IMR Press / JIN / Volume 23 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin2304082
Open Access Original Research
Changes in SLITRK1 Level in the Amygdala Mediate Chronic Neuropathic Pain-Induced Anxio-Depressive Behaviors in Mice
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1 Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Second Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, 200003 Shanghai, China
2 Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Ministry of Education, Naval Medical University, 200433 Shanghai, China
3 Department of Histoembryology and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Cell Engineering, Naval Medical University, 200433 Shanghai, China
*Correspondence: tianml1973@163.com (Mouli Tian); jfjczyy@163.com (Hongbin Yuan)
These authors contributed equally.
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2024, 23(4), 82; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin2304082
Submitted: 21 October 2023 | Revised: 20 December 2023 | Accepted: 28 December 2023 | Published: 18 April 2024
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: Comorbid chronic neuropathic pain (NPP) and anxio-depressive disorders (ADD) have become a serious global public-health problem. The SLIT and NTRK-like 1 (SLITRK1) protein is important for synaptic remodeling and is highly expressed in the amygdala, an important brain region involved in various emotional behaviors. We examined whether SLITRK1 protein in the amygdala participates in NPP and comorbid ADD. Methods: A chronic NPP mouse model was constructed by L5 spinal nerve ligation; changes in chronic pain and ADD-like behaviors were measured in behavioral tests. Changes in SLITRK1 protein and excitatory synaptic functional proteins in the amygdala were measured by immunofluorescence and Western blot. Adeno-associated virus was transfected into excitatory synaptic neurons in the amygdala to up-regulate the expression of SLITRK1. Results: Chronic NPP-related ADD-like behavior was successfully produced in mice by L5 ligation. We found that chronic NPP and related ADD decreased amygdalar expression of SLITRK1 and proteins important for excitatory synaptic function, including Homer1, postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD95), and synaptophysin. Virally-mediated SLITRK1 overexpression in the amygdala produced a significant easing of chronic NPP and ADD, and restored the expression levels of Homer1, PSD95, and synaptophysin. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that SLITRK1 in the amygdala plays an important role in chronic pain and related ADD, and may prove to be a potential therapeutic target for chronic NPP-ADD comorbidity.

Keywords
adeno-associated virus
amygdala
anxio-depressive behavior
chronic neuropathic pain
SLITRK1
synaptic functional protein
Funding
81901123/National Natural Science Foundation of China
Figures
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