Geraniol promotes functional recovery and attenuates neuropathic pain in rats with spinal cord injury

2017 ◽  
Vol 95 (12) ◽  
pp. 1389-1395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Lv ◽  
Liang Zhang ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Naiken Mai ◽  
Yu Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Protein Expression ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Thermal Hyperalgesia ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Injured Region

Geraniol, a plant-derived monoterpene, has been extensively studied and showed a wide variety of beneficial effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of geraniol on functional recovery and neuropathic pain in rats with spinal cord injury (SCI). Rats received a clip-compression SCI and were treated with geraniol 6 h following SCI. Treatment of SCI rats with geraniol markedly improved locomotor function, and reduced sensitivity to the mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. Treatment of SCI rats with geraniol increased NeuN-positive cells, suppressed expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, and reduced activity of caspase-3 in the injured region. Treatment of SCI rats with geraniol reduced levels of malondialdehyde and 3-nitrotyrosine, upregulated protein expression of nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase 1, and suppressed expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the injured region. In addition, treatment of SCI rats with geraniol downregulated protein expression of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor 1 and reduced the number of CD68-positive cells and protein levels of TNF-α in the injured region. In conclusion, geraniol significantly promoted the recovery of neuronal function and attenuated neuropathic pain after SCI.

Curcumin Can Activate the Nrf2/HO-1 Signaling Pathway and Scavenge Free Radicals in Spinal Cord Injury Treatment

2021 ◽  
pp. 154596832110112
Author(s):  
Wenlong Jin ◽  
Benson O. A. Botchway ◽  
Xuehong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Free Radicals ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Neurological Deficits ◽  
Heme Oxygenase 1 ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Nuclear Factor ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Injury Treatment

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating event that often leads to permanent neurological deficits. Evidence from emerging studies has implicated oxygen-derived free radicals and high-energy oxidants as mediators of secondary SCI. Therefore, targeting these mediators using antioxidants could be beneficial for the disease. Several signaling pathways, such as the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase 1 (Nrf2/HO-1), have been associated with the regulation of some pathophysiological features of SCI. Curcumin is a plant medicinal agent whose diverse pharmacological properties have been extensively investigated and reported, notably its ability to curtail inflammatory damage by inhibiting the nuclear factor-κ-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells. In this review, we analyze the role of curcumin in activating Nrf2/HO-1 and scavenging free radicals to repair SCI. With its minimal side effects, curcumin could be a potential therapy for SCI treatment.

scholarly journals Blocking Proteinase-Activated Receptor 2 Alleviated Neuropathic Pain Evoked by Spinal Cord Injury

2016 ◽  
pp. 145-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. WEI ◽  
Y. WEI ◽  
F. TIAN ◽  
T. NIU ◽  
G. YI
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Intrathecal Injection ◽  
Treatment Strategies ◽  
Thermal Hyperalgesia ◽  
Physical Trauma ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Proteinase Activated Receptors ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is an extremely serious type of physical trauma observed in clinics. Especially, neuropathic pain resulting from SCI has a lasting and significant impact on most aspects of daily life. Thus, a better understanding of the molecular pathways responsible for the cause of neuropathic pain observed in SCI is important to develop effectively therapeutic agents and treatment strategies. Proteinase-activated receptors (PARs) are a family member of G-protein-coupled receptors and are activated by a proteolytic mechanism. One of its subtypes PAR2 has been reported to be engaged in mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Thus, in this study we specifically examined the underlying mechanisms responsible for SCI evoked-neuropathic pain in a rat model. Overall, we demonstrated that SCI increases PAR2 and its downstream pathways TRPV1 and TRPA1 expression in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Also, we showed that blocking spinal PAR2 by intrathecal injection of FSLLRY-NH2 significantly inhibits neuropathic pain responses induced by mechanical and thermal stimulation whereas FSLLRY-NH2 decreases the protein expression of TRPV1 and TRPA1 as well as the levels of substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide. Results of this study have important implications, i.e. targeting one or more of these signaling molecules involved in activation of PAR2 and TRPV1/TRPA1 evoked by SCI may present new opportunities for treatment and management of neuropathic pain often observed in patients with SCI.

scholarly journals Mesenchymal Stem Cell Sheet Promotes Functional Recovery and Palliates Neuropathic Pain in a Subacute Spinal Cord Injury Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Kazuyoshi Yamazaki ◽  
Masahito Kawabori ◽  
Toshitaka Seki ◽  
Soichiro Takamiya ◽  
Kotaro Konno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Stem Cell ◽  
Cell Transplantation ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Cell Sheet ◽  
Histological Evaluation ◽  
Cord Injury

Stem cell therapy has been shown to reverse the sequelae of spinal cord injury (SCI). Although the ideal treatment route remains unknown, providing a large number of stem cells to the injured site using less invasive techniques is critical to achieving maximal recovery. This study was conducted to determine whether administration of bone marrow stem cell (BMSC) sheet made on its own without a scaffold is superior to intramedullary cell transplantation in a rat subacute SCI model. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to SCI by 30 g clip compression at the level of Th6 and Th7 and were administered BMSC cell sheet ( 7 × 10 4 cells, subdural), cell suspension ( 7 × 10 4 cells, intramedullary), or control seven days after the injury. Motor and sensory assessments, as well as histological evaluation, were performed to determine the efficacy of the different cell transplantation procedures. While both the cell sheet and cell intramedullary injection groups showed significant motor recovery compared to the control group, the cell sheet group showed better results. Furthermore, the cell sheet group displayed a significant sensory recovery compared to the other groups. A histological evaluation revealed that the cell sheet group showed smaller injury lesion volume, less inflammation, and gliosis compared to other groups. Sensory-related fibers of μ-opioid receptors (MOR, interneuron) and hydroxytryptamine transporters (HTT, descending pain inhibitory pathway), located around the dorsal horn of the spinal cord at the caudal side of the SCI, were preserved only in the cell sheet group. Stem cells could also be found inside the peri-injured spinal cord in the cell sheet group. BMSC cell sheets were able to promote functional recovery and palliate neuropathic pain more effectively than intramedullary injections, thus serving as a good treatment option for SCI.

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