Open AccessElectroacupuncture effects on the P2X4R pathway in microglia regulating the excitability of neurons in the substantia gelatinosa region of rats with spinal nerve ligation
Author(s) -
Yuyin Zheng,
Chengqian Jia,
Xia Jiang,
Jie Chen,
Xiao Long Chen,
Xinwang Ying,
Jiayu Wu,
Mingchen Jiang,
Guanhu Yang,
Wenzhan Tu,
Kecheng Zhou,
Songhe Jiang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
molecular medicine reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.727
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1791-3004
pISSN - 1791-2997
DOI - 10.3892/mmr.2020.11814
Subject(s) - electroacupuncture , microglia , neuropathic pain , nociception , neuroscience , spinal cord , medicine , excitatory postsynaptic potential , chemistry , anesthesia , biology , receptor , acupuncture , pathology , inflammation , alternative medicine
Electroacupuncture (EA) has been used to treat neuropathic pain induced by peripheral nerve injury (PNI) by applying an electrical current to acupoints with acupuncture needles. However, the mechanisms by which EA treats pain remain indistinct. High P2X4 receptor (P2X4R) expression levels demonstrate a notable increase in hyperactive microglia in the ipsilateral spinal dorsal horn following PNI. In order to demonstrate the possibility that EA analgesia is mediated in part by P2X4R in hyperactive microglia, the present study performed mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) tests in male Sprague‑Dawley rats that had undergone spinal nerve ligation (SNL). The expression levels of spinal P2X4R were determined using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR, western blotting analysis and immunouorescence staining. Furthermore, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) were recorded using whole‑cell patch clamp to demonstrate the effect of EA on synaptic transmission in rat spinal substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons. The results of the present study demonstrated that EA increased the MWT and TWL and decreased overexpression of P2X4R in hyperactive microglia in SNL rats. Moreover, EA attenuated the frequency of sEPSCs in SG neurons in SNL rats. The results of the present study indicate that EA may mediate P2X4R in hyperactive spinal microglia to inhibit nociceptive transmission of SG neurons, thus relieving pain in SNL rats.