Thrombospondin-4 divergently regulates voltage-gated Ca2+ channel subtypes in sensory neurons after nerve injury

Pain. 2016 Sep;157(9):2068-2080. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000612.

Abstract

Loss of high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium current (ICa) and gain of low-voltage-activated (LVA) ICa after painful peripheral nerve injury cause elevated excitability in sensory neurons. Nerve injury is also accompanied by increased expression of the extracellular matrix glycoprotein thrombospondin-4 (TSP4), and interruption of TSP4 function can reverse or prevent behavioral hypersensitivity after injury. We therefore investigated TSP4 regulation of ICa in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. During depolarization adequate to activate HVA ICa, TSP4 decreases both N- and L-type ICa and the associated intracellular calcium transient. In contrast, TSP4 increases ICa and the intracellular calcium signal after low-voltage depolarization, which we confirmed is due to ICa through T-type channels. These effects are blocked by gabapentin, which ameliorates neuropathic pain by targeting the α2δ1 calcium subunit. Injury-induced changes of HVA and LVA ICa are attenuated in TSP4 knockout mice. In the neuropathic pain model of spinal nerve ligation, TSP4 application did not further regulate ICa of injured DRG neurons. Taken together, these findings suggest that elevated TSP4 after peripheral nerve injury may contribute to hypersensitivity of peripheral sensory systems by decreasing HVA and increasing LVA in DRG neurons by targeting the α2δ1 calcium subunit. Controlling TSP4 overexpression in peripheral sensory neurons may be a target for analgesic drug development for neuropathic pain.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Analysis of Variance
  • Animals
  • Calcium / metabolism
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / pharmacology
  • Calcium Channel Blockers / therapeutic use
  • Calcium Channels / genetics
  • Calcium Channels / metabolism*
  • Cholera Toxin / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Evoked Potentials / drug effects
  • Evoked Potentials / genetics
  • Ganglia, Spinal / pathology
  • Gene Expression Regulation / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Peripheral Nerve Injuries / genetics*
  • Peripheral Nerve Injuries / pathology*
  • Sensory Receptor Cells / drug effects
  • Sensory Receptor Cells / metabolism*
  • Thrombospondins / deficiency*
  • Thrombospondins / genetics
  • Thrombospondins / pharmacology

Substances

  • CACNA2D1 protein, mouse
  • Calcium Channel Blockers
  • Calcium Channels
  • Thrombospondins
  • thrombospondin 4
  • Cholera Toxin
  • Calcium