Administrations of thalidomide into the rostral ventromedial medulla alleviates painful diabetic neuropathy in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

作者：Yang, Yunliang; Zhang, Zaiwang; Guan, Jiao; Liu, Jiabao; Ma, Pengyu; Gu, Kunfeng; Zhao, Jianhui; Yang, Guangyao; Song, Tieying^*

来源：Brain Research Bulletin, 2016, 125: 144-151.

DOI：10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.06.013

• Thalidomide
• Diabetic neuropathy
• Rostral ventromedial medulla
• Zucker diabetic fatty rats
• Pain

The rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) plays a critical role in pain signal transmissions. However, the mechanisms of RVM in type 2 diabetic neuropathy are still poorly understood. Therefore, we evaluated the mechanisms within the RVM in the modulation of neuropathic pain in type 2 diabetes. To this end, we used Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats to examine the levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and NF-kappa B in the RVM during the development of neuropathic pain in type 2 diabetes, and evaluated the effects of intra-RVM microinjections of thalidomide on the levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and NF-kappa B in the RVM and mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia induced by type 2 diabetes. We found that ZDF rats became hyperglycemic and exhibited increased levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and NF-kappa B in the RVM at the age of 13 weeks. Intra-RVM administrations of thalidomide dose-dependently attenuated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, and this phenomenon was associated with reduced levels of TNF alpha, IL-1 beta, and NF-kappa B in the RVM, without altering serum levels of TNF alpha or IL-1 beta These results suggested that supraspinal mechanisms of thalidomide play a critical role in modulations of type 2 diabetes induced neuropathic pain, which is likely mediated by TNF alpha and IL-1 beta in the RVM.

• 出版日期2016-7
• 单位中国人民解放军白求恩国际和平医院; 石家庄市第一医院