Journal: Molecular Pain

Article Title: Mitochondrial superoxide increases excitatory synaptic strength in spinal dorsal horn neurons of neuropathic mice

doi: 10.1177/1744806918797032

Figure Lengend Snippet: Mitochondrial superoxide level is correlated with the degree of neuropathic mechanical hypersensitivity. Mechanical stimulation with a von Frey filament (#2.44 = 0.04 g force) was applied to the hindpaw of SOD2-knockout (SOD2-KO), SOD2-overexpression (SOD2-OE), and their littermate wild-type (WT) mice. (a) Behavioral responses of SOD2-KO (n = 6) and their WT littermate mice (n = 5). In the normal condition (day 0), there was no foot withdrawal response to the von Frey filament stimulation in both WT and SOD2-KO mice. After spinal nerve ligation (SNL, marked by arrow), the withdrawal response was increased, indicating the development of neuropathic mechanical hypersensitivity. SOD2-KO mice showed greater mechanical hypersensitivity than their WT littermates. (b) Behavioral responses of SOD2-OE (n = 6) and their littermate WT mice (n = 6). After SNL, SOD2-OE mice showed lesser mechanical hypersensitivity than their WT littermates. *p < 0.05 vs. baseline (0 day) in each group; # p < 0.05 vs. corresponding WT littermates at each time point.

Article Snippet: Mechanical hypersensitivity was assessed by measuring foot withdrawal response to von Frey filament stimulation (#2.44, 0.04 gram force, Stoelting Co., Wood Dale, IL).

Techniques: Knock-Out, Over Expression, Ligation