NOCICEPTOR SUBPOPULATIONS INVOLVED IN HYPERALGESIC PRIMING

We have previously developed a model in the rat for the transition from acute to chronic pain, hyperalgesic priming, in which a long-lasting neuroplastic change in signaling pathways mediates a prolongation of proinflammatory cytokine-induced nociceptor sensitization and mechanical hyperalgesia, induced at the site of a previous inflammatory insult. Induction of priming is mediated by activation of protein kinase C epsilon (PKC epsilon) in the peripheral terminal of the primary afferent nociceptor. Given that hyperalgesic mediator-induced PKCe translocation occurs in isolectin B4 (IB4)(+)-nonpeptidergic but not in receptor tyrosine kinase (TrkA)(+)-peptidergic nociceptors, we tested the hypothesis that hyperalgesic priming was restricted to the IB4(+) subpopulation of nociceptors. After recovery from nerve growth factor (NGF)- and GDNF-induced hyperalgesia, a proinfilammatory cytokine, prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)) induced, PKC epsilon-dependent, markedly prolonged hyperalgesia, two features that define the development of the primed state. Thus, hyperalgesic priming occurs in both the IB4(+)-nonpeptidergic and TrkA(+)-peptidergic subpopulations of nociceptive afferents. Of note, however, while attenuation of PKC epsilon prevented NGF-induced priming, the hyperalgesia induced by NGF is PKC epsilon independent. We propose that separate intracellular pools of PKC epsilon, in the peripheral terminals of nociceptors, mediate nociceptor sensitization and the induction of hyperalgesic priming. (C) 2010 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.