Adrenomedullin: an important participant in neurological diseases

Adrenomedullin,a peptide with multiple physiological functions in nervous system injury and disease,has aroused the interest of researchers.This review summarizes the role of adrenomedullin in neuropathological disorders,including pathological pain,brain injury and nerve regeneration,and their treatment.As a newly characterized pronociceptive mediator,adrenomedullin has been shown to act as an upstream factor in the transmission of noxious information for various types of pathological pain including acute and chronic inflammatory pain,cancer pain,neuropathic pain induced by spinal nerve injury and diabetic neuropathy.Initiation of glia-neuron signaling networks in the peripheral and central nervous system by adrenomedullin is involved in the formation and maintenance of morphine tolerance.Adrenomedullin has been shown to exert a facilitated or neuroprotective effect against brain injury including hemorrhagic or ischemic stroke and traumatic brain injury.Additionally,adrenomedullin can serve as a regulator to promote nerve regeneration in pathological conditions.Therefore,adrenomedullin is an important participant in nervous system diseases.

Study on the mechanism of acupuncture analgesia from the perspective of psychosomatic medicine

Acupuncture is a kind of traditional Chinese therapy which has gained increased attention in recent years.It has been shown that acupuncture is effective in treating many types of pain pathologically as well as psychologically.For instance,as a promising therapy for psychiatric disorders,acupuncture is helpful to alleviate depression,reduce the adverse effects of drug treatment at the same time.It is most widely utilized for management of chronic,noncancer pain in adults.As a non-pharmaceutical measure,acupuncture has the potential to make contribution to reduction in opioid overuse.Acupuncture analgesia can be analyzed from the perspective of psychosomatic medicine,contributing to a better understanding of its mechanism and function.The mechanisms are closely related to regulation of neurotransmitters and inflammatory factors,including down-regulation of Glutamate,5-hydroxytryptamine,dopamine,Substance P,Tumor necrosis factor-α,Interleukin(IL)-1,IL-6 and up-regulation ofβ-endorphin,endogenous opioid peptide,γ-aminobutyric acid,etc.Electro-acupuncture(EA)has pain-relief effects under some specific parameter values.Low frequency EA is more commonly used in clinical practice than high frequency EA.Our study conducts a comprehensive analysis of acupuncture analgesia and discusses associated characteristics of its mechanisms.

Role of the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in Translational Pain Research

As the most common symptomatic reason to seek medical consultation,pain is a complex experience that has been classified into different categories and stages.In pain processing,noxious stimuli may activate the anterior cingulate cortex(ACC).But the function of ACC in the different pain conditions is not well discussed.In this review,we elaborate the commonalities and differences from accumulated evidence by a variety of pain assays for physiological pain and pathological pain including inflammatory pain,neuropathic pain,and cancer pain in the ACC,and discuss the cellular receptors and signaling molecules from animal studies.We further summarize the ACC as a new central neuromodulation target for invasive and non-invasive stimulation techniques in clinical pain management.The comprehensive understanding of pain processing in the ACC may lead to bridging the gap in translational research between basic and clinical studies and to develop new therapies.

瞬时受体电位香草酸亚家族1介导针刺治疗病理性疼痛的作用

Acupuncture,a traditional oriental intervention for chronic pain,has been gaining worldwide popularity.Transient receptor potential vanilloid subfamily 1(TRPV1)is a key factor mediating pain production and sensitization.According to multiple studies,TRPV1 is involved the acupuncture-induced relief of pathological pain.Herein,we systematically screened the experimental reports on TRPV1 involvement in acupuncture analgesia,and reviewed the role of TRPV1 in acupuncture in inhibiting different pathological pain and unresolved problems,including inflammatory pain,neuropathic pain,visceral pain,fibromyalgia and cancer pain.At localized acupoints,TRPV1 was involved in the initiation of acupuncture signals.Acupuncture could inhibit the development of pathological pain as well as the transmission of pain signals by suppressing TRPV1 expression and opening activity from the peripheral dorsal root ganglia to the central spinal cord.Furthermore,acupuncture can not only inhibit the expression of TRPV1,but also promote the expression of TRPV1 in the brain to alleviate pain sensation and depression-like behavior.Moreover,the mechanism by which acupuncture regulates TRPV1 may involve neuro-immune crosstalk.In conclusion,the regulation of TRPV1 expression and function may be one of the primary mechanisms by which acupuncture relieves pathological pain,laying the groundwork for future basic research on acupuncture's pain-relieving effects.