Involvement of the neural mechanism for posture maintenance in the formation of laterality of the psoas major muscle by neuropathic pain

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24500604
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: KAMI Katsuya 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 博士研究員 (20204612)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SENBA Emiko 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 博士研究員 (00135691)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 神経障害性疼痛 / トレッドミル走 / ヒラメ筋 / 筋線維横断面積 / HDAC1 / アセチル化ヒストンH3K9 / ミクログリア / エピジェネティクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The present study investigated the influence of neuropathic pain (NPP) on the lower extremity skeletal muscle and treadmill running on NPP. Mice that were subjected to partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSL) showed neuropathic pain behavior and significant enlargement and reduction of myofiber cross sectional area (CSA) in the contralateral and ipsilateral soleus muscles, respectively. Treadmill running for 5 days after the PSL significantly improved pain behaviors of NPP model mice, and also increased the number of microglia with nuclear expression of acetylated histone H3K9 in the ipsilateral superficial dorsal horn. In this way, although NPP produces laterality in the soleus muscle, treadmill running may be effective in correcting the unbalanced soleus muscle. In addition, the present study suggested that epigenetic modification such as hyperacetylation of histone H3K9 in microglia in the ipsilateral dorsal horn may play a role in producing exercise-induced hypoalgesia.

Free Research Field

神経科学