Wei Zhongya, Fei Ying, Su Wenfeng, Chen Gang
Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Front Cell Neurosci. 2019 Mar 27;13:116. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00116. eCollection 2019.
Neuropathic pain caused by nerve injury or disease remains a major challenge for modern medicine worldwide. Most of the pathogenic mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain are centered on neuronal mechanisms. Accumulating evidence suggests that non-neuronal cells, especially glial cells, also play active roles in the initiation and resolution of pain. The preponderance of evidence has implicated central nervous system (CNS) glial cells, i.e., microglia and astrocytes, in the control of pain. The role of Schwann cells in neuropathic pain remains poorly understood. Schwann cells, which detect nerve injury and provide the first response, play a critical role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. The cells respond to nerve injury by changing their phenotype, proliferating and interacting with nociceptive neurons by releasing glial mediators (growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and biologically active small molecules). In addition, receptors expressed in active Schwann cells have the potential to regulate different pain conditions. In this review article, we will provide and discuss emerging evidence by integrating recent advances related to Schwann cells and neuropathic pain.
由神经损伤或疾病引起的神经性疼痛仍然是全球现代医学面临的一项重大挑战。神经性疼痛背后的大多数致病机制都集中在神经元机制上。越来越多的证据表明，非神经元细胞，尤其是神经胶质细胞，在疼痛的引发和缓解过程中也发挥着积极作用。大量证据表明，中枢神经系统（CNS）的神经胶质细胞，即小胶质细胞和星形胶质细胞，参与了疼痛的控制。雪旺细胞在神经性疼痛中的作用仍知之甚少。雪旺细胞能够检测神经损伤并做出第一反应，在神经性疼痛的发生和维持中起着关键作用。这些细胞通过改变其表型、增殖并通过释放神经胶质介质（生长因子、细胞因子、趋化因子和生物活性小分子）与伤害性神经元相互作用来对神经损伤做出反应。此外，活跃的雪旺细胞中表达的受体有可能调节不同的疼痛状况。在这篇综述文章中，我们将通过整合与雪旺细胞和神经性疼痛相关的最新进展来提供并讨论新出现的证据。
