Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0344307 (analgesia)
 28,200 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Identification of cellular targets pertinent for the development of effective therapies against pathological pain constitutes a difficult challenge. We combined several approaches to show that 3alpha-hydroxysteroid oxido-reductase (3alpha-HSOR), abundantly expressed in the spinal cord (SC), is a key target, the modulation of which markedly affects nociception. 3alpha-HSOR catalyzes the biosynthesis and oxidation of 3alpha,5alpha-reduced neurosteroids as allopregnanolone (3alpha,5alpha-THP), which stimulates GABA(A) receptors. Intrathecal injection of Provera (pharmacological inhibitor of 3alpha-HSOR activity) in naive rat SC decreased thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds assessed with behavioral methods. In contrast, pain thresholds were dose-dependently increased by 3alpha,5alpha-THP. In animals subjected to sciatic nerve injury-evoked neuropathic pain, molecular and biochemical experiments revealed an up-regulation of 3alpha-HSOR reductive activity in the SC. Enhancement of 3alpha,5alpha-THP concentration in the SC induced analgesia in neuropathic rats while Provera exacerbated their pathological state. Possibilities are opened for chronic pain control with drugs modulating 3alpha-HSOR activity in nerve cells.
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PMID:The biological activity of 3alpha-hydroxysteroid oxido-reductase in the spinal cord regulates thermal and mechanical pain thresholds after sciatic nerve injury. 1829 63