Up-regulation of spinal glutamate transporters contributes to anti-hypersensitive effects of valproate in rats after peripheral nerve injury.

Abstract

Valproate produces analgesia in animals and humans, however, its mechanisms of action are yet unknown. The present study examined effects of repeated administration of valproate on behavioral hypersensitivity and expression of glutamate transporter-1 (GLT-1) and glutamate-aspartate transporter (GLAST) in the spinal dorsal horn in rats after L5-L6 spinal nerve ligation (SNL). SNL significantly reduced mechanical withdrawal threshold and expression of GLT-1 and GLAST in the spinal dorsal horn. Repeated oral administration of valproate reduced hypersensitivity, restored down-regulated expression of GLT-1 and GLAST in the spinal dorsal horn, and enhanced analgesia from the glutamate transporter activator riluzole. This analgesia from valproate was blocked by the selective GLT-1 blocker dihydrokainic acid (DHK). These data suggest that valproate restores down-regulated expression of glutamate transporters in the spinal cord to presumably reduce glutamate signaling and to reduce hypersensitivity after nerve injury, and that combination of valproate with riluzole produces enhanced analgesia which relies on the spinal glutamate transporters.

• Authors: Shotaro Hobo, James C Eisenach, Ken-ichiro Hayashida
• Journal: Neuroscience letters (Neurosci Lett) Vol. 502 Issue 1 Pg. 52-5 (Sep 08 2011) ISSN: 1872-7972 [Electronic] Ireland
• PMID: 21802494 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Analgesics
• Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1
• Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2
• dihydrokainic acid
• Valproic Acid
• Riluzole
• Kainic Acid

Topics

• Analgesics (administration & dosage, antagonists & inhibitors, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Animals
• Disease Models, Animal
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 (biosynthesis)
• Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2 (antagonists & inhibitors, biosynthesis)
• Hyperalgesia (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Kainic Acid (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• Pain Threshold (drug effects)
• Peripheral Nerve Injuries (drug therapy, metabolism)
• Rats
• Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• Riluzole (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Spinal Cord (drug effects, metabolism)
• Up-Regulation
• Valproic Acid (administration & dosage, antagonists & inhibitors, pharmacology, therapeutic use)