Abstract
Neuropathic pain (NP) is difficult to treat due to complex pathophysiological mechanisms. Pulsed radiofrequency (RRF) has been used widely with neuromodulation effect in refractory chronic pain treatment. A recent study found that PRF treatment may decrease chronic pain-related anxiety-depressant symptoms in patients, even though the mechanisms are unclear. Additionally, accumulated evidence has shown serotonin uptake is correlated with various neuropsychiatric diseases. Therefore, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of PRF on depression-like behaviors, resulting from spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced NP. We examined the indexes of mechanical allodynia, cold allodynia, depression-like behavior, and blood cytokines by dynamic plantar aesthesiometry, acetone spray test, forced swimming test, and ProcartaPlex multiplex immunoassays in male Wistar rats, respectively. Serotonin transporters (SERTs) in rat brains were examined by using 4-[18F]-ADAM/PET imaging. We found that specific uptake ratios (SURs) of SERTs were significantly decreased in the brain regions of the thalamus and striatum in rats with SNI-induced NP and depression-like behaviors. Additionally, the decrease in SERT density was correlated with the development of a depression-like behavior indicated by the forced swimming test results and pronounced IL-6 cytokines. Moreover, we demonstrated that PRF application could modulate the descending serotoninergic pathway to relieve pain and depression behaviors.
Highlights
Chronic pain and clinical depression are connected in a bidirectional means and are a common comorbidity in clinic
The mechanical and cold allodynia were tested in four groups
On day 28 (Figure 3B), we found that the uptake of 4-[18F]ADAM was clearly lower in the spared nerve injury (SNI) group in the striatum and thalamus regions than in ADAM was clearly lower in the SNI group in the striatum and thalamus regions than in the sham group
Summary
Chronic pain and clinical depression are connected in a bidirectional means and are a common comorbidity in clinic. Biomedicines 2021, 9, 1489 less tolerance of severe pain. Neuropathic pain has been described as a type of pain that arises from primary damage to or dysfunction of either the peripheral or central nervous system. This kind of neuropathic pain with or without depression is difficult to relieve through pharmacological methods. There are few studies about the use of nonpharmacological treatment, an alternative method, to decrease painful symptoms and depression. Speaking, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) modulation is a valid alternative technique in which multiple medications and surgical treatments are not effective in pain control
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