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)

When capsaicin, the pungent compound in hot pepper, is applied to epithelia it produces pain, allodynia, and hyperalgesia. We investigated, using whole cell path clamp, whether some of these responses induced by capsaicin could be a consequence of capsaicin blocking I(A) currents, a reduction in which, such as occurs in injury, increases neuronal excitability. In capsaicin-sensitive (CS) rat trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons, capsaicin inhibited I(A) currents in a dose-dependent manner. I(A) currents were reduced 49% by 1 microM capsaicin. In capsaicin-insensitive (CIS) rat TG neurons, or small-diameter mouse VR1-/- neurons, 1 microM capsaicin inhibited I(A) currents 9 and 3%, respectively. These data suggest that in CS neurons the vast majority of the capsaicin-induced inhibition of I(A) currents occurs as a consequence of the activation of vanilloid receptors. Capsaicin (1 microM) did not alter the I(A) conductance-voltage relationship but shifted the inactivation-voltage curve about 15 mV to hyperpolarizing voltages, thereby increasing the number of inactivated I(A) channels at the resting potential. I(A) currents were relatively unaffected by 1 mM CTP-cAMP or 500 nM phorbol-12, 13-dibuterate (a protein kinase C agonist) but were inhibited by 20-30% with either 1 mM CTP-cGMP or 25 microM N-(6-aminohexyl)-5-chloro-1-napthalenesulfonamide HCl (a calcium-calmodulin kinase inhibitor). In the presence of 0.5 microM KT5823, an inhibitor of protein kinase G (PKG) pathways, 1 microM capsaicin inhibited I(A) by only 26%. In summary, in CS neurons, capsaicin decreases I(A) currents through the activation of vanilloid receptors. That activation, partially through the activation of cGMP-PKG and calmodulin-dependent pathways should result in increased excitability of capsaicin-sensitive nociceptors.
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PMID:Modulation of IA currents by capsaicin in rat trigeminal ganglion neurons. 1262 18

1. Nitric oxide (NO) participates, at least in part, to the establishment and maintenance of pain after nerve injury. Therefore, drugs that target the NO/cGMP signaling pathway are of interest for the treatment of human neuropathic pain. Various compounds endowed with NO-releasing properties modulate the expression and function of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), the key enzyme responsible for sustained NO production under pathological conditions including neuropathic pain. 2. With this background, we synthesized a new chemical entity, [1-(aminomethyl)cyclohexane acetic acid 3-(nitroxymethyl)phenyl ester] NCX8001, which has a NO-releasing moiety bound to gabapentin, a drug currently used for the clinical management of neuropathic pain. We examined the pharmacological profile of this drug with respect to its NO-releasing properties in vitro as well as to its efficacy in treating neuropathic pain conditions (allodynia) consequent to experimental sciatic nerve or spinal cord injuries. 3. NCX8001 (1-30 microm) released physiologically relevant concentrations of NO as it induced a concentration-dependent activation of soluble guanylyl cyclase (EC(50)=5.6 microm) and produced consistent vasorelaxant effects in noradrenaline-precontracted rabbit aortic rings (IC(50)=1.4 microm). 4. NCX8001, but not gabapentin, counteracted in a concentration-dependent fashion lipopolysaccharide-induced overexpression and function of iNOS in RAW264.7 macrophages cell line. Furthermore, NCX8001 also inhibited the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) from stimulated RAW264.7 cells. 5. NCX8001 (28-280 micromol x kg(-1), i.p.) reduced the allodynic responses of spinal cord injured rats in a dose-dependent fashion while lacking sedative or motor effects. In contrast, gabapentin (170-580 micromol x kg(-1), i.p.) resulted less effective and elicited marked side effects. 6. NCX8001 alleviated the allodynia-like responses of rats to innocuous mechanical or cold stimulation following lesion of the sciatic nerve. This effect was not shared by equimolar doses of gabapentin. 7. Potentially due to the slow releasing kinetics of NO, NCX8001 alleviated pain-like behaviors in two rat models of neuropathic pain in a fashion that is superior to its parent counterpart gabapentin. This new gabapentin derivative, whose mechanism deserves to be explored further, offers new hopes to the treatment of human neuropathic pain.
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PMID:A nitric oxide (NO)-releasing derivative of gabapentin, NCX 8001, alleviates neuropathic pain-like behavior after spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. 1466 26

The antinociceptive effect of rofecoxib, a preferential inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2, was assessed in the pain-induced functional impairment model in the rat. Systemic administration of rofecoxib generated a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in rats injected with uric acid into the knee joint of the right hindlimb in order to produce nociception. Ipsilateral intra-articular pretreatment with N(G)-L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthesis), 1H-(1,2,4)-oxadiazolo (4,2-a)quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ, an inhibitor soluble guanylyl cyclase), and the ATP-sensitive potassium channel blocker glibenclamide reversed the antinociceptive effect of rofecoxib p.o. However, ipsilateral intra-articular pretreatment with L-arginine (a NO substrate), or 3-morpholino-sydnonimine-HCl (SIN-1, a non-enzymatic donor of NO), potentiated the antinociceptive effect induced by rofecoxib. The present results suggest that, in addition to cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition, the antinociceptive effect of rofecoxib could also involve activation of the L-arginine-NO-cyclic GMP (cGMP) pathway, followed by opening of ATP-sensitive K+ channels at the peripheral level.
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PMID:Participation of the L-arginine-nitric oxide-cyclic GMP-ATP-sensitive K+ channel cascade in the antinociceptive effect of rofecoxib. 1474 3

Although the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in mediating pain and neurovascular coupling is well established, the precise mechanisms sustaining these effects are still unclear. Cyclic GMP (cGMP) probably represents the main effector of the biological effects of NO at the vascular and neuronal levels. Nitroglycerin is a NO donor, which easily crosses the blood brain barrier. Several reports have suggested that the study of nitroglycerin effects upon neuronal and cerebrovascular elements is a useful animal model for investigating the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying migraine. In this study, the anatomic distribution of cGMP in the rat brain was evaluated at serial time-points after systemic administration of nitroglycerin or vehicle. The results show an increase in cGMP immunoreactivity in the nucleus trigeminalis caudalis and in the superficial cortical arterioles 2, 3 and 4h after the drug administration. The data obtained sustains the idea that cGMP is an important mediator of nitroglycerin effect in vascular and neuronal structures that are critical elements for the transmission of cephalic pain.
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PMID:Nitroglycerin enhances cGMP expression in specific neuronal and cerebrovascular structures of the rat brain. 1503 60

Diabetic neuropathy is one of the most frequent peripheral neuropathies associated with hyperalgesia and hyperesthesia. Besides alteration in the levels of neurotransmitter, alteration in the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is a key factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. The present study was aimed at evaluating the role of PDE-5 inhibitor on nociception in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in animal models of nociception (writhing assay in mice and paw hyperalgesia test in rats). Diabetic animals showed a significant decrease in pain threshold as compared to non-diabetic animals in both tests, indicating diabetes induced hyperalgesia in mice and rats. The PDE-5 inhibitor, sildenafil, significantly increased the pain threshold in both diabetic and non-diabetic animals. However, L-NAME, a non-specific NOS inhibitor and methylene blue (MB), a guanylate cyclase inhibitor blocked the antinociceptive effect. The per se administration of L-NAME or MB augmented the hyperalgesic response in diabetic animals with little or no effect in non-diabetic animals, indicating the alteration of NO-cGMP pathway in diabetes. The results in the present study demonstrate that the decreased nNOS-cGMP system may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy.
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PMID:Modulatory effect of the PDE-5 inhibitor sildenafil in diabetic neuropathy. 1545 68

The role of nitric oxide (NO) in the antinociceptive effect of indomethacin was assessed in the pain-induced functional impairment model in the rat (PIFIR model), a model of inflammatory and chronic pain similar to that observed in clinical gout. Oral administration of indomethacin (5.6 mg/kg), a nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitor, significantly decreased the nociceptive response elicited by uric acid injected into the knee joint of the right hind limb (2.0+/-3.0 and 149.7+/-18.0 area units [au], in the absence and the presence of indomethacin, respectively). This effect of indomethacin was reduced in nearly 50% by local pretreatment with the nonselective inhibitor of NO synthase, N G-L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) (72.9+/-10.7 vs. 149.7+/-18.0 au, P<0.05). On the other hand, local administration of L-arginine (a NO synthase substrate) or sodium nitroprusside (a non-enzymatic NO donor) each increased in almost 40% the antinociceptive effect of indomethacin (230.9+/-12.6 and 226.6+/-9.7 vs. 149.7+/-18.0 au, P<0.05), whereas D-arginine (the inactive isomer of arginine) had no effect on the indomethacin antinociceptive response (208.0+/-34.9 vs. 149.7+/-18.0 au). These results suggest that, the antinociceptive effect of indomethacin involves, at least in part, the NO-cyclic GMP pathway at peripheral level.
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PMID:Peripheral involvement of the nitric oxide-cGMP pathway in the indomethacin-induced antinociception in rat. 1549 94

Most gut peptides exert their effects through G protein-coupled receptors, a family of about 700 membrane proteins, 87 of which are presently known to have peptide ligands. Three additional gut peptide receptors are not G protein-coupled receptors but regulate intracellular cyclic GMP accumulation. The aim of this review is to illustrate how the sequencing of the human genome and other recent advances in genomics has contributed to our understanding of the role of peptides and their receptors in gastrointestinal function. Recent discoveries include the identification of receptors for the peptides motilin and neuromedin U, and new physiological ligands for the PTH2 receptor, the CRF(2) receptor and the growth hormone secretagogue receptor. Knockout mice lacking specific peptide receptors or their ligands provide informative animal models in which to determine the functions of the numerous peptide-receptor systems in the gut and to predict which of them may be the most fruitful for drug development. Some peptide-receptor signalling systems may be more important in disease states than they are in normal physiology. For example, substance P, galanin, bradykinin and opioids play important roles in visceral pain and inflammation. Other peptides may have developmental roles: for example, disruption of endothelin-3 signalling prevents the normal development of the enteric nervous system and contributes to the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung disease.
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PMID:Clinical endocrinology and metabolism. Receptors for gut peptides. 1553 70

cGMP signalling plays an important physiological role in diverse organs including the vasculature, the GI-tract and the nervous system. Furthermore, cGMP-elevating substances such as glyceryl trinitrate are important drugs used in cardiovascular diseases. Physiologically, cGMP synthesis is induced by nitric oxide (NO) and natriuretic peptides through the stimulation of guanylyl cyclases. Major mediators of cGMP signalling are the cGMP-dependent protein kinases type I and II (cGKI and cGKII). The functional significance of each kinase type in diverse organs was determined using total and tissue-specific cGKI- and cGKII-deficient mice. These studies established that cGKI plays a major role in the regulation of the cardiovascular and the gastrointestinal system, hippocampal and cerebellar learning and pain perception. cGKII is involved in intestinal water secretion, bone growth and circardian rhythmicity. The cGK mutant mice are important tools to obtain detailed insights into cGMP-mediated signalling pathways in health and disease.
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PMID:Insights into cGMP signalling derived from cGMP kinase knockout mice. 1576 24

Hyperpolarization-activated cation channels of the HCN gene family are crucial for the regulation of cell excitability. Importantly, these channels play a pivotal role in the control of cardiac and neuronal pacemaker activity. Dysfunction of HCN channels has been associated with human diseases, including cardiac arrhythmia, epilepsy, and neuropathic pain. The properties of three HCN channel isoforms (HCN1, HCN2, and HCN4) have been extensively investigated. By contrast, due to the lack of an efficient heterologous expression system, the functional characteristics of HCN3 were by and large unknown so far. Here, we have used lentiviral gene transfer to overexpress HCN3 in HEK293T cells. HCN3 currents revealed slow activation and deactivation kinetics and were effectively blocked by extracellular Cs+ and the bradycardic agent ivabradine. Cyclic AMP and cGMP had no significant impact on activation kinetics but induced a 5-mV shift of the half-maximal activation voltage (V0.5) to more hyperpolarized potentials. A negative shift of V0.5 induced by cyclic nucleotides is an unprecedented feature within the HCN channel family. The expression of HCN3 in mouse brain was examined by Western blot analysis using a specific antibody. High levels of protein were detected in olfactory bulb and hypothalamus. In contrast, only very low expression was found in cortex. Using reverse transcriptase PCR transcripts of HCN3 were also detected in heart ventricle. In conclusion, the distinct expression pattern in conjunction with the unusual biophysical properties implies that HCN3 may play an unique role in the body.
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PMID:The murine HCN3 gene encodes a hyperpolarization-activated cation channel with slow kinetics and unique response to cyclic nucleotides. 1592 85

The mechanisms that underlie the development of vincristine-induced painful neuropathy are poorly understood. The nitric oxide (NO)-cGMP pathway has been reported to be involved in the spinal transmission of nociceptive information. In the present study, we examined whether alterations in spinal nociceptive processing via the NO-cGMP pathway contribute to vincristine-induced painful neuropathy in mice. Mice were intraperitoneally treated with vincristine at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg 1 day after the measurement of pre-drug latency in the tail-flick test, and then treated with a dose of 0.125 mg/kg twice a week for 6 weeks. In vincristine-treated mice, a significant decrease in tail-flick latencies developed at 4 weeks after treatment. Pretreatment with L-arginine (30-300 mg/kg, s.c.), a substrate of NO synthase (NOS), dose-dependently increased the tail-flick latencies in vincristine-treated mice. The L-arginine-induced increase in tail-flick latencies in vincristine-treated mice was completely reversed by i.t. pretreatment with NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 3-30 nmol), a NOS inhibitor. Furthermore, i.t. pretreatment with 8-bromoguanosine 3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate (8-Br-cGMP, 0.3-3.0 nmol), a membrane-permeable cGMP analog, dose-dependently increased the tail-flick latencies in vincristine-treated mice. The contents of NO metabolites, cGMP and protein levels of neuronal NOS in the spinal cord in vincristine-treated mice were significantly reduced compared to those in vehicle-treated naive mice. These results indicate that dysfunction of the L-arginine/NO/cGMP cascade in the spinal cord may trigger vincristine-induced thermal hyperalgesia in mice.
Pain 2005 Sep
PMID:Possible involvement of the spinal nitric oxide/cGMP pathway in vincristine-induced painful neuropathy in mice. 1609 72


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