Papers of the Week

Trigeminal neuropathic pain is seen as a huge clinical challenge. Although numerous drugs have been developed to treat the condition, some patients have shown intolerance to the drugs and thus continue to suffer. In the present study, a rat model of trigeminal neuropathic pain was established using incorrectly positioned dental implants, which had various manifestations that were similar to human trigeminal neuropathic pain. Using this model, we investigated the differential regulation of JAK2 and PTEN. Firstly, we examined the expression of JAK2 and PTEN in the medullary dorsal horn. After inhibiting JAK2/PTEN, we evaluated nociception-related behavioral alterations. The rat models were established by replacing the left lower second molar with a mini dental implant. Immunoblot assay and immunofluorescence experiments indicated high expression of JAK2 and PTEN in medullary dorsal horn after the nerve injury, which attained plateau levels on post-operative day (POD) 5-10 and 10-20. Administration of adenovirus-shRNA-JAK2 on POD 1 reduced mechanical allodynia and downstream STAT activation. Meanwhile, the administration of adenovirus-shRNA-PTEN on POD 1 attenuated mechanical allodynia while upregulating AKT. In addition to postoperative JAK2 and PTEN activation, dexmedetomidine treatment (10 mg/kg) also modulated the downstream sensors of these signaling molecules. These data suggest that JAK2 and PTEN are pivotal to the development of trigeminal neuropathic pain, and that JAK2 and PTEN suppression alleviates the neuropathic pain.