sprouting of spared (uninjured) primary afferent terminals in the dorsal horn and cuneate nucleus after a restricted dorsal root injury.

Phosphorylated MAP1B is induced in central sprouting of primary afferents in response to peripheral injury but not in response to rhizotomy

A peripheral nerve lesion induces sprouting of primary afferents from dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons into lamina II of the dorsal horn. Modifications of the environment in consequence to the axotomy provide an extrinsic stimulus. A potential neuron-intrinsic factor that may permit axonal sprouting is microtubule-associated protein 1B (MAP1B) in a specific phosphorylated form (MAP1B-P), restricted to growing or regenerating axons. We show here that both in rat and mouse, a sciatic nerve cut is rapidly followed by the appearance of MAP1B-P expression in lamina II, increasing to a maximum between 8 and 15 days, and diminishing after three months. Evidence is provided that sprouting and induction of MAP1B-P expression after peripheral injury are phenomena concerning essentially myelinated axons. This is in accordance with in situ hybridization data showing especially high MAP1B-mRNA levels in large size DRG neurons that give rise to myelinated fibers. We then employed a second lesion model, multiple rhizotomy with one spared root. In this case, unmyelinated CGRP expressing fibers do indeed sprout, but coexpression of MAP1B-P and CGRP is never observed in lamina II. Finally, because a characteristic of myelinated fibers is their high content in neurofilament protein heavy subunit (NF-H), we used NF-H-LacZ transgenic mice to verify that MAP1B-P induction and central sprouting were not affected by perturbing the axonal organization of neurofilaments. We conclude that MAP1B-P is well suited as a rapidly expressed, axon-intrinsic marker associated with plasticity of myelinated fibers.

Chronic pain after clip-compression injury of the rat spinal cord

Chronic tactile allodynia and hyperalgesia are frequent complications of spinal cord injury (SCI) with poorly understood mechanisms. Possible causes are plastic changes in the central arbors of nociceptive and nonnociceptive primary sensory neurons and changes in descending modulatory serotonergic pathways. A clinically relevant clip-compression model of SCI in the rat was used to investigate putative mechanisms of chronic pain. Behavioral testing (n = 18 rats) demonstrated that moderate (35 g) or severe (50 g) SCI at the 12th thoracic spinal segment (T-12) reliably produces chronic tactile allodynia and hyperalgesia that can be evoked from the hindpaws and back. Quantitative morphometry (n = 37) revealed no changes after SCI in the density or distribution of Abeta-, Adelta-, and C-fiber central arbors of primary sensory neurons within the thoracolumbar segments T-6 to L-4. This observation rules out a mandatory relationship between pain-related behaviors and changes in the distribution or density of central afferent arbors. The area of serotonin immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn (n = 12) decreased caudal to the injury site (L1-4) and increased threefold rostral to it (T9-11). The decreased serotonin and presence of tactile allodynia and hyperalgesia caudal to the injury are consistent with disruption of descending antinociceptive serotonergic tracts that modulate pain transmission. The functional significance of the increased serotonin in rostral segments may relate to the development of tactile allodynia as serotonin also has known pronociceptive actions. Changes in the descending serotonergic pathway require further investigation, as a disruption of the balance of serotonergic input rostral and caudal to the injury site may contribute to the etiology of chronic pain after SCI.

Peripheral axotomy induces only very limited sprouting of coarse myelinated afferents into inner lamina II of rat spinal cord

Peripheral axotomy-induced sprouting of thick myelinated afferents (A-fibers) from laminae III-IV into laminae I-II of the spinal cord is a well-established hypothesis for the structural basis of neuropathic pain. However, we show here that the cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), a neuronal tracer used to demonstrate the sprouting of A-fibers in several earlier studies, also labels unmyelinated afferents (C-fibers) in lamina II and thin myelinated afferents in lamina I, when applied after peripheral nerve transection. The lamina II afferents also contained vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and galanin, two neuropeptides mainly expressed in small dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and C-fibers. In an attempt to label large DRG neurons and A-fibers selectively, CTB was applied four days before axotomy (pre-injury-labelling), and sprouting was monitored after axotomy. We found that only a small number of A-fibers sprouted into inner lamina II, a region normally innervated by C-fibers, but not into outer lamina II or lamina I. Such sprouts made synaptic contact with dendrites in inner lamina II. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was found in these sprouts in inner lamina II, an area very rich in Y1 receptor-positive processes. These results suggest that axotomy-induced sprouting from deeper to superficial layers is much less pronounced than previously assumed, in fact it is only marginal. This limited reorganization involves large NPY immunoreactive DRG neurons sprouting into the Y1 receptor-rich inner lamina II. Even if quantitatively small, it cannot be excluded that this represents a functional circuitry involved in neuropathic pain.

Induction of Fos protein-like immunoreactivity in the trigeminal spinal nucleus caudalis and upper cervical cord following noxious and non-noxious mechanical stimulation of the whisker pad of the rat with an inferior alveolar nerve transection

After transection of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN: the third branch of the trigeminal nerve), the whisker pad area, which is innervated by the second branch of the trigeminal nerve, showed hypersensitivity to mechanical stimulation. Two days after IAN transection, the threshold intensity for escape behavior to mechanical stimulation of the ipsilateral whisker pad area was less than 1.0 g, a sign of allodynia, and returned to the preoperative level (preoperative threshold: 52.0 g) at 32 days after surgery. This decrement of escape threshold lasted for more than 3 weeks. The whisker pad area contralateral to the IAN transection also showed a decrease in escape threshold to non-noxious mechanical stimulation as compared with sham-operated rats. However, the change in threshold intensity for the side contralateral to transection was not as pronounced as that on the ipsilateral side. Fos protein-like immunoreactive (LI) cells were observed in the superficial laminae but not dominant in deeper laminae of the trigeminal spinal nucleus caudalis (Vc) and the first segment of the spinal cord (C1) after non-noxious mechanical stimulation of the whisker pad area in the rats with IAN transection. Fos protein-LI cells were expressed bilaterally in the Vc and C1, but were more numerous on the ipsilateral side to transection than on the contralateral side. The largest number of Fos protein-LI cells was observed at 2400 microm caudal from the trigeminal subnucleus interporalis (Vi)-Vc border both in ipsilateral and contralateral sides. The number of Fos protein-LI cells increased after application of 1, 4, and 16 g stimuli as compared to rats without mechanical stimulation. Furthermore, an extensively greater number of Fos protein-LI cells were expressed both in superficial and deep laminae of the bilateral Vc and C1 of the spinal cord after subcutaneous injection of mustard oil into the whisker pad. Fos protein expression after mustard oil injection was much stronger than that observed after any mechanical stimulation in the rats with IAN transection. These data suggest that the change in the numbers and spatial arrangement of nociceptive neurons in the Vc and C1 after IAN transection reflect the development of mechanical hyperalgesia in the area adjacent to the IAN innervated region.

Alteration of medullary dorsal horn neuronal activity following inferior alveolar nerve transection in rats

The effects of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) transection on escape behavior and MDH neuronal activity to noxious and nonnoxious stimulation of the face were precisely analyzed. Relative thresholds for escape from mechanical stimulation applied to the whisker pad area ipsilateral to the transection were significantly lower than that for the contralateral and sham-operated whisker pad until 28 days after the transection, then returned to the preoperative level at 40 days after transection. A total of 540 neurons were recorded from the medullary dorsal horn (MDH) of the nontreated naive rats [low-threshold mechanoreceptive (LTM), 27; wide dynamic range (WDR), 31; nociceptive specific (NS), 11] and sham-operated rats with skin incision (LTM, 34; WDR, 30; NS, 23) and from the ipsilateral (LTM, 82; WDR, 82; NS, 31) and contralateral MDH relative to the IAN transection (LTM, 77; WDR, 82; NS, 33). The electrophysiological properties of these neurons were precisely analyzed. Background activity of WDR neurons on the ipsilateral side relative to the transection was significantly increased at 2-14 days after the operation as compared with that of naive rats. Innocuous and noxious mechanical-evoked responses of LTM and WDR neurons were significantly enhanced at 2-14 days after IAN transection. The mean area of the receptive fields of WDR neurons was significantly larger on the ipsilateral MDH at 2-7 days after transection than that of naive rats. We could not observe any modulation of thermal responses of WDR and NS neurons following IAN transection. Also, no MDH neurons were significantly affected in the rats with sham operations. The present findings suggest that the increment of neuronal activity of WDR neurons in the MDH following IAN transection may play an important role in the development of the mechano-allodynia induced in the area adjacent to the area innervated by the injured nerve.

Intravenous morphine does not modify dorsal horn touch-evoked allodynia in the mononeuropathic rat: a Fos study

In a model of mononeuropathic pain (chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve, CCI), we have demonstrated that light touch stimuli (stroking) to the paw induced Fos-like immunoreactivity (Fos-LI) in the superficial and deep dorsal horn of the rat spinal cord (Catheline et al., Pain 80 (1999a) 347). The efficacy of opioids in neuropathic pain being controversial, we have tested the effects of morphine (0.3, 1 and 3 mg/kg intravenous, i.v.) on this spinal Fos-LI evoked by light tactile stimuli, which could be related to mechanical allodynia. Morphine did not change the level of spinal Fos-LI observed following light touch stimuli in the CCI rats (43 +/- 3, 38 +/- 7, and 37 +/- 4 Fos-LI neurones/40 microm L4-L5 section, respectively, for the three doses versus 32 +/- 4 in the control group). In contrast, the administration of 3 mg/kg of i.v. morphine reduced by 30% the number of Fos-LI neurones induced by heat stimulation (52 degrees C, 15 s duration) in CCI rats (P < 0.05) as in sham-operated rats. These effects were reversed by the systemic administration of naloxone. The lack of effect of morphine on touch-evoked Fos-LI in the superficial dorsal horn reinforces the assertion that dynamic mechanical allodynia is related to information transmitted by A-beta fibres, since opioid receptors are mainly located on thin primary afferent fibres. Our results provide a basis for a certain form of allodynia that is insensitive to morphine.

Changes in tactile stimuli-induced behavior and c-Fos expression in the superficial dorsal horn and in parabrachial nuclei after sciatic nerve crush

Neurons in the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn are dominated by input from peripheral nociceptors. Following peripheral nerve injury, low threshold mechanoreceptive Abeta-fibers sprout from their normal termination site in laminae III/IV into laminae I-II and this structural reorganization may contribute to neuropathic tactile pain hypersensitivity. We have now investigated whether a sciatic nerve crush injury alters the behavioral response in rats to tactile stimuli and whether this is associated with a change in the pattern of c-Fos expression in the dorsal horn and the parabrachial area of the brainstem. Sciatic nerve crush resulted in a patchy but marked tactile allodynia manifesting first at 3 weeks and persisting for up to 52 weeks. C-Fos expression in the dorsal horn and parabrachial region was never observed on brushing the skin of the sciatic nerve territory in animals with intact nerves, but was found after sciatic nerve crush with peripheral regeneration. We conclude that after nerve injury, low threshold mechanoreceptor fibers may play a major role in producing pain-related behavior by activating normally nociceptive-specific regions of the central nervous system such as the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn and the parabrachial area.

Contribution of femoral and proximal sciatic nerve branches to the sensory innervation of hindlimb digits in the rat

The present study was performed to investigate the possibility of "aberrant" innervation of the tips of the hindlimb digits in the rat, i.e., from other sources than the femoral and the main sciatic branches (tibial, peroneal, sural). Cutaneous injections of fluorescent tracers in the digits were combined with either selective nerve transections to restrict afferent routes followed by detection of labeled neurons in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs), or by a delayed application of a second tracer to afferent nerves under study to detect double labeled neurons in DRGs. The results show that the tips of the digits were represented in DRGs L3-6. The femoral nerve afferents from digits 1 and 2 projected primarily to DRG L3 and to a smaller extent to DRG L4. A small number of neurons from primarily medial digits 1 and 2, but also from lateral digits 3-5, were found to project to DRGs L4 and L5 via a proximal branch that leaves the sciatic nerve near the sciatic notch and runs distally in the posterior part of the thigh, here called the musculocutaneous nerve of the hindlimb. We also have some evidence indicating innervation of the tips of the digits from the posterior cutaneous nerve of the thigh. Aberrant innervation such as that described here might contribute to remaining and perhaps abnormal sensibility after nerve injury and is of interest for the interpretation of results in experimental studies of collateral and regenerative sprouting after such injury.

Altered nociceptive neuronal circuits after neonatal peripheral inflammation

Nociceptive neuronal circuits are formed during embryonic and postnatal times when painful stimuli are normally absent or limited. Today, medical procedures for neonates with health risks can involve tissue injury and pain for which the long-term effects are unknown. To investigate the impact of neonatal tissue injury and pain on development of nociceptive neuronal circuitry, we used an animal model of persistent hind paw peripheral inflammation. We found that, as adults, these animals exhibited spinal neuronal circuits with increased input and segmental changes in nociceptive primary afferent axons and altered responses to sensory stimulation.

Spontaneous activity of axotomized afferent neurons after L5 spinal nerve injury in rats

After mechanical injury of a peripheral nerve some axotomized afferent neurons develop spontaneous activity, which is thought to trigger abnormal pain behavior in rats and neuropathic pain in humans. Here, we analysed the ectopic activity in axotomized afferent fibers recorded from the L5 dorsal root in different time periods after L5 spinal nerve lesion and the effects of sympathectomy on it. The following results were obtained: (1) Up to 6 hours after spinal nerve transection there was almost no spontaneous activity in axotomized afferents, except short-lasting injury discharges at the time of transection; (2) Three to 8 days following spinal nerve lesion, the rate of spontaneous activity was 7.3+/-7.7 imp/s (mean+/-SD, median 5.0 imp/s, n=204); 41.6% of the spontaneously active afferent neurons exhibited a bursting pattern with interspike intervals of 32.4+/-18.3 ms; (3) Twenty to 53 days after nerve lesion the rate of spontaneous activity had decreased significantly to 3.4+/-4.3 imp/s (median 2.6 imp/s, n=120). The frequency of bursting and non-bursting neurons remained roughly the same; (4) In sympathectomized rats, 15-45 days following spinal nerve lesion, the mean discharge rate was 3.8+/-4.3 imp/s (median 2. 3 imp/s, n=255). However, the percentage of bursting neurons and the intraburst frequency decreased significantly; (5) Spontaneous activity occurred in afferent A-fibers but not in afferent C-fibers. These results suggest that ectopic activity in axotomized afferent neurons develops within the first days after L5 spinal nerve lesion, decreases with time and is only marginally dependent on the sympathetic innervation. There was a positive correlation between this ectopic activity and the allodynia-like behavior in spinal nerve-lesioned rats.

On the problem of lamination in the superficial dorsal horn of mammals: a reappraisal of the substantia gelatinosa in postnatal life

Although it is one of the most distinctive and earliest recognized features in the spinal cord, the substantia gelatinosa (SG) remains among the most enigmatic of central nervous system regions. The present neuroanatomical studies employed transganglionic transport of horseradish peroxidase conjugates of choleragenoid (B-HRP) and the B4 isolectin of Bandeiraea simplicifolia (IB4-HRP) on opposite sides to compare the projection patterns of myelinated and unmyelinated cutaneous primary afferents, respectively, within the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord in postnatal mice, from shortly after birth to adulthood. Putative unmyelinated afferents labeled with IB4-HRP gave rise to a dense sheet of terminal-like labeling restricted to the outer half of the SG. In contrast, myelinated inputs labeled with B-HRP gave rise to a similarly dense sheet of terminal-like labeling that occupied the inner half of the SG. This adult organization, with two dense sheets of terminal labeling in the superficial dorsal horn, was clearly evident shortly after birth using these markers, prior to the emergence of the SG. Furthermore, the location of the SG proper varied considerably within the dorsoventral plane of the dorsal horn according to mediolateral and segmental locations, a finding that was also seen in comparative studies in rat and cat. These findings caution against equating the SG in particular, and the superficial dorsal horn in general, with nociceptive processing; at minimum, the SG subserves a clear duality of function, with only a thin portion of its outermost aspect devoted to pain.

Second messengers, the substantia gelatinosa and injury-induced persistent pain

Although there is now unequivocal evidence that the circuitry within the substantia gelatinosa is a major contributor to the transmission and control of nociceptive messages, this was not known 35 years ago, when Pat Wall first focussed attention on this region. In addition to being the target of neurochemically distinct nociceptors, this region contains a heterogeneous population of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons. This review focuses on the contribution of second messenger systems that are found in the substantia gelatinosa. In particular the review highlights their critical contribution to the development of persistent pain conditions in the setting of tissue and nerve injury. Several of the studies used animals with deletions of genes that encode major second messenger molecules, including protein kinase A, C and nitric oxide synthase. Our laboratory has shown that mice with a deletion of the gene that encodes the gamma isoform of protein kinase C (which is almost exclusively expressed in a population of interneurons of the inner part of the substantia gelatinosa) have completely normal acute pain responses. However, the allodynia that characteristically develops after injury does not occur in these mice, particularly when it is generated by partial sciatic nerve injury. By contrast, deletion of genes that encode protein kinase A subunits only show deficits in the development of tissue inflammation-induced pain. These differences highlight the selectivity that characterizes the contribution of different second messenger molecules. Because of the restricted distribution of these molecules, it is likely that they are activated by different populations of primary afferent nociceptor and under very different conditions of injury. Understanding the circuitry within the substantia gelatinosa is thus critical to elucidating the mechanisms through which these second messenger molecules contribute to the development of persistent pain in the setting of injury.

Ultrastructural analysis of ectopic synaptic boutons arising from peripherally regenerated primary afferent fibers

The central axons of peripherally regenerated Abeta primary sensory neurons were impaled in the dorsal columns of alpha-chloralose-anesthetized cats 9-12 mo after axotomy. The adequate peripheral stimulus was determined, and the afferent fibers intracellularly stimulated while simultaneously recording the resulting cord dorsum potentials (CDPs). Fibers that successfully had reinnervated the skin responded to light tactile stimulation, and evoked CDPs that suggested dorsally located boutons were stained intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Two HRP-stained regenerated Abeta afferent fibers were recovered that supported large numbers of axon collaterals and swellings in laminae I, IIo, and IIi. Sections containing the ectopic collateral fibers and terminals in the superficial dorsal horn were embedded in plastic. Analyses of serial ultrathin sections revealed that ectopic projections from both regenerated fibers supported numerous synaptic boutons filled with clear round vesicles, a few large dense core vesicles (LDCVs) and several mitochondria (>3). All profiles examined in serial sections (19) formed one to three asymmetric axo-dendritic contacts. Unmyelinated portions of ectopic fibers giving rise to en passant and terminal boutons often contained numerous clear round vesicles. Several boutons (47%) received asymmetric contacts from axon terminals containing pleomorphic vesicles. These results strongly suggest that regenerated Abeta fibers activated by light tactile stimuli support functional connections in the superficial dorsal horn that have distinct ultrastructural features. In addition, the appearance of LDCVs suggests that primary sensory neurons are capable of changing their neurochemical phenotype.

Stability and plasticity of primary afferent projections following nerve regeneration and central degeneration

Sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) regenerate their peripheral axons with relative ease following a nerve lesion. The capacity for central regeneration appears more limited. However, after nerve lesion, some DRG neurons gain a regenerative advantage to sprout centrally. We developed a lesion model in the rat to test whether, after prior lesion of their peripheral axons, subsets of cutaneous afferents benefit differently in their ability to sprout into adjacent spinal segments denervated by dorsal rhizotomy. We found that under identical circumstances, myelinated sensory neurons, small-diameter peptidergic sensory neurons containing calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP), and small-diameter nonpeptidergic neurons that bind the lectin from the plant Griffonia simplificolia, isolectin B4 (IB4) differ dramatically in their ability to regenerate centrally. Myelinated afferent terminals labelled transganglionically with cholera-toxin beta-subunit gain a small advantage in collaterally sprouting into the adjacent denervated neuropil in lamina III after prior peripheral nerve lesion. This central regenerative response was not mimicked by experimentally induced inflammation of sensory neuron cell bodies. Intact and unlesioned sensory neurons positive for CGRP sprout vigorously into segments denervated by rhizotomy in a nonsomatotopic manner. In contrast, IB4-positive sensory neurons maintain a somatotopic distribution centrally, which is not altered by prior nerve lesion. These data reveal a remarkably heterogeneous response to regeneration-promoting stimuli amongst three different types of cutaneous sensory neurons. In particular, the divergent responses of peptidergic and nonpeptidergic sensory neurons suggests profound functional differences between these neurochemically distinct neurons.

The induction of pain: an integrative review

The highly disagreeable sensation of pain results from an extraordinarily complex and interactive series of mechanisms integrated at all levels of the neuroaxis, from the periphery, via the dorsal horn to higher cerebral structures. Pain is usually elicited by the activation of specific nociceptors ('nociceptive pain'). However, it may also result from injury to sensory fibres, or from damage to the CNS itself ('neuropathic pain'). Although acute and subchronic, nociceptive pain fulfils a warning role, chronic and/or severe nociceptive and neuropathic pain is maladaptive. Recent years have seen a progressive unravelling of the neuroanatomical circuits and cellular mechanisms underlying the induction of pain. In addition to familiar inflammatory mediators, such as prostaglandins and bradykinin, potentially-important, pronociceptive roles have been proposed for a variety of 'exotic' species, including protons, ATP, cytokines, neurotrophins (growth factors) and nitric oxide. Further, both in the periphery and in the CNS, non-neuronal glial and immunecompetent cells have been shown to play a modulatory role in the response to inflammation and injury, and in processes modifying nociception. In the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, wherein the primary processing of nociceptive information occurs, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are activated by glutamate released from nocisponsive afferent fibres. Their activation plays a key role in the induction of neuronal sensitization, a process underlying prolonged painful states. In addition, upon peripheral nerve injury, a reduction of inhibitory interneurone tone in the dorsal horn exacerbates sensitized states and further enhance nociception. As concerns the transfer of nociceptive information to the brain, several pathways other than the classical spinothalamic tract are of importance: for example, the postsynaptic dorsal column pathway. In discussing the roles of supraspinal structures in pain sensation, differences between its 'discriminative-sensory' and 'affective-cognitive' dimensions should be emphasized. The purpose of the present article is to provide a global account of mechanisms involved in the induction of pain. Particular attention is focused on cellular aspects and on the consequences of peripheral nerve injury. In the first part of the review, neuronal pathways for the transmission of nociceptive information from peripheral nerve terminals to the dorsal horn, and therefrom to higher centres, are outlined. This neuronal framework is then exploited for a consideration of peripheral, spinal and supraspinal mechanisms involved in the induction of pain by stimulation of peripheral nociceptors, by peripheral nerve injury and by damage to the CNS itself. Finally, a hypothesis is forwarded that neurotrophins may play an important role in central, adaptive mechanisms modulating nociception. An improved understanding of the origins of pain should facilitate the development of novel strategies for its more effective treatment.

Painful neuropathies

Pain following peripheral nerve lesion appears to be a paradox because damage of primary afferent nerve fibres carrying nociceptive information should result in hypoalgesia. The very existence of neuropathic pain therefore implies fundamental changes of nociceptive processing and there have been considerable advances in the understanding of factors that precipitate neuropathic pain. This knowledge has already been harnessed for the development of novel analgesic therapies to supplement traditional treatment with anticonvulsant and antidepressants drugs which has shown clear effectiveness in systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials.