Abstract
Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are critical in controlling neuronal excitability and are involved in the induction of neuropathic pain. Therefore, Kv channels might be potential targets for prevention and/or treatment of this disorder. We reported here that a majority of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were positive for Kv channel alpha subunit Kv1.2. Most of them were large and medium, although there was a variety of sizes. Peripheral nerve injury caused by lumbar (L)5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL) produced a time-dependent reduction in the number of Kv1.2-positive neurons in the ipsilateral L5 DRG, but not in the contralateral L5 DRG. Such reduction was also observed in the ipsilateral L5 DRG on day 7 after sciatic nerve axotomy. Rescuing nerve injury-induced reduction of Kv1.2 in the injured L5 DRG attenuated the development and maintenance of SNL-induced pain hypersensitivity without affecting acute pain and locomotor function. This effect might be attributed to the prevention of SNL-induced upregulation of endogenous Kv1.2 antisense RNA, in addition to the increase in Kv1.2 protein expression, in the injured DRG. Our findings suggest that Kv1.2 may be a novel potential target for preventing and/or treating neuropathic pain.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 8 |
Journal | Molecular Pain |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 29 2014 |
Keywords
- Distribution
- Dorsal root ganglion
- Kv1.2
- Neuropathic pain
- Potassium channels
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Molecular Medicine
- Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine