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BDNF contributes to animal model neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve transection

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Abstract

The outcome of peripheral nerve injury is often impaired by neuropathic pain, which is resistant to most analgesics and presents a serious clinical problem. The mechanisms underlying post-traumatic neuropathic pain remain unclear, but they are likely associated with the regeneration processes. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration and is also considered to be an endogenous modulator of nociceptive responses following spinal cord lesion. The aim of this work was to examine the local effect of BDNF in a neuropathic pain model. Sciatic nerves of adult male rats were transected and supplied with connective tissue chambers filled with (1) fibrin only, (2) fibrin with BDNF, or (3) fibrin with antibodies against BDNF. In control animals the nerve was transected and no chamber was applied. During follow-up, autotomy behavior was assessed. Seven weeks after the operation, the number of surviving and regenerating neurons in dorsal root ganglia was counted and the neuroma incidence was examined. We found that local inactivation of BDNF decreased the incidence as well as severity of autotomy and neuroma formation, but did not influence neuron regeneration into the chambers. These results indicate that BDNF plays a locally crucial role in neuropathic pain development after peripheral nerve injury.

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Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank Ms. Teresa Kwiatkowska and Mr. Jerzy Podsiadło for their excellent technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków St., 40-752, Katowice, Poland

    Wiesław Marcol, Magdalena Larysz-Brysz & Joanna Lewin Kowalik

  2. Department of Neurology, The Children’s Memorial Health Institute, Warsaw, Poland

    Katarzyna Kotulska

Authors
  1. Wiesław Marcol
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  2. Katarzyna Kotulska
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  3. Magdalena Larysz-Brysz
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  4. Joanna Lewin Kowalik
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Correspondence to Wiesław Marcol.

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Luciano Mastronardi, Rome, Italy

This is a very interesting experimental study on an animal model of post-traumatic neuropathic pain after sciatic nerve transection in adult male rats. Marcol et al. investigate the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the regeneration process of fibers and in neuroma formations. Local inactivation of BDNF seems to decrease the incidence and severity of autotomy and of neuroma formation, without interference on neuron regeneration. On the basis of their observation, the authors conclude that BDNF plays an important role in neuropathic pain development after peripheral nerve injury. If their observations are confirmed, this information could have a future role from the therapeutic point of view.

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Marcol, W., Kotulska, K., Larysz-Brysz, M. et al. BDNF contributes to animal model neuropathic pain after peripheral nerve transection. Neurosurg Rev 30, 235–243 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-007-0085-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-007-0085-5

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