Involvement of TRPM2 in a wide range of inflammatory and neuropathic pain mouse models.

Recent evidence suggests a role of transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2) in immune and inflammatory responses. We previously reported that TRPM2 deficiency attenuated inflammatory and neuropathic pain in some pain mouse models, including formalin- or carrageenan-induced inflammatory pain, and peripheral nerve injury-induced neuropathic pain models, while it had no effect on the basal mechanical and thermal nociceptive sensitivities. In this study, we further explored the involvement of TRPM2 in various pain models using TRPM2-knockout mice. There were no differences in the chemonociceptive behaviors evoked by intraplantar injection of capsaicin or hydrogen peroxide between wildtype and TRPM2-knockout mice, while acetic acid-induced writhing behavior was significantly attenuated in TRPM2-knockout mice. In the postoperative incisional pain model, no difference in mechanical allodynia was observed between the two genotypes. By contrast, mechanical allodynia in the monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis pain model and the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model were significantly attenuated in TRPM2-knockout mice. Furthermore, mechanical allodynia in paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy and streptozotocin-induced painful diabetic neuropathy models were significantly attenuated in TRPM2-knockout mice. Taken together, these results suggest that TRPM2 plays roles in a wide range of pathological pain models based on peripheral and central neuroinflammation, rather than physiological nociceptive pain.

TRPM2 contributes to LPS/IFNγ-induced production of nitric oxide via the p38/JNK pathway in microglia.

Microglia are immune cells that maintain brain homeostasis at a resting state by surveying the environment and engulfing debris. However, in some pathological conditions, microglia can produce neurotoxic factors such as pro-inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) that lead to neuronal degeneration. Inflammation-induced calcium (Ca(2+)) signaling is thought to underlie this abnormal activation of microglia, but the mechanisms are still obscure. We previously showed that combined application of lipopolysaccharide and interferon γ (LPS/IFNγ) induced-production of NO in microglia from wild-type (WT) mice is significantly reduced in microglia from transient receptor potential melastatin 2 (TRPM2)-knockout (KO) mice. Here, we found that LPS/IFNγ produced a late-onset Ca(2+) signaling in WT microglia, which was abolished by application of the NADPH oxidase inhibitor diphenylene iodonium (DPI) and ML-171. In addition, pharmacological blockade or gene deletion of TRPM2 channel in microglia did not show this Ca(2+) signaling. Furthermore, pharmacological manipulation and Western blotting revealed that Ca(2+) mobilization, the proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) contributed to TRPM2-mediated LPS/IFNγ-induced activation, while the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) did not. These results suggest that LPS/IFNγ activates TRPM2-mediated Ca(2+) signaling, which in turn increases downstream p38 MAPK and JNK signaling and results in increased NO production in microglia.

Stimulation of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 channel suppresses abnormal activation of microglia induced by lipopolysaccharide.

Microglia are intrinsic immune cells in the brain. In response to neurodegenerative events, excessively activated microglia change their shapes and release various cytokines leading to the pathogenesis of central nervous system (CNS) disease. Because the intracellular mechanisms of this process are still unclear, we have evaluated the functional roles of transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel expressed in the microglia. Robust microglial activation after an injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) into the mouse cerebral ventricle was suppressed by concurrent administration of a selective TRPV4 agonist, 4α-phorbol 12,13-didecanoate (4α-PDD). When the mechanism was further investigated using cultured rat microglia intrinsically expressing functional TRPV4, release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and expression of galectin-3 were both increased by LPS. These increases were significantly suppressed by cotreatment with 4α-PDD, and the inhibitory effects of 4α-PDD were abolished by knockdown of TRPV4 or TRPV4 antagonists. The amplitude of voltage-dependent K(+) current, which is augmented during microglial activation, was also suppressed by 4α-PDD treatment. Opening of TRPV4 channels with 4α-PDD induced membrane depolarization mainly by increasing Na(+) influx. In addition, mimicking depolarization with a high-K(+) solution suppressed LPS-induced TNF-α release and galectin-3 upregulation. Both depolarizing treatments with 4α-PDD and high-K(+) solution decreased store-operated Ca(2+) influx caused by thapsigargin. These results suggest that depolarization in response to opening of the TRPV4 channel attenuates the driving force for extracellular Ca(2+) and suppresses microglial activation.

Calumin, a Ca²âº-binding protein on the endoplasmic reticulum, alters the ion permeability of Ca²âº release-activated Ca²âº (CRAC) channels.

Store-operated channels (SOC) are Ca(2+)-permeable channels that are activated by IP(3)-receptor-mediated Ca(2+) depletion of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Recent studies identify a membrane pore subunits, Orai1 and a Ca(2+) sensor on ER, STIM1 as components of Ca(2+) release-activated Ca(2+) (CRAC) channels, which are well-characterized SOCs. On the other hand, proteins that act as modulators of SOC activity remain to be identified. Calumin is a Ca(2+)-binding protein that resides on the ER and functional experiments using calumin-null mice demonstrate that it is involved in SOC function, although its role is unknown. This study used electrophysiological analysis to explore whether calumin modulates CRAC channel activity. CRAC channel currents were absent in HEK293 cells co-expressing calumin with the CRAC channel components, Orai1 or STIM1. Meanwhile, HEK cells that co-expressed calumin with CRAC channels exhibited larger currents with slower inactivation than cells expressing CRAC channels alone. The current-voltage relationship showed an inwardly rectifying current, but a negative shift in the reversal potential of greater than 60mV was observed in HEK cells co-expressing calumin with CRAC channels. In addition, the permeability coefficient ratio of Ca(2+) over monovalent cations was much lower than that of cells expressing CRAC channels alone. Replacement of Na(+) with N-methyl-d-glucamine(+) in the external solution noticeably diminished the CRAC current in HEK cells co-expressing calumin and CRAC channels. In a Cs(+)-based external solution, CRAC current was not observed in either cell-type. In addition, Ca(2+) imaging analysis revealed that co-transfection of calumin reduced extracellular Ca(2+) influx via CRAC channels. Further, calumin was shown to be directly associated with CRAC channels. These results reveal a novel mechanism for the regulation of CRAC channels by calumin.

Transient receptor potential canonical 3 (TRPC3) mediates thrombin-induced astrocyte activation and upregulates its own expression in cortical astrocytes.

Reactive astrogliosis, defined by abnormal morphology and excessive cell proliferation, is a characteristic response of astrocytes to CNS injuries, including intracerebral hemorrhage. Thrombin, a major blood-derived serine protease, leaks into the brain parenchyma upon blood-brain barrier disruption and can induce brain injury and astrogliosis. Transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels, Ca(2+)-permeable, nonselective cation channels, are expressed in astrocytes and involved in Ca(2+) influx after receptor stimulation; however, their pathophysiological functions in reactive astrocytes remain unknown. We investigated the pathophysiological roles of TRPC in thrombin-activated cortical astrocytes. Application of thrombin (1 U/ml, 20 h) upregulated TRPC3 protein, which was associated with increased Ca(2+) influx after thapsigargin treatment. Pharmacological manipulations revealed that the TRPC3 upregulation was mediated by protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1), extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase, c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase, and nuclear factor-κB signaling and required de novo protein synthesis. The Ca(2+) signaling blockers BAPTA-AM, cyclopiazonic acid, and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate and a selective TRPC3 inhibitor, pyrazole-3, attenuated TRPC3 upregulation, suggesting that Ca(2+) signaling through TRPC3 contributes to its increased expression. Thrombin-induced morphological changes at 3 h upregulated S100B, a marker of reactive astrocytes, at 20 h and increased astrocytic proliferation by 72 h, all of which were inhibited by Ca(2+)-signaling blockers and specific knockdown of TRPC3 using small interfering RNA. Intracortical injection of SFLLR-NH(2), a PAR-1 agonist peptide, induced proliferation of astrocytes, most of which were TRPC3 immunopositive. These results suggest that thrombin dynamically upregulates TRPC3 and that TRPC3 contributes to the pathological activation of astrocytes in part through a feedforward upregulation of its own expression.