Inhibition of cytochrome P450c17 reduces spinal astrocyte activation in a mouse model of neuropathic pain via regulation of p38 MAPK phosphorylation

Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy = Biomédecine & Pharmacothérapie
Sheu-Ran ChoiJang-Hern Lee

Abstract

We have recently demonstrated that the neurosteroid-metabolizing enzyme, cytochrome P450c17 is increased in spinal astrocytes contributing to the development of mechanical allodynia in chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induced neuropathic mice. However, the mechanisms by which spinal P450c17 modulates pathological changes in astrocytes remain unclear. In this study we investigated whether P450c17 modulates astrocyte activation and whether this process is mediated by spinal p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation ultimately leading to the development of mechanical allodynia in CCI mice. Sciatic nerve injury induced a significant increase in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in the superficial dorsal horn (SDH, laminae I-II) and nucleus proprius (NP, laminae III-IV) regions of the spinal cord dorsal horn. Repeated daily (from days 0-3 post-surgery) intrathecal administration of the P450c17 inhibitor, ketoconazole (10 nmol) significantly inhibited the CCI-induced increase in GFAP-immunoreactivity, but had no effect on the CCI-induced increase in Iba-1-immunoreactivity. In addition, intrathecal administration of ketoconazole significantly inhibited the CCI-induced increase in p38 phosphorylation, while ...Continue Reading

Citations

Dec 2, 2020·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Eva FalvoSilvia Giatti
Jun 3, 2020·Life Sciences·Lijia MaiWenguo Fan
Jul 1, 2021·The Korean Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology : Official Journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology·Ji-Hee YeoDae-Hyun Roh
Jul 27, 2021·Acupuncture in Medicine : Journal of the British Medical Acupuncture Society·Ying JinLanying Liu

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