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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2022 , Vol. 42 >Issue 3: 372 - 378

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2022.03.004

Research Article

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 2 contributes to electroacupuncture analgesia on lumbar disc herniation-induced radicular pain through activation of microglia in spinal dorsal horn

  • Qingguang QIN ,
  • Zujiang CHEN ,
  • Weimin FAN ,
  • Junhua LI ,
  • Liqing LIAO ,
  • Yikai LI
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  • School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
LI Yikai, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. ortho@fimmu.com,Telephone: +86-20-61648455

Received date: 2021-11-23

  Accepted date: 2021-02-26

  Online published: 2022-05-20

Supported by

Inheritance and Innovation in TCM “Hundred-Thousand-Ten Thousand” Talent Project(Qinhuang Project)(F119090038);National Natural Science Foundation of China (Based on the Cascade Reaction of Microglia-Astrocyte research exosomal miRNA mechanisms of the inhibitory transition from acute to chronic pain of LDH by electroacupuncture)(82074529);Scientific Research Projects of Traditional Chinese Medicine Bureau of Guangdong Province(Based on the cAMP-PKA-HCN2 pathway the mechanism of electro-acupuncture to prevent the development of pain in lumbar disc herniation)(20211254)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanisms of dorsal root ganglia and spinal microglia cascade cross in electroacupuncture (EA) analgesia in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation.

METHODS: A rat model of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) was established, EA was administered at Huantiao (GB30) acupoint 30 min once a day, for 3 d. Before and after modeling, and after EA, mechanical allodynia thresholds were detected. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 2 (HCN2) in dorsal root ganglia was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western blot. C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) and activity of microglia in spinal cord was observed separately via qPCR and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS: The mechanical allodynia threshold of the right planta of model rats was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), EA increased the mechanical pain threshold of rats (P < 0.01), and decreased HCN2 mRNA, and protein expression, reduced the expression of CX3CL1 and the activation of microglia. ZD7288 (a blocker of HCN channel) reduced the analgesic effect of EA from 1.83 ± 0.84 to 0.74 ± 0.20 (P < 0.05), and the expression of CX3CL1 in the spinal cord decreased from 0.52 ± 0.11 to 0.15 ± 0.05 (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION: EA analgesia on the radicular pain of LDH is definite. EA reduced the expression of HCN2 channel in the dorsal root ganglion, thereby decreasing the noxious stimulation entered to microglia in spinal dorsal horn. Our work supports EA is an effective treatment for radicular pain of LDH.

Key words： intervertebral disc displacement; radicular pain; electroacupuncture; ganglia,spinal; hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channels; microglia

Cite this article

Qingguang QIN , Zujiang CHEN , Weimin FAN , Junhua LI , Liqing LIAO , Yikai LI . Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated 2 contributes to electroacupuncture analgesia on lumbar disc herniation-induced radicular pain through activation of microglia in spinal dorsal horn[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2022 , 42(3) : 372 -378 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2022.03.004

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