Blocking Cx43 alleviates neuropathic pain in rats with chronic constriction injury via the P2X4 and P38/ERK-P65 pathways

Juping Xing; Ηongji Wang; Lisha Chen; Hanxi Wang; Huan Huang; Jiabao Huang; Changshui Xu

doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109506

Blocking Cx43 alleviates neuropathic pain in rats with chronic constriction injury via the P2X4 and P38/ERK-P65 pathways

Int Immunopharmacol. 2023 Jan:114:109506. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109506. Epub 2022 Nov 26.

Authors

Juping Xing¹, Ηongji Wang², Lisha Chen², Hanxi Wang², Huan Huang², Jiabao Huang², Changshui Xu³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Autonomic Nervous Function and Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, PR China.
² Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, PR China.
³ Department of Physiology, Basic Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, PR China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Autonomic Nervous Function and Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi, PR China; The Clinical Medical School, Jiangxi Medical College, Shangrao 334000, Jiangxi, PR China; The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Shangrao 334000, Jiangxi, PR China. Electronic address: changshui-xu@163.com.

PMID: 36442284
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2022.109506

Abstract

Neuropathic pain is a growing concern in the medical community, and studies on new analgesic targets for neuropathic pain have become a new hot spot. Whether Connexin43 (Cx43) has a key role in neuropathic pain mediated by the purinergic 2X4 (P2X4) receptor in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) was explored in this study. Our experimental results show that blockade of Cx43 could attenuate neuropathic pain in rats suffering from CCI via the P2X4, p38, ERK, and NF-kB signalling pathways. These results suggest that Cx43 may be a promising therapeutic target for the development of novel pharmacological agents in the management of neuropathic pain.

Keywords: Chronic constriction injury; Connexin43; Dorsal root ganglion; Neuropathic pain; Purinergic 2X4.

MeSH terms

Animals
Connexin 43* / metabolism
Constriction
MAP Kinase Signaling System
Neuralgia* / drug therapy
Neuralgia* / metabolism
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Substances

Connexin 43