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The pathogenesis of neuropathic pain (NP) has not been fully elucidated. Gene changes in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) may contribute to the development of NP. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding RNAs that form covalently closed loop structures and are crucial for genetic and epigenetic regulation. However, little is known about circRNA changes in DRG neurons after peripheral nerve injury.

Chronic pain is challenging to treat due to the limited therapeutic options and adverse side-effects of therapies. Astrocytes are the most abundant glial cells in the central nervous system and play important roles in different pathological conditions, including chronic pain. Astrocytes regulate nociceptive synaptic transmission and network function via neuron-glia and glia-glia interactions to exaggerate pain signals under chronic pain conditions. It is also becoming clear that astrocytes play active roles in brain regions important for the emotional and memory-related aspects of chronic pain. Therefore, this review presents our current understanding of the roles of astrocytes in chronic pain, how they regulate nociceptive responses, and their cellular and molecular mechanisms of action.

At this centenary of the British Journal of Anaesthesia (BJA) in 2023, six of its 12 editors/editors-in-chief detail developments over the decades that have led to the BJA becoming a high-impact international scientific journal. As a charity, the BJA supports academic research and training in anaesthesia, critical care, and pain medicine including funding of research grants and postgraduate education. Building on this foundation, the BJA continues to innovate as it aims to become fully electronic, expand into open access publishing, and increase the diversity of its editorial board.

There is little information about the epidemiology and factors associated with opioid therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We aimed to assess the prevalence of opioid therapy and explore factors associated with long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) in patients with SLE.

Chronic pain disorders are often associated with negative emotions, including anxiety and depression. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) has emerged as an integrative hub for nociceptive and affective components during central pain development. Prior adverse injuries are precipitating factors thought to transform nociceptors into a primed state for chronic pain. However, the cellular basis underlying the primed state and the subsequent development of chronic pain remains unknown. Here, we investigated the cellular and synaptic alterations of the CeA in a mouse model of chronic muscle pain. In these mice, local infusion of pregabalin, a clinically approved drug for fibromyalgia and other chronic pain disorders, into the CeA or chemogenetic inactivation of the somatostatin-expressing CeA (CeA-SST) neurons during the priming phase prevented the chronification of pain. Further, electrophysiological recording revealed that the CeA-SST neurons had increased excitatory synaptic drive and enhanced neuronal excitability in the chronic pain states. Finally, either chemogenetic inactivation of the CeA-SST neurons or pharmacological suppression of the nociceptive afferents from the brainstem to the CeA-SST neurons alleviated chronic pain and anxio-depressive symptoms. These data raise the possibility of targeting treatments to CeA-SST neurons to prevent central pain sensitization.