Chronic pain is increasingly recognized as an important comorbidity of HIV-infected patients, however, the exact molecular mechanisms of HIV-related pain are still elusive. CCAAT/enhancer binding proteins (C/EBPs) are expressed in various tissues, including the central nervous system. C/EBPβ, one of C/EBPs is involved in the progression of HIV/AIDS, but the exact role of C/EBPβ and its upstream factors are not clear in HIV pain state. Here, we used a neuropathic pain model of perineural HIV envelope glycoprotein gp120 application onto the rat sciatic nerve to test the role of phosphorylated C/EBPβ (pC/EBPβ) and its upstream pathway in the spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH). HIV gp120 induced over-expression of pC/EBPβ in the ipsilateral SCDH compared to contralateral SCDH. Inhibition of C/EBPβ using siRNA against C/EBPβ reduced mechanical allodynia. HIV gp120 also increased TNFα, TNFRI, mitochondrial superoxide (mtO2•-), and pCREB in the ipsilateral SCDH. ChIP-qPCR assay showed that pCREB enrichment on the C/EBPβ gene promoter regions in rats with gp120 was higher than that in sham rats. Intrathecal TNF soluble receptor I (functionally blocking TNFα bioactivity) or knockdown of TNFRI using antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against TNFRI reduced mechanical allodynia, and decreased mtO2•-, pCREB and pC/EBPβ. Intrathecal Mito-tempol (a mitochondria-targeted O2•- scavenger) reduced mechanical allodynia and decreased pCREB and pC/EBPβ. Knockdown of CREB with antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against CREB reduced mechanical allodynia and lowered pC/EBPβ. These results suggested that the pathway of TNFα/TNFRI-mtO2•--pCREB triggers pC/EBPβ in the HIV gp120-induced neuropathic pain state. Furthermore, we confirmed the pathway using both cultured neurons treated with recombinant TNFα in vitro and repeatedly intrathecal injection of recombinant TNFα in naïve rats. This finding provides new insights in the understanding of the HIV neuropathic pain mechanisms and treatment.Significance statementPainful HIV-associated sensory neuropathy is a neurological complication of HIV infection. Phosphorylated C/EBPβ (pC/EBPβ) influences AIDS progression, but it is still not clear about the exact role of pC/EBPβ and the detailed upstream factors of pC/EBPβ in HIV-related pain. In a neuropathic pain model of perineural HIV gp120 application onto the sciatic nerve, we found that pC/EBPβ was triggered by TNFα/TNFRI-mtO2•--pCREB signaling pathway. The pathway was confirmed by using cultured neurons treated with recombinant TNFα in vitro, and by repeatedly intrathecal injection of recombinant TNFα in naïve rats. The present results revealed the functional significance of TNFα/TNFRI-mtO2•--pCREB-pC/EBPβ signaling in HIV neuropathic pain, and should help in the development of more specific treatments for neuropathic pain.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
2
10%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
2
10%
Medicine and Dentistry
2
10%
Immunology and Microbiology
1
5%
Other
2
10%
Unknown
9
43%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 10. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 01 May 2024.
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#4,622,125
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Outputs from Journal of Neuroscience
#5,970
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#72,879
of 491,580 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Neuroscience
#77
of 239 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 34,400,738 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 86th percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
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