Li Yang, Qiaoqiao Liu, Yaxuan Zhao, Ninghua Lin, Yue Huang, Qihui Wang, Kehui Yang, Runa Wei, Xiaotong Li, Ming Zhang, Lingyun Hao, Hongjun Wang, Zhiqiang Pan
Experimental studies have shown that neuropathic pain impairs hippocampal synaptic plasticity. Here, we sought to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for synaptic changes in neuropathic painful mouse hippocampal neurons. Beyond demonstrating proof-of-concept for the location of DExH-box helicase 9 (DHX9) in the nucleus, we found that it did exist in the cytoplasm and DHX9 depletion resulted in structural and functional changes at synapses in the hippocampus. A decrease of DHX9 was observed in the hippocampus after peripheral nerve injury; overexpression of DHX9 in the hippocampus significantly alleviated the nociceptive responses and improved anxiety behaviors...
February 16, 2024: IScience