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Updated: Dec 1, 2025
The Sciatic Nerve Cuffing Model of Neuropathic Pain in Mice
Published on: July 16, 2014
Restoration of Cingulate Long-Term Depression by Enhancing Non-apoptotic Caspase 3 Alleviates Peripheral Pain
Yong-Jie Wang1, Ming-Gang Liu2, Jing-Hua Wang3
1Department of Neurobiology and Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang, China; Center for Mitochondrial Biology and Medicine, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, and The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
Abstract:
Nerve injury in somatosensory pathways may lead to neuropathic pain, which affects the life quality of ∼8% of people. Long-term enhancement of excitatory synaptic transmission along somatosensory pathways contributes to neuropathic pain. Caspase 3 (Casp3) plays a non-apoptotic role in the hippocampus and regulates internalization of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) subunits. Whether Casp3-AMPAR interaction is involved in the maintenance of peripheral hypersensitivity after nerve injury remained unknown. Here, we show that nerve injury suppresses long-term depression (LTD) and downregulates Casp3 in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Interfering with interactions between Casp3 and AMPAR subunits or reducing Casp3 activity in the ACC suppresses LTD induction and causes peripheral hypersensitivity. Overexpression of Casp3 restores LTD and reduces peripheral hypersensitivity after nerve injury. We reveal how Casp3 is involved in the maintenance of peripheral hypersensitivity. Our findings suggest that restoration of LTD via Casp3 provides a therapeutic strategy for neuropathic pain management.
