High-voltage Pulsed Radiofrequency Improves Ultrastructure of DRG and Enhances Spinal Microglial Autophagy to Ameliorate Neuropathic Pain Induced by SNI

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2024 Feb 24

PMID 38402335

Authors

Ri Chen

Xueru Xu

Youfen Yu

Yanqin Chen

Chun Lin

Rongguo Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Neuropathic pain (NeP) is intractable for which many therapies are ineffective. High-voltage pulsed radiofrequency (HVPRF) on dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is considered an effective treatment for NeP. The aim of this study is to explore the therapeutic voltage for the optimal efficacy of PRF and the underlying mechanisms. The radiofrequency electrode was placed close to the L5 DRG of rats with spared nerve injury (SNI) and emitted current by the corresponding voltage in different groups. Four different voltages (45 V, 65 V, 85 V, and 100 V) of PRF on DRG significantly alleviated the SNI-induced NeP, reduced the levels of activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in DRG, improved the ultrastructure of DRG, and promoted autophagy in spinal microglia to varying degrees and partially reversed the increased expression of TNF-α and the reduced expression of IL-10 in spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH). The beneficial effect of 85V-PRF was superior to those of other three PRF treatments. The underlying mechanisms may be related to repairing the DRG damage and improving the DRG ultrastructure while regulating spinal microglial autophagy and thereby alleviating neuroinflammation.

Citing Articles

A narrative review of autophagy in migraine.

Huang Y, Li H, Yu Q, Pan Y Front Neurosci. 2025; 19:1500189.

PMID: 40027467 PMC: 11868061. DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2025.1500189.

References

Luo F, Wang T, Shen Y, Meng L, Lu J, Ji N . High Voltage Pulsed Radiofrequency for the Treatment of Refractory Neuralgia of the Infraorbital Nerve: A Prospective Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Study. Pain Physician. 2017; 20(4):271-279. View

Erdine S, Yucel A, Cimen A, Aydin S, Sav A, Bilir A . Effects of pulsed versus conventional radiofrequency current on rabbit dorsal root ganglion morphology. Eur J Pain. 2005; 9(3):251-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2004.07.002. View

Wan C, Liu Y, Dong D, Zhao L, Xi Q, Yu X . Bipolar High-Voltage, Long-Duration Pulsed Radiofrequency Improves Pain Relief in Postherpetic Neuralgia. Pain Physician. 2016; 19(5):E721-8. View

Chen H, Zhou C, Xie K, Meng X, Wang Y, Yu Y . Hydrogen-rich Saline Alleviated the Hyperpathia and Microglia Activation via Autophagy Mediated Inflammasome Inactivation in Neuropathic Pain Rats. Neuroscience. 2019; 421:17-30. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.10.046. View

Bozi L, Campos J, Zambelli V, Ferreira N, Ferreira J . Mitochondrially-targeted treatment strategies. Mol Aspects Med. 2019; 71:100836. DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2019.100836. View

Hao C, Ma B, Gao N, Jin T, Liu X . Translocator Protein (TSPO) Alleviates Neuropathic Pain by Activating Spinal Autophagy and Nuclear SIRT1/PGC-1α Signaling in a Rat L5 SNL Model. J Pain Res. 2022; 15:767-778. PMC: 8959876. DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S359397. View

Cavalli E, Mammana S, Nicoletti F, Bramanti P, Mazzon E . The neuropathic pain: An overview of the current treatment and future therapeutic approaches. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2019; 33:2058738419838383. PMC: 6431761. DOI: 10.1177/2058738419838383. View

Dai Z, Xu X, Chen Y, Lin C, Lin F, Liu R . Effects of High-Voltage Pulsed Radiofrequency on the Ultrastructure and Nav1.7 Level of the Dorsal Root Ganglion in Rats With Spared Nerve Injury. Neuromodulation. 2021; 25(7):980-988. DOI: 10.1111/ner.13527. View

Ramzy E, Khalil K, Nour E, Hamed M, Taha M . Evaluation of the Effect of Duration on the Efficacy of Pulsed Radiofrequency in an Animal Model of Neuropathic Pain. Pain Physician. 2018; 21(2):191-198. View

10.

Shubayev V, Myers R . Anterograde TNF alpha transport from rat dorsal root ganglion to spinal cord and injured sciatic nerve. Neurosci Lett. 2002; 320(1-2):99-101. DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(02)00010-1. View

11.

Kaptanoglu E, Palaoglu S, Surucu H, Hayran M, Beskonakli E . Ultrastructural scoring of graded acute spinal cord injury in the rat. J Neurosurg. 2002; 97(1 Suppl):49-56. DOI: 10.3171/spi.2002.97.1.0049. View

12.

Berliocchi L, Russo R, Maiaru M, Levato A, Bagetta G, Corasaniti M . Autophagy impairment in a mouse model of neuropathic pain. Mol Pain. 2011; 7:83. PMC: 3234188. DOI: 10.1186/1744-8069-7-83. View

13.

Nagda J, Davis C, Bajwa Z, Simopoulos T . Retrospective review of the efficacy and safety of repeated pulsed and continuous radiofrequency lesioning of the dorsal root ganglion/segmental nerve for lumbar radicular pain. Pain Physician. 2011; 14(4):371-6. View

14.

Soderquist R, Sloane E, Loram L, Harrison J, Dengler E, Johnson S . Release of plasmid DNA-encoding IL-10 from PLGA microparticles facilitates long-term reversal of neuropathic pain following a single intrathecal administration. Pharm Res. 2010; 27(5):841-54. PMC: 3583569. DOI: 10.1007/s11095-010-0077-y. View

15.

Huh Y, Ji R, Chen G . Neuroinflammation, Bone Marrow Stem Cells, and Chronic Pain. Front Immunol. 2017; 8:1014. PMC: 5567062. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2017.01014. View

16.

Marinelli S, Nazio F, Tinari A, Ciarlo L, DAmelio M, Pieroni L . Schwann cell autophagy counteracts the onset and chronification of neuropathic pain. Pain. 2013; 155(1):93-107. DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.09.013. View

17.

Wang C, Song T . The Clinical Efficacy of High-Voltage Long-Duration Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment in Pudendal Neuralgia: A Retrospective Study. Neuromodulation. 2021; 25(8):1372-1377. DOI: 10.1111/ner.13401. View

18.

Liu X, Zhu M, Ju Y, Li A, Sun X . Autophagy dysfunction in neuropathic pain. Neuropeptides. 2019; 75:41-48. DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2019.03.005. View

19.

Cobos E, Nickerson C, Gao F, Chandran V, Bravo-Caparros I, Gonzalez-Cano R . Mechanistic Differences in Neuropathic Pain Modalities Revealed by Correlating Behavior with Global Expression Profiling. Cell Rep. 2018; 22(5):1301-1312. PMC: 5908229. DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.01.006. View

20.

Zhang L, Dai L, Li D . Mitophagy in neurological disorders. J Neuroinflammation. 2021; 18(1):297. PMC: 8693476. DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02334-5. View