AUTHOR=Wang Anhui , Shi Xiangchao , Yu Ruoyang , Qiao Bao , Yang Runan , Xu Changshui 

TITLE=The P2X7 Receptor Is Involved in Diabetic Neuropathic Pain Hypersensitivity Mediated by TRPV1 in the Rat Dorsal Root Ganglion

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 14 - 2021

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2021.663649

DOI=10.3389/fnmol.2021.663649

ISSN=1662-5099

ABSTRACT=The purinergic 2X7 (P2X7) receptor in satellite glial cells (SGCs) is involved in the inflammatory response, and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) participates in the process of neurogenic inflammation such as diabetic neuropathy and peripheral neuralgia. The main purpose of this research was to explore the role of P2X7 receptor in diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) mediated by TRPV1 in the rat and its possible mechanism. A rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus-related neuropathic pain (NPP) named the DNP rat model was established in this study, and our results showed that the mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of DNP rats were increased after intrathecal injection of the P2X7 receptor antagonist A438079 and that the mRNA level and protein expression of TRPV1 in the DRG were decreased in DNP rats treated with A438079 compared to untreated DNP rats; in addition, A438079 also decreased the phosphorylation levels of p38 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in the DNP group. These results suggest that the P2X7 receptor might be involved in DNP mediated by TRPV1.