Estrogen affects BDNF expression following chronic constriction nerve injury

To investigate the effect of estrogen on BDNF expression in neuropathic pain. Using chronic constriction injury model, we detected BDNF mRNA and protein level by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. A hot-plate test was used as a sign of neuropathic pain. The rats with higher estrogen level exhibited more sensitive to thermal stimuli and had a higher level of BDNF mRNA and protein expression. The results suggest that BDNF level can be elevated by estrogen and estrogen may potentiate the sensitivity to thermal stimuli by its effect on BDNF expression. Thus, this study improves our understanding of the role of estrogen in the nociceptive processing.