Noradrenergic Locus Coeruleus-CA3 Activation Alleviates Neuropathic Pain and Anxiety- and Depression-Like Behaviors by Suppressing Microglial Neuroinflammation in SNI Mice.

OBJECTIVE

Neuropathic pain (NP) arises from neuroimmune interactions following nerve injury and is often accompanied by anxiety and depression. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of the noradrenergic locus coeruleus (LC), a key regulator of pain and emotional states, projects extensively to the hippocampus.

METHOD

We investigated the effects of chronic NP on LC integrity and its projections to the hippocampal CA3 region in spared nerve injury (SNI) mice with behavioral tests, immunohistochemistry, neurochemical analyses, and Gq-DREADD.

RESULTS

Chronic NP induced LC neuronal loss, reduced hippocampal norepinephrine (NE) release, and triggered microglial activation and neuroinflammation in CA3. Selective activation of LC-CA3 noradrenergic neurons using Gq-DREADD chemogenetics alleviated NP and comorbid anxiety- and depression-like behaviors. This intervention suppressed microglial activation, decreased proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1β), and restored NE levels in CA3.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlighted the therapeutic potential of targeting LC-CA3 projections to mitigate chronic NP and its neuropsychiatric comorbidities via modulation of hippocampal neuroinflammation.