Analgesic mechanism of gabapentinoid in the brain

Research Project

Project/Area Number	26460700
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Multi-year Fund
Section	一般
Research Field	Pain science
Research Institution	Kumamoto University
Principal Investigator	YAMAMOTO TATSUO 熊本大学, 大学院生命科学研究部(医), 教授 (20200818)
Research Collaborator	NONAKA Takahiro SHINOZAKI Tomonari
Project Period (FY)	2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
Budget Amount *help	¥5,070,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,170,000) Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000) Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000) Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
Keywords	青斑核 / 中脳水道周辺灰白質 / α2δサブユニット / ガバペンチノイド / ノルアドレナリン / 神経障害性疼痛 / カルシウムチャネル / 中脳水道周囲灰白質 / 神経障害性痛 / α２δサブユニット / プレがバリン
Outline of Final Research Achievements	It has been suggested that pregabalin/gabapentin binds alpha-2-delta-1 subunit of Ca2+ channel and produces an analgesic effect in the spinal dorsal horn. In the brain, pregabalin/gabapentin has been reported to act at locus coeruleus (LC) and to produce an analgesic effect, but there was no report to reveal the expression of alpha-2-delta-1 subunit in the LC. In this study, we examined the expression of alpha-2-delta-1 subunit in the brain, especially in the LC, PAG and the adjacent nucleus. We found that alpha-2-delta-1 subunit was not expressed in the LC, but in the adjacent nucleus, the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. alpha-2-delta-1 subunit was no expressed in the PAG. We also found that nerve injury did not affect the expression of alpha-2-delta-1 subunit in the mesencephalic nucleus of the trigeminal nerve.