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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2023 , Vol. 43 >Issue 4: 715 - 724

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20221214.002

Original Articles

Chinese Tuina remodels the synaptic structure in neuropathic pain rats by downregulating the expression of N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B and postsynaptic density protein-95 in the spinal cord dorsal horn

  • Hongye HUANG ,
  • Bingqian WANG ,
  • Shuijin CHEN ,
  • Jiayu FANG ,
  • Xiaohua WANG ,
  • Lechun CHEN ,
  • Yu JIANG ,
  • Huanzhen ZHANG ,
  • Jincheng CHEN ,
  • Zhigang LIN
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  • 1 College of Rehabilitation Medicine, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350122, China
    2 Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Subsidiary Rehabilitation Hospital, Fuzhou 350003, China
    3 Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technology, Fuzhou 350003, China
    4 Peking University International Hospital, Beijing 102206, China
Dr. LIN Zhigang, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Subsidiary Rehabilitation Hospital, Fuzhou 350003, China. linzhigang@fjtcm.edu.cn. Telephone: +86-18159191681

Received date: 2022-02-23

  Accepted date: 2022-07-08

  Online published: 2022-12-14

Supported by

Natural Science Foundation-funded Project: Study on the Mechanism of Tuina and Tuina in Regulating the Synaptic Plasticity of Spinal Dorsal Horn in Lumbar Disc Herniation Based on LncRNA-HOTAIR/miR-219 Mediated NMDAR Pathway(82174523);Natural Science Foundation of Fujian Province: Study on the Mechanism of Tuina Regulating the Synaptic Plasticity of Spinal Dorsal Horn in Lumbar Disc Herniation based on NMDAR-CAMK2-CREB Pathway(2020J01757);Study on Analgesic Mechanism of Tuina on Neuropathic Pain in Spinal Dorsal Horn/ACC Brain Region based on PKA-NMDA-NR2B Pathway(2020J01758);Fujian Health Science and Technology Program: Study on the Analgesic Mechanism of Tuina Manipulation On Lumbar Disc Herniation from the Efficacy of miR-219/NR2B Mediated Synaptic Transmission(2020GGA070);Effects of Tuina Point Press on AMPA/NMDA Receptor Scaffold Protein and Synaptic Plasticity in Spinal Dorsal Horn of Rats with Neuropathic Pain(2020CXA052)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the Chinese massage system, Tuina, exerts analgesic effects in a rat model of chronic constriction injury (CCI) by remodeling the synaptic structure in the spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH).

METHODS: Sixty-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and evenly divided into the normal group, sham group, CCI group, CCI + Tuina group, CCI + MK-801 [an N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B (NR2B) antagonist] group, and CCI + MK-801 + Tuina group. The neuropathic pain model was established using CCI with right sciatic nerve ligation. Tuina was administered 4 d after CCI surgery, using pressing manipulation for 10 min, once daily. Motor function was observed with the inclined plate test, and pain behaviors were observed by the Von Frey test and acetone spray test. At 19 d after surgery, the L3-L5 spinal cord segments were removed. Glutamate, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The protein expression levels of NR2B and postsynaptic density protein-95 (PSD-95) were detected by Western blot, and the synaptic structure was observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

RESULTS: CCI reduced motor function and caused mechanical and cold allodynia in rats, increased glutamate concentration and TNF-α and IL-1β levels, and increased expression of synapse-related proteins NR2B and PSD-95 in the SCDH. TEM revealed that the synaptic structure of SCDH neurons was altered. Most of these disease-induced changes were reversed by Tuina and intrathecal injection of MK-801 (P < 0.05 or < 0.01). For the majority of experiments, no significant differences were found between the CCI + MK-801 and CCI + MK-801 + Tuina groups.

CONCLUSIONS: Chinese Tuina can alleviate pain by remodeling the synaptic structure, and NR2B and PSD-95 receptors in the SCDH may be among its targets.

Key words： neuralgia; spinal cord dorsal horn; receptors, N-Methyl-D-aspartate; disks large homolog 4 protein; neuronal plasticity; Chinese Tuina

Cite this article

Hongye HUANG , Bingqian WANG , Shuijin CHEN , Jiayu FANG , Xiaohua WANG , Lechun CHEN , Yu JIANG , Huanzhen ZHANG , Jincheng CHEN , Zhigang LIN . Chinese Tuina remodels the synaptic structure in neuropathic pain rats by downregulating the expression of N-methyl D-aspartate receptor subtype 2B and postsynaptic density protein-95 in the spinal cord dorsal horn[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2023 , 43(4) : 715 -724 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.20221214.002

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