Papers of the Week

Central post-stroke pain (CPSP) is a type of neuropathic pain for which the mechanism and relevant drug pathways remain unknown. Recently, it was reported that intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of orexin-A suppresses pain and ischemia. In this study, we tested the role of orexin-A in CPSP induction in mice. Male ddY mice were subjected to 30 min of bilateral carotid artery occlusion (BCAO). CPSP was assessed by von Frey test. Colocalization of orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) with various neuron markers were determined by double-immunofluorescence. The hindpaw withdrawal responses to mechanical stimuli were significantly increased 3 days post-BCAO compared with those of sham groups. ICV injection of orexin-A dose-dependently suppressed BCAO-induced mechanical allodynia. These effects were inhibited by pre-treatment with SB334867 (an OX1R antagonist; ICV injection), yohimbine (a noradrenaline α receptor antagonist; intrathecal (IT) injection), and WAY100635 (a serotonin 5-HT receptor antagonist; IT injection), but not TCS OX2 29 (an OX2R antagonist; ICV injection). OX1R colocalized with TH (a noradrenergic neuron marker) and TPH (a serotonergic neuron marker) in the locus ceruleus (LC) and the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM), respectively. The number of c-Fos positive cells in the LC and the RVM of BCAO mice was increased at 90 min after ICV injection of orexin-A compared to saline group. These results indicate that orexin-A/OX1R signaling plays an important role through activation of the descending pain control system in the induction of CPSP in mice.