Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030193 (pain)
 261,466 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Plasticity in the spinal dorsal horn may underlie the development of chronic pain following peripheral nerve injury or inflammation. In this study, we examined whether chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve was associated with changes in the immunoreactive content of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), protein kinase A (PKA), and calcineurin Aalpha and Abeta in the spinal dorsal horn. In animals exhibiting thermal hyperalgesia as a behavioral sign of neuropathic pain 7 days after loose ligation of the sciatic nerve (chronic constriction injury), there was a significant increase in the content of phosphorylated (activated) CREB (pCREB). In contrast, following the typical disappearance of thermal hyperalgesia 28 days after loose ligation surgery, there were no differences in pCREB content between control and sciatic ligation animals. The increased CREB activation associated with thermal hyperalgesia was accompanied by significant decreases in the content of both calcineurin Aalpha and Abeta. In contrast, there were no differences in the content of non-phosphorylated CREB, and phosphorylated or non-phosphorylated PKA between control and sciatic ligation animals either 7 or 28 days after surgery. These data established a close association in the expression of thermal hyperalgesia with CREB activation and decreased calcineurin content in the spinal dorsal horn. The data revealed a significant but reversible shift in the manner in which spinal neurons processed sensory information following peripheral nerve injury, and lent further support to the notion that plasticity in the spinal dorsal horn may have contributed to the development of chronic pain.
Pain 2002 Oct
PMID:Increases in the phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) and decreases in the content of calcineurin accompany thermal hyperalgesia following chronic constriction injury in rats. 1240 25

Muscle-specific deficiency of phosphorylase kinase (Phk) causes glycogen storage disease, clinically manifesting in exercise intolerance with early fatiguability, pain, cramps and occasionally myoglobinuria. In two patients and in a mouse mutant with muscle Phk deficiency, mutations were previously found in the muscle isoform of the Phk alpha subunit, encoded by the X-chromosomal PHKA1 gene (MIM # 311870). No mutations have been identified in the muscle isoform of the Phk gamma subunit (PHKG1). In the present study, we determined Q1the structure of the PHKG1 gene and characterized its relationship to several pseudogenes. In six patients with adult- or juvenile-onset muscle glycogenosis and low Phk activity, we then searched for mutations in eight candidate genes. The coding sequences of all six genes that contribute to Phk in muscle were analysed: PHKA1, PHKB, PHKG1, CALM1, CALM2 and CALM3. We also analysed the genes of the muscle isoform of glycogen phosphorylase (PYGM), of a muscle-specific regulatory subunit of the AMP-dependent protein kinase (PRKAG3), and the promoter regions of PHKA1, PHKB and PHKG1. Only in one male patient did we find a PHKA1 missense mutation (D299V) that explains the enzyme deficiency. Two patients were heterozygous for single amino-acid replacements in PHKB that are of unclear significance (Q657K and Y770C). No sequence abnormalities were found in the other three patients. If these results can be generalized, only a fraction of cases with muscle glycogenosis and a biochemical diagnosis of low Phk activity are caused by coding, splice-site or promoter mutations in PHKA1, PHKG1 or other Phk subunit genes. Most patients with this diagnosis probably are affected either by elusive mutations of Phk subunit genes or by defects in other, unidentified genes.
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PMID:Muscle glycogenosis with low phosphorylase kinase activity: mutations in PHKA1, PHKG1 or six other candidate genes explain only a minority of cases. 1282 73

Vasovagal syncope is defined as a reflex loss of consciousness related to reaction to various stimuli as orthostatic stress, pain or emotions connected with loss of muscle postural tone. The aetiology of this disorder is still unknown. The imbalance between the parts of autonomic nervous system and other homeostasis-related systems as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, peptides as endothelin, neuropeptide Y, vasopressin, adrenomedullin and cAMP, adenosine and AMP can play an important role in the development of vasovagal syncope. In the first part of the paper the authors describe the mechanisms involved in the development of vasovagal reaction, pathophysiology of the head-up tilt test and the role of autonomic nervous system.
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PMID:[Neurohumoral mechanisms for vasovagal syncopes. Part I]. 1286 5

We report a case of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (DHA) urolithiasis in a 28-year old female. She was admitted to our hospital complaining of a sudden pain in the left lumbar region. Abdominal X-ray (kidney-ureter-bladder; KUB) and computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a radiolucent left ureteral (8 x 6 mm2) and a renal (15 x 10 mm2) stone. In the repetitive procedure of transurethral ureterolithothripsy (TUL) and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), the stones had been removed successfully. The spectrophotometric analysis of the stone fragments revealed an absorption spectrum for 2,8-DHA. Adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) enzyme activity was lowered to 0.8 nmol/hr/mg protein. Thus, we diagnosed the illness as 2,8-DHA urolithiasis originating from APRT deficiency. A molecular analysis of the APRT gene by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method revealed the genotype to be APRT*J/APRT*Q0.
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PMID:[2,8-dihydoroxyadenine (DHA) urolithiasis: a case report]. 1451 91

Bryostatin-1 (bryostatin) is a macrocyclic lactone derived from Bugula neritina, a marine bryozoan. On the basis of the strength of in vitro and animal studies, bryostatin is being investigated as a possible treatment for a variety of human malignancies. Severe myalgias are a common dose-limiting side effect. Because cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-derived prostaglandins can cause pain, we investigated whether bryostatin induced COX-2. Bryostatin (1-10 nM) induced COX-2 mRNA, COX-2 protein, and prostaglandin biosynthesis. These effects were observed in macrophages as well as in a series of human cancer cell lines. Transient transfections localized the stimulatory effects of bryostatin to the cyclic AMP response element of the COX-2 promoter. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and supershift experiments revealed a marked increase in the binding of activator protein-1 (AP-1)(c-Jun/c-Fos) to the cyclic AMP response element of the COX-2 promoter. Pharmacological and transient transfection studies indicated that bryostatin stimulated COX-2 transcription via the protein kinase C-->mitogen-activated protein kinase-->AP-1 pathway. All-trans-retinoic acid, a prototypic AP-1 antagonist, blocked bryostatin-mediated induction of COX-2. Taken together, these results suggest that bryostatin-mediated induction of COX-2 can help to explain the myalgias that are commonly associated with treatment. Moreover, it will be worthwhile to evaluate whether the addition of a selective COX-2 inhibitor can increase the antitumor activity of bryostatin.
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PMID:Bryostatin-1 stimulates the transcription of cyclooxygenase-2: evidence for an activator protein-1-dependent mechanism. 1458 79

This article describes the development of micro-opioid receptor (MOR) binding and GTPgammaS functional SPAs as improved screening tools for the identification of MOR antagonists. Opioid receptors are members of the seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) family and are involved in the control of various aspects of human physiology, including pain, stress, reward, addiction, respiration, gastric motility, and pituitary hormone secretion. Activation of the MOR initiates intracellular signaling pathways leading to a reduction in intracellular cyclic AMP levels, inhibition of calcium channels, and activation of potassium channels resulting in a reduction of the excitability of neurons. Characterization of opioid receptor ligand binding has traditionally been accomplished through the use of low throughput filtration-based binding assays, whereas functional activity has been based upon cyclic AMP measurements or filtration-based GTPgammaS functional assays. This report describes the development of a MOR displacement binding SPA using the radiolabeled antagonist [(3)H]diprenorphine ((3)H-DPN). The assay was optimized using statistical experimental design and demonstrates the stability and robustness necessary for HTS. The assay was biased toward the identification of MOR antagonists through the addition of Na(+). Our assay conditions also minimized the phenomenon of ligand depletion, a problem commonly observed in low-volume assays using high receptor-expressing cell lines. The optimized procedure revealed (3)H-DPN affinity constants at the MOR that were consistent with results obtained using filtration methods (K(D) (SPA) = 1.89 +/- 0.24 nM, K(D) (filtration) = 1.88 +/- 0.35 nM). The binding SPA identified known opioid receptor modulators contained within the Library of Pharmacological Active Compounds (LOPAC) cassette, and the GTPgammaS scintillation proximity assay (SPA) was used to confirm the functional activity of the LOPAC antagonists acting at the MOR. Conversion of the ligand binding and GTPgammaS functional assays to a homogeneous SPA generated a simple assay with dramatically increased throughput. Data from the development and implementation of the displacement binding and GTPgammaS functional SPAs are presented.
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PMID:Development of displacement binding and GTPgammaS scintillation proximity assays for the identification of antagonists of the micro-opioid receptor. 1509 Feb 35

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB) may critically contribute to injury-associated plasticity and thus to the development of persistent pain. In the present study we examined the potential interaction between CREB and BDNF in the spinal dorsal horn. Significant CREB phosphorylation was elicited by local application of BDNF (1 microg) onto the spinal dorsal horn of control, uninjured animals. The degree of phosphorylation was similar to that elicited by loose ligation of the sciatic nerve. The tyrosine kinase (Trk) blocker K252a (2 microg) significantly reduced the CREB phosphorylation elicited either by BDNF or the sciatic ligation. These data provided further support for the notion that at least some of the injury-associated activation of CREB in the spinal dorsal horn may be dependent upon BDNF-mediated activation of Trk receptors.
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PMID:Brain-derived neurotrophic factor-elicited or sciatic ligation-associated phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding protein in the rat spinal dorsal horn is reduced by block of tyrosine kinase receptors. 1513 45

The effect of adenosine on inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs) was examined in substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons of adult rat spinal cord slices by using the whole cell patch-clamp technique. Adenosine reversibly reduced the amplitude of GABAergic and glycinergic electrically evoked IPSCs (eIPSCs) in a dose-dependent manner (EC50 = 14.5 and 19.1 microM, respectively). The A1 adenosine-receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine also reduced the eIPSCs, whereas the A1 antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine reversed the inhibition produced by adenosine. In paired-pulse experiments, the ratio of the second to first GABAergic or glycinergic eIPSC amplitude was increased by adenosine, whereas the response of SG neurons to exogenous GABA or glycine was unaffected. Adenosine reduced the frequency of GABAergic and glycinergic spontaneous IPSCs without changing their amplitude. This reduction in frequency disappeared in the presence of a K+ -channel blocker (4-aminopyridine) but not in the absence of Ca2+. The inhibition by adenosine disappeared in the presence of cyclic-AMP analog (8-Br-cyclic AMP) and adenylate-cyclase activator (forskolin) but not protein-kinase C (PKC) activator (phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate). We conclude that adenosine suppresses inhibitory transmission in SG neurons by activating presynaptic A1 receptors and that this action is mediated by K+ channels and cyclic AMP but not by Ca2+ channels and PKC. This inhibitory action of adenosine probably contributes to the modulation of pain transmission in the SG.
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PMID:Adenosine inhibits GABAergic and glycinergic transmission in adult rat substantia gelatinosa neurons. 1520 7

Adenosine is an important endogenous purine neuromodulator in the central nervous system that modulates many important cellular processes in neurons. The physiological effects of adenosine are transduced through four pharmacologically classified receptor types i.e., A1, A2A, A2B and A3. All adenosine receptors are G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) of the type 1 variety. Adaptations in adenosine signaling have been implicated in a wide range of pathophysiological processes, such as epilepsies, sleep disorders, pain, and drug addictions. Knowledge relating to the etiology of addictive processes is far from complete, and as a result the therapeutic options to deal with drug dependence issues are limited. Drugs of abuse mediate their effects through many distinct cellular effectors, such as neurotransmitter transporters, ion channels, and receptor proteins. However, a unifying feature of the major drugs of abuse-i.e., opiates, cocaine, and alcohol-is that they all directly or indirectly modulate adenosine signaling in neurons. Agents targeting adenosine receptors may therefore offer novel avenues for the development of therapies to manage or treat addictions. A consistent cellular adaptation to long-term drug use is the up- or down-regulation of signaling pathways driven by adenylyl cyclase/cyclic AMP (cAMP) in several brain regions linked to addiction. Withdrawal from mu-opioids or cocaine following their chronic administration leads to an upregulation of adenylyl cyclase-mediated signaling, resulting in high levels of cAMP. Cyclic AMP produced in this way acts as a substrate for the endogenous production of adenosine. Increased levels of endogenous adenosine interact with presynaptic A1 receptors to inhibit the excessive neuronal excitation often seen during morphine/cocaine withdrawal. These pre-clinical findings fit well with other data indicating that drugs which boost endogenous adenosine levels or directly interact with inhibitory A1 receptors can alleviate many of the negative consequences of opioid/cocaine withdrawal. Ethanol interacts directly with the adenosine system by blocking nucleoside transporters in the cell membrane. The effect of this inhibition is an increase in extracellular adenosine levels and adenosine receptor activation. Depending on the time course of ethanol exposure and the receptor population present, cAMP levels are either reduced or increased. Chronic ethanol treatment tends to reduce cAMP levels as a consequence of the desensitization of stimulatory GPCRs (such as A2-type receptors) seen following prolonged receptor activation. Unlike opiates and cocaine, adenosine receptor activation worsens the behavioral effects of drug ingestion, and evidence indicates that agents that negatively modulate adenosine receptor function have some utility in attenuating the effects of ethanol use. Taken together, these data suggest that pharmacological manipulation of adenosine signaling represents a potentially useful means of managing drug dependence.
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PMID:Adaptations in adenosine signaling in drug dependence: therapeutic implications. 1524 12

Actions of gonadal steroids have not been widely investigated in the peripheral nervous system, although many dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and autonomic pelvic ganglion (PG) neurons express estrogen receptors (ERs). We have studied the effects of 17beta-estradiol exposure on cultured DRG and PG neurons from adult rats. Western blotting analysis of DRG extracts detected phosphorylation of ERK1 and ERK2 (extracellular signal-regulated kinases) that peaked 10 min after exposure to 17beta-estradiol. These extracts contain both neurons and glia; therefore, to determine if this response occurred in DRG neurons, we developed an immunocytochemical method to specifically measure activation in individual neurons. These measurements showed that estradiol increased phosphorylation of CREB (cyclic AMP response-element binding protein), which was consistently blocked by the ERK pathway inhibitor PD98059 but not by the inhibitors of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, wortmannin and LY294002. 17beta-Estradiol activation of CREB in DRG neurons was reduced by the ER antagonist, ICI182780. In contrast, in PG neurons estradiol did not affect CREB phosphorylation, highlighting a difference in E2 responses in different populations of peripheral neurons. This study has shown that estrogens can rapidly activate signaling pathways associated with CREB-mediated transcriptional regulation in sensory neurons. As these pathways also mediate many effects of neurotrophic factors, changes in estrogen levels (e.g. during puberty, pregnancy or menopause) could have broad-ranging genomic and non-genomic actions on urogenital pain sensation and reflex pathways.
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PMID:Rapid actions of estradiol on cyclic amp response-element binding protein phosphorylation in dorsal root ganglion neurons. 1554 84


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