Increased miR-132-3p expression is associated with chronic neuropathic pain

• Published in: Experimental neurology 2016-09, Vol.283 (Pt A), p.276-286
• Main Authors: Leinders, M., Üçeyler, N., Pritchard, R.A., Sommer, C., Sorkin, L.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activating Transcription Factor 3 - metabolism; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Avoidance Learning - physiology; Chronic Disease; Cohort Studies; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Ganglia, Spinal - drug effects; Ganglia, Spinal - metabolism; Humans; Leukocytes - metabolism; Male; MicroRNAs - chemistry; MicroRNAs - genetics; MicroRNAs - metabolism; Middle Aged; miR-132; Neuralgia - blood; Neuralgia - pathology; Neuralgia - physiopathology; neuroimmune; Neuropathic pain; Oligonucleotides - pharmacology; Pain Measurement; Pain Threshold - drug effects; Pain Threshold - physiology; PEAP; polyneuropathy; Rats; Receptors, AMPA - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; SNI; Up-Regulation - drug effects; Up-Regulation - physiology
• ISSN: 0014-4886; 1090-2430
• DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.025

Alterations in the neuro-immune balance play a major role in the pathophysiology of chronic neuropathic pain. MicroRNAs (miRNA) can regulate both immune and neuronal processes and may function as master switches in chronic pain development and maintenance. We set out to analyze the role of miR-132-3p, first in patients with peripheral neuropathies and second in an animal model of neuropathic pain. We initially determined miR-132-3p expression by measuring its levels in white blood cells (WBC) of 30 patients and 30 healthy controls and next in sural nerve biopsies of 81 patients with painful or painless inflammatory or non-inflammatory neuropathies based on clinical diagnosis. We found a 2.6 fold increase in miR-132-3p expression in WBC of neuropathy patients compared to healthy controls (p