Phytohormone abscisic acid ameliorates neuropathic pain via regulating LANCL2 protein abundance and glial activation at the spinal cord.

Spinal neuroinflammation plays a critical role in the genesis of neuropathic pain. Accumulating data suggest that abscisic acid (ABA), a phytohormone, regulates inflammatory processes in mammals. In this study, we found that reduction of the LANCL2 receptor protein but not the agonist ABA in the spinal cord is associated with the genesis of neuropathic pain. Systemic or intrathecal administration of ABA ameliorates the development and pre-existence of mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia in animals with partial sciatic nerve ligation (pSNL). LANCL2 is expressed only in microglia in the spinal dorsal horn. Pre-emptive treatment with ABA attenuates activation of microglia and astrocytes, ERK activity, and TNFα protein abundance in the dorsal horn in rats with pSNL. These are accompanied by restoration of spinal LANCL2 protein abundance. Spinal knockdown of LANCL2 gene with siRNA recapitulates the behavioral and spinal molecular changes induced by pSNL. Activation of spinal toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) with lipopolysaccharide leads to activation of microglia, and over production of TNFα, which are concurrently accompanied by suppression of protein levels of LANCL2 and peroxisome proliferator activated-receptor γ. These changes are ameliorated when ABA is added with LPS. The anti-inflammatory effects induced by ABA do not requires Gi protein activity. Our study reveals that the ABA/LANCL2 system is a powerful endogenous system regulating spinal neuroinflammation and nociceptive processing, suggesting the potential utility of ABA as the management of neuropathic pain.

Usefulness of the food habits questionnaire in a worksite setting.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the validity and reliability of the 24-item Food Habits Questionnaire (FHQ) in a worksite setting. DESIGN: In a longitudinal design, subjects in a 9-month worksite intervention program completed the FHQ pre- and postintervention. A randomly selected subsample also completed 2 sets of 4-day food records. SETTING: Three locations within a multisite industrial equipment company. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects (N = 178) self-selected to participate in the program and completed the FHQ. Mean age was 40.7+/-10.6, 60% were male, and 82% were white, and there were 15 occupational categories. Thirty-two subjects completed 2 sets of 4-day food records. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: To examine the validity and reliability of the FHQ total scale and subscales in a worksite setting with both men and women from varying socioeconomic levels. ANALYSIS: Cronbach a coefficient to estimate internal consistency for the total scale and the subscales, Pearson correlation coefficients to estimate test-retest reliabilities and criterion validity. RESULTS: For the 5 subscales, findings showed generally low internal consistency, moderate test-retest reliability, and low to moderate correlations with food record results. Psychometric properties for the total score of the FHQ included satisfactory internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The FHQ subscales did not perform well and need to be more fully developed. Therefore, the FHQ may best be used as a total scale score to indicate fat-related behaviors.