Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
08:23
Chronic Constriction of the Sciatic Nerve and Pain Hypersensitivity Testing in Rats
Published on: March 13, 2012
Changes in BDNF gene expression correlate with rat strain differences in neuropathic pain
Gonzalo Herradon1, Laura Ezquerra, Trang Nguyen
1Lab. Pharmacology, Universidad San Pablo-CEU, Cta. Boadilla Km. 5300, Boadilla, Madrid 28668, Spain. herradon@ceu.es
Neuroscience Letters
|June 9, 2007
Summary
Fischer 344 rats showed complete recovery from neuropathic pain after sciatic nerve injury. This resilience correlated with increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene expression in dorsal root ganglia (DRG).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Pain Research
Background:
- Rat strains exhibit varied responses to pain stimuli, linked to opioid and noradrenergic systems.
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) influences these pain-modulating systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate strain-specific changes in BDNF gene expression during neuropathic pain.
- Determine BDNF's role in neuropathic pain resistance in Fischer 344 rats.
Main Methods:
- Chronic constriction injury (CCI) model of neuropathic pain in Fischer 344, Lewis, and Sprague-Dawley rats.
- Real-time RT-PCR to quantify BDNF gene expression in spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG).
Main Results:
- Fischer 344 rats demonstrated complete recovery from mechanical allodynia 28 days post-CCI.
- Minimal BDNF expression changes in the spinal cord across strains.
- Significant BDNF upregulation observed exclusively in injured DRG of Fischer 344 rats.
Conclusions:
- BDNF gene expression in DRG correlates with neuropathic pain resistance.
- Fischer 344 rats' unique BDNF upregulation in DRG may underlie their resilience to CCI.
- BDNF is implicated in strain-dependent differences in chronic constriction injury resistance.
