Anti-hyperalgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of 4R-tobacco cembranoid in a mouse model of inflammatory pain.

4R is a tobacco cembranoid that binds to and modulates cholinergic receptors and exhibits neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity. Given the established function of the cholinergic system in pain and inflammation, we propose that 4R is also analgesic. Here, we tested the hypothesis that systemic 4R treatment decreases pain-related behaviors and peripheral inflammation via modulation of the alpha 7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs) in a mouse model of inflammatory pain. We elicited inflammation by injecting Complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) into the hind paw of male and female mice. We then assessed inflammation-induced hypersensitivity to cold, heat, and tactile stimulation using the Acetone, Hargreaves, and von Frey tests, respectively, before and at different time points (2.5 h - 8d) after a single systemic 4R (or vehicle) administration. We evaluated the contribution of α7 nAChRs 4R-mediated analgesia by pre-treating mice with a selective antagonist of α7 nAChRs followed by 4R (or vehicle) administration prior to behavioral tests. We assessed CFA-induced paw edema and inflammation by measuring paw thickness and quantifying immune cell infiltration in the injected hind paw using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Lastly, we performed immunohistochemical and flow cytometric analyses of paw skin in α7 nAChR-cre::Ai9 mice to measure the expression of α7 nAChRs on immune subsets. Our experiments show that systemic administration of 4R decreases inflammation-induced peripheral hypersensitivity in male and female mice and inflammation-induced paw edema in male but not female mice. Notably, 4R-mediated analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects lasted up to 8d after a single systemic administration on day 1. Pretreatment with an α7 nAChR-selective antagonist prevented 4R-mediated analgesia and anti-inflammatory effects, demonstrating that 4R effects are via modulation of α7 nAChRs. We further show that a subset of immune cells in the hind paw expresses α7 nAChRs. However, the number of α7 nAChR-expressing immune cells is unaltered by CFA or 4R treatment, suggesting that 4R effects are independent of α7 nAChR-expressing immune cells. Together, our findings identify a novel function of the 4R tobacco cembranoid as an analgesic agent in both male and female mice that reduces peripheral inflammation in a sex-dependent manner, further supporting the pharmacological targeting of the cholinergic system for pain treatment.

Age and sex drive differential behavioral and neuroimmune phenotypes during postoperative pain.

Surgical procedures in the geriatric population are steadily increasing, driven by improved healthcare technologies and longer lifespans. However, effective postoperative pain treatments are lacking, and this diminishes quality of life and recovery. Here we present one of the first preclinical studies to pursue sex- and age-specific differences in postoperative neuroimmune phenotypes and pain. We found that aged males, but not females, had a delayed onset of mechanical hypersensitivity post-surgery and faster resolution than young counterparts. This sex-specific age effect was accompanied by decreased paw innervation and increased local inflammation. Additionally, we find evidence of an age-dependent decrease in hyperalgesic priming and perioperative changes in nociceptor populations and spinal microglia in the aged. These findings suggest that impaired neuronal function and maladaptive inflammatory mechanisms influence postoperative pain development in advanced age. Elucidation of these neuroimmune phenotypes across age and sex enables the development of novel therapies that can be tailored for improved pain relief.

Use of Integrated Optical Clearing and 2-Photon Imaging to Investigate Sex Differences in Neuroimmune Interactions After Peripheral Nerve Injury.

Peripheral nerve injury induces a myriad of immune-derived symptoms that negatively impacts pain, depression, and overall quality of life. Neuroimmune differences underlie sexual dimorphisms in various pain states. The innate immune system is a source of these sex differences, which promotes inflammation and pro-nociception through bidirectional signaling with the nervous system. Spatiotemporal interactions between leukocytes and sensory neurons could hold the key to explain ascribed differences between sexes. To date, studies have found it difficult to display these interactions. We are poised to answer important questions regarding the recruitment of peripheral leukocytes to key tissues of the pain system, the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and sciatic nerve after nerve injury. We optically clear whole DRGs and sciatic nerves and concomitantly use multi-photon microscopy and transgenic reporter lines, to visualize leukocyte dynamics involved in neuropathic pain development following nerve injury. We observed robust sexual dimorphisms in leukocyte recruitment to the lumbar DRGs after nerve injury. We also assessed immune cell size and morphology to understand activation states in the context of nervous tissue inflammation. The altered mechanisms by which the male and female immune systems respond to nerve injury are still topics of further research, however; the continued use of next-generation imaging with advanced whole tissue image analysis remains an important tool in understanding the reciprocal interactions between neuronal and non-neuronal cells.