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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Electrophysiological Methods to Assess Peripheral Pain Block in an Anesthetized Rat
Published on: November 21, 2025
Propofol attenuates pain hypersensitivity and neuroinflammation in chronic constriction injury rats by regulating
Hailin Zhao1, Chuping Peng2, Xiumei Zhu3
1Department of Neurosurgery, Guangzhou Institute of Cancer Research, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
Background:
Neuropathic pain (NP), a disabling chronic condition with limited treatments, is recapitulated in the chronic constriction injury (CCI) rat model. The role of the miR-1249-3p/VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A) axis in propofol-mediated analgesia remains unclear.
Methods:
AntagomiR-1249-3p, antagomiR-NC (negative control), a VEGFA-targeting siRNA, and si-NC were delivered intrathecally via lentiviral vectors 3 days before CCI. Propofol (15 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered for 7 consecutive days after CCI surgery. Behavioral tests assessed mechanical pain threshold and thermal pain threshold (n = 8). Spinal miR-1249-3p and VEGFA expression were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and IL-18 in the spinal cord were quantified using ELISA. Protein levels of VEGFA, COX2, iNOS, phospho-NF-κB p65, and total NF-κB p65 were detected using Western blotting. The relationship between miR-1249-3p and VEGFA was validated by dualluciferase reporter assay.
Results:
The expression of miR-1249-3p decreased and VEGFA increased in the spinal cord of CCI rats (all P < 0.001). The luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-1249-3p targets VEGFA (P < 0.001). Propofol treatment upregulated miR-1249-3p (P < 0.001) and downregulated VEGFA (P < 0.001). The antinociceptive effects and suppression of pro-inflammatory markers of propofol were abolished by antagomiR-1249-3p (P < 0.001), and this abolition was rescued by VEGFA knockdown (P < 0.001). Propofol attenuates NP and neuroinflammation in CCI rats via inhibiting the NF-κB pathway through the miR-1249-3p/VEGFA axis.
Conclusions:
These findings suggest that propofol may reduce behavioral signs of NP and suppress associated neuroinflammation in CCI rats by the miR-1249-3p/VEGFA axis.
