Elucidation of a new mechanism by which pregnancy suppresses neuropathic pain: Focusing on reactive oxygen species

• Project/Area Number: 17K16716
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Anesthesiology
• Research Institution: Asahikawa Medical College
• Principal Investigator: Onodera Yoshiko 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (50516953)
• Research Collaborator: KANDA Megumi (KANAO Megumi) ; KANDA Hirotsugu
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
• Keywords: 神経障害性疼痛 / 妊娠 / 活性酸素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

At present, there are social needs for coping with neuropathic pain in order to extend the healthy life span in Japan. We noted that pregnancy raises the pain threshold. And we revealed that neuropathic pain is suppressed just before parturition. We also indicate that the spinal dorsal horn plays a major role in the mechanism and it is important to suppress activated glial cells. Furthermore Drp1 (dynamin-related protein 1), which catalyzes division of mitochondria is increased during neuropathic pain, but the increase is suppressed just before parturition. It is thought that it will lead to a new treatment of neuropathic pain by clarifying the details in the future.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

“痛み”は人体に危険を知らせるシグナルとして重要であるが、神経障害性疼痛はそのシグナルの異常発生により病的な痛みを発し続けるという強い苦痛を伴う疾患である。これまでに使用されている鎮痛薬の神経障害性疼痛に対する効果は限られており、新しい鎮痛方法が求められている。その中で生物が元々有している生理的な鎮痛方法に注目した。分娩という強い痛みに対して生物が持つ鎮痛方法の応用を目指している。

Research Products

• [Presentation] Pregnancy suppresses mechanical allodynia by reversing decreased mitochondrial SIRT3 in the spinal dorsal horn in the chronic constriction injury rat model (2018)
  • Author(s): Eri Anno, Megumi Kanao-Kanda, Izumi Sato, Yoshiko Onodera, Hirotsugu Kanda, Chie Mori, Hiroshi Iwasaki, Takayuki Kunisawa
  • Organizer: ASA Annual Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Pregnancy Attenuates the Expression of TLR4 and Drp1 in the Spinal Cord of Rats With Neuropathic Pain (2017)
  • Author(s): Chinami Takahashi, Student, Megumi Kanda, M.D.,Ph.D., Hirotsugu Kanda, M.D.,Ph.D., Yoshiko Onodera, M.D., Izumi Sato, M.D., TAKAFUMI IIDA, M.D.,Ph.D., Hiroshi Iwasaki, M.D.,Ph.D., Takayuki Kunisawa, M.D.,Ph.D.
  • Organizer: アメリカ麻酔学会
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Pregnancy Suppresses Mechanical Allodynia by Reversing the Downregulation of GAD67 in the Spinal Dorsal Horn in the Chronic Constriction Injury Rat Model (2017)
  • Author(s): Izumi Sato, M.D., Megumi Kanda-Kanao, M.D.,Ph.D., Yoshiko Onodera, M.D., Chie Mori, M.D., Takafumi Iida, M.D.,Ph.D., Hirotsugu Kanda, M.D.,Ph.D., Hiroshi Iwasaki, M.D.,Ph.D., Takayuki Kunisawa, M.D.,Ph.D.
  • Organizer: アメリカ麻酔学会
  • Int'l Joint Research