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Papers of the Week


Papers: 14 Dec 2019 - 20 Dec 2019


Animal Studies


2020 01 07


Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A


117


1

Editor's Pick

A dual role for peripheral GDNF signaling in nociception and cardiovascular reflexes in the mouse.

Authors

Queme LF, Weyler AA, Cohen ER, Hudgins RC, Jankowski MP
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2020 01 07; 117(1):698-707.
PMID: 31848242.

Abstract

Group III/IV muscle afferents transduce nociceptive signals and modulate exercise pressor reflexes (EPRs). However, the mechanisms governing afferent responsiveness to dually modulate these processes are not well characterized. We and others have shown that ischemic injury can induce both nociception-related behaviors and exacerbated EPRs in the same mice. This correlated with primary muscle afferent sensitization and increased expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in injured muscle and increased expression of GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Here, we report that increased GDNF/GFRα1 signaling to sensory neurons from ischemia/reperfusion-affected muscle directly modulated nociceptive-like behaviors and increased exercise-mediated reflexes and group III/IV muscle afferent sensitization. This appeared to have taken effect through increased cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element binding (CREB)/CREB binding protein-mediated expression of the purinergic receptor P2X5 in the DRGs. Muscle GDNF signaling to neurons may, therefore, play an important dual role in nociception and sympathetic reflexes and could provide a therapeutic target for treating complications from ischemic injuries.