Infralimbic-basolateral amygdala circuit associated with depression-like not anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic neuropathic pain and the antidepressant effects of electroacupuncture

Yiping Xie; Zui Shen; Xixiao Zhu; Yushuang Pan; Haiju Sun; Mengdi Xie; Qiuzhu Gong; Qunqi Hu; Jie Chen; Zemin Wu; Shuting Zhou; Boyu Liu; Xiaofen He; Boyi Liu; Xiaomei Shao; Jianqiao Fang

Brain Research Bulletin (Nov 2024)

Infralimbic-basolateral amygdala circuit associated with depression-like not anxiety-like behaviors induced by chronic neuropathic pain and the antidepressant effects of electroacupuncture

Yiping Xie,
Zui Shen,
Xixiao Zhu,
Yushuang Pan,
Haiju Sun,
Mengdi Xie,
Qiuzhu Gong,
Qunqi Hu,
Jie Chen,
Zemin Wu,
Shuting Zhou,
Boyu Liu,
Xiaofen He,
Boyi Liu,
Xiaomei Shao,
Jianqiao Fang

Affiliations

Yiping Xie: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Zui Shen: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Xixiao Zhu: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Yushuang Pan: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Haiju Sun: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Mengdi Xie: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Qiuzhu Gong: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Qunqi Hu: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Jie Chen: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Zemin Wu: Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Shuting Zhou: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Boyu Liu: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Xiaofen He: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Boyi Liu: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
Xiaomei Shao: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Correspondence to: Department of Tuina, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.
Jianqiao Fang: Key Laboratory of Acupuncture and Neurology of Zhejiang Province, Department of Neurobiology and Acupuncture Research, the Third Clinical Medical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China; Correspondence to: Department of Tuina, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 218
p. 111092

Abstract

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Chronic pain, such as neuropathic pain, can lead to anxiety, depression, and other negative emotions, thereby forming comorbidities and increasing the risk of chronic pain over time. Both the infralimbic amygdala (IL) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) are significantly associated with negative emotions and pain, and they are known to have reciprocal connections. However, the role of IL-BLA circuit pathways in neuropathic pain-induced anxiety and depression remains unexplored. Electroacupuncture (EA) is frequently employed in the treatment of chronic pain and emotional disorders. However, The mechanism by which EA mediates its analgesic and emotion-alleviating effects via the IL-BLA circuit remains uncertain. Here, we used chemogenetic manipulation combined with behavioral tests to detect pain induced anxiety-like and depression-like behaviors. We observed that activation of the IL-BLA circuit by chemogenetic activation induced depression-like behavior of mice. Additionally, we discovered that chemogenetic activation of the IL-BLA circuit successfully prevented the beneficial effects of EA on depression-like behavior brought on by chronic pain in mice with spared nerve injury (SNI). We discovered that SNI-induced depression-like behavior could be mitigated by inhibiting the circuit, and EA had a comparable depressive-relieving effect. Furthermore, the IL-BLA circuit's activation or inhibition had no effect on the anxiety-like feelings brought on by SNI. Overall, our findings identify a specific neural circuit that selectively regulates pain-induced depression-like emotions, without affecting pain-induced anxiety-like emotions. This discovery offers a precise target for future treatments of comorbid pain and depression and provides a plausible explanation for the efficacy of EA in treating depression-like emotions associated with chronic pain.

Published in Brain Research Bulletin

ISSN: 1873-2747 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/brain-research-bulletin

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