Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Relief Center, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Department of Pain and Palliative Medicine, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
PLoS One. 2018 Nov 8;13(11):e0207310. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207310. eCollection 2018.
The underlying mechanisms of neuropathic pain remain to be elucidated. Basic animal research has suggested that lysophosphatidic acids, which are bioactive lipids produced by autotaxin from lysophosphatidylcholine, may play key roles in the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain. Here, we investigated the clinical relevance of lysophosphatidic acids signaling on neuropathic pain in humans. Eighteen patients who had been diagnosed with neuropathic pain with varied etiologies participated in the study. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained by lumbar puncture and the concentrations of 12 species of lysophosphatidic acids and lysophosphatidylcholine, autotaxin, and the phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit were measured. Pain symptoms were assessed using an 11-point numeric rating scale and the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory regarding intensity and descriptive dimensions of neuropathic pain. The total lysophosphatidic acids were significantly associated with both pain intensity and symptoms. 18:1 and 20:4 lysophosphatidic acids in particular demonstrated the most correlations with dimensions of pain symptoms. Autotaxin and the phosphorylated neurofilament heavy subunit showed no association with pain symptoms. In conclusions, lysophosphatidic acids were significantly associated with pain symptoms in neuropathic pain patients. These results suggest that lysophosphatidic acids signaling might be a potential therapeutic target for neuropathic pain.
神经病理性疼痛的潜在机制仍有待阐明。基础动物研究表明,溶血磷脂酸(由自分泌酶从溶血磷脂酰胆碱产生的生物活性脂质)可能在神经病理性疼痛的发生和维持中起关键作用。在这里,我们研究了溶血磷脂酸信号在人类神经病理性疼痛中的临床相关性。18 名患有不同病因的神经病理性疼痛的患者参与了这项研究。通过腰椎穿刺获得脑脊液样本,并测量了 12 种溶血磷脂酸和溶血磷脂酰胆碱、自分泌酶和磷酸化神经丝重链的浓度。使用 11 点数字评分量表和神经病理性疼痛症状量表评估疼痛症状,以评估强度和神经病理性疼痛的描述性维度。总溶血磷脂酸与疼痛强度和症状均显著相关。特别是 18:1 和 20:4 溶血磷脂酸与疼痛症状的各个维度相关性最强。自分泌酶和磷酸化神经丝重链与疼痛症状无关。总之,溶血磷脂酸与神经病理性疼痛患者的疼痛症状显著相关。这些结果表明,溶血磷脂酸信号可能是神经病理性疼痛的潜在治疗靶点。