Voltage-gated sodium channels as molecular targets for neuropathic pain

2006 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tony Priestley ◽  
John C. Hunter
2005 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1744-8069-1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed A Nassar ◽  
Alessandra Levato ◽  
L Caroline Stirling ◽  
John N Wood

Two voltage gated sodium channel α-subunits, Nav1.7 and Nav1.8, are expressed at high levels in nociceptor terminals and have been implicated in the development of inflammatory pain. Mis-expression of voltage-gated sodium channels by damaged sensory neurons has also been implicated in the development of neuropathic pain, but the role of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 is uncertain. Here we show that deleting Nav1.7 has no effect on the development of neuropathic pain. Double knockouts of both Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 also develop normal levels of neuropathic pain, despite a lack of inflammatory pain symptoms and altered mechanical and thermal acute pain thresholds. These studies demonstrate that, in contrast to the highly significant role for Nav1.7 in determining inflammatory pain thresholds, the development of neuropathic pain does not require the presence of either Nav1.7 or Nav1.8 alone or in combination.


Processes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 680 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woojin Kim

Oxaliplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug widely used to treat various types of tumors. However, it can induce a serious peripheral neuropathy characterized by cold and mechanical allodynia that can even disrupt the treatment schedule. Since the approval of the agent, many laboratories, including ours, have focused their research on finding a drug or method to decrease this side effect. However, to date no drug that can effectively reduce the pain without causing any adverse events has been developed, and the mechanism of the action of oxaliplatin is not clearly understood. On the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory neurons, oxaliplatin is reported to modify their functions, such as the propagation of the action potential and induction of neuropathic pain. Voltage-gated sodium channels in the DRG neurons are important, as they play a major role in the excitability of the cell by initiating the action potential. Thus, in this small review, eight studies that investigated the effect of oxaliplatin on sodium channels of peripheral neurons have been included. Its effects on the duration of the action potential, peak of the sodium current, voltage–response relationship, inactivation current, and sensitivity to tetrodotoxin (TTX) are discussed.


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