Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Pain Management, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei 112201, Taiwan.
School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan.
Mar Drugs. 2023 Feb 4;21(2):113. doi: 10.3390/md21020113.
Aaptamine, a natural marine compound isolated from the sea sponge, has various biological activities, including delta-opioid agonist properties. However, the effects of aaptamine in neuropathic pain remain unclear. In the present study, we used a chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced peripheral neuropathic rat model to explore the analgesic effects of intrathecal aaptamine administration. We also investigated cellular angiogenesis and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) expression in the ipsilateral lumbar spinal cord after aaptamine administration in CCI rats by immunohistofluorescence. The results showed that aaptamine alleviates CCI-induced nociceptive sensitization, allodynia, and hyperalgesia. Moreover, aaptamine significantly downregulated CCI-induced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cluster of differentiation 31 (CD31), and LDHA expression in the spinal cord. Double immunofluorescent staining showed that the spinal VEGF and LDHA majorly expressed on astrocytes and neurons, respectively, in CCI rats and inhibited by aaptamine. Collectively, our results indicate aaptamine's potential as an analgesic agent for neuropathic pain. Furthermore, inhibition of astrocyte-derived angiogenesis and neuronal LDHA expression might be beneficial in neuropathy.
阿帕肽是一种从海绵中分离出来的天然海洋化合物,具有多种生物活性,包括 δ-阿片样激动剂特性。然而,阿帕肽在神经病理性疼痛中的作用尚不清楚。在本研究中,我们使用慢性缩窄性损伤(CCI)诱导的周围神经病理性大鼠模型来探讨鞘内给予阿帕肽的镇痛作用。我们还通过免疫荧光法研究了阿帕肽给药后 CCI 大鼠同侧腰椎脊髓中的细胞血管生成和乳酸脱氢酶 A(LDHA)表达。结果表明,阿帕肽减轻了 CCI 诱导的痛觉过敏、触诱发痛和痛觉过敏。此外,阿帕肽显著下调了 CCI 诱导的脊髓中血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)、分化群 31(CD31)和 LDHA 的表达。双重免疫荧光染色显示,CCI 大鼠脊髓中的 VEGF 和 LDHA 主要在星形胶质细胞和神经元上表达,并被阿帕肽抑制。综上所述,我们的研究结果表明阿帕肽可能是治疗神经病理性疼痛的一种潜在药物。此外,抑制星形胶质细胞源性血管生成和神经元 LDHA 表达可能对神经病变有益。