Abstract
α1-Adrenoceptor expression on nociceptors may play an important role in sympathetic-sensory
coupling in certain neuropathic pain syndromes. The aim of this study was to determine
whether α1-adrenoceptor expression was upregulated on surviving peptidergic, nonpeptidergic,
and myelinated nerve fiber populations in the skin after chronic constriction injury
of the sciatic nerve in rats. Seven days after surgery, α1-adrenoceptor expression was upregulated in the epidermis and on dermal nerve fibers
in plantar skin ipsilateral to the injury but not around blood vessels. This α1-adrenoceptor upregulation in the plantar skin was observed on all nerve fiber populations
examined. However, α1-adrenoceptor expression was unaltered in the dorsal hind paw skin after the injury.
The increased expression of α1-adrenoceptors on cutaneous nociceptors in plantar skin after chronic constriction
injury suggests that this may be a site of sensory-sympathetic coupling that increases
sensitivity to adrenergic agonists after nerve injury. In addition, activation of
upregulated α1-adrenoceptors in the epidermis might cause release of factors that stimulate nociceptive
signaling.
Perspective
Our findings indicate that peripheral nerve injury provokes upregulation of α1-adrenoceptors on surviving nociceptive afferents and epidermal cells in the skin.
This might contribute to sympathetically maintained pain in conditions such as complex
regional pain syndrome, painful diabetic neuropathy, and postherpetic neuralgia.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 11, 2013
Accepted:
October 2,
2013
Received in revised form:
October 2,
2013
Received:
August 6,
2013
Footnotes
This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (grant numbers APP1030379, 437205); the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (grant number 12/024); and unrestricted grants from Pfizer, Medtronic Australasia and St. Jude Medical.
None of the authors has a conflict of interest with the contents of this paper.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
