Intrathecal TRESK gene recombinant adenovirus attenuates spared nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain in rats

Abstract

TRESK gene recombinant adenovirus (10 IU/ml), which has been constructed successfully in our previous study, was implemented through an intrathecal injection. The fact that the method can effectively upregulate the expression of TRESK mRNA in the dorsal root ganglia of spared nerve injury in rats was verified. We also investigated the role of TRESK gene recombinant adenovirus in attenuating tactile allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in spared nerve injury rats. Spared nerve injury to the sciatic nerve induced persistent tactile allodynia, but had no effect on thermal hyperalgesia. Intrathecal injection of TRESK gene recombinant adenovirus (25 µl) into the region of lumbar enlargement in advance reduced tactile allodynia. Moreover, intrathecal injection of TRESK gene recombinant adenovirus (25 µl) significantly alleviated the activation of astrocytes in spinal cord induced by spared nerve injury. The current study shows that an intrathecal injection of the TRESK gene recombinant adenovirus attenuated the activity of astrocytes in spinal cord, which contributed to relieving neuropathic pain in spared nerve injury rats. According to the result reported in our previous study, attenuating the expression of TRESK in dorsal root ganglia was involved in the development of neuropathic pain. On the basis of these results, we theorized that the therapeutic utility of upregulation of TRESK in dorsal root ganglia was effective in relieving neuropathic pain syndromes induced by peripheral nerve injury.