Rho kinase and pain and clinical application of its inhibitors / 中国药理学通报

ABSTRACT

Small GTP binding protein Rho and its downstream Rho-kinase pathway play an important role in the various cellular functions, including contraction, migration, proliferation, adhe-sion and apoptosis, etc. This article reviews the role of Rho/Rho-kinase pathway in the pain generation and development and clinical application of Rho/Rho-kinase inhibitors. It discusses the feasibility of Rho/Rho-kinase as a target for analgesics. Ac-cumulating experimental and clinical evidences indicate that Rho/Rho-kinase pathway is involved in the neuropathic pain, inflammatory pain, diabetic painful neuropathy, cerebral vaso-spasm, vasospastic angina and cancer pain, etc. Therefore, Rho/Rho-kinase is a potential drug target of the pain, and it provides new therapeutic treatments and strategies for pain in clinic.