Mechanical Hyperalgesia Assessment
Objective: Evaluation of mechanical hyperalgesia in response to peripheral nerve injury to assess neuropathic pain phenotype and P2X4 receptor involvement in pain signaling
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Equipment1
Not explicitly stated in provided text • Not specified • Not specified • Not mentioned
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Protocol Steps
Peripheral Nerve Injury Induction
Perform peripheral nerve injury on experimental animals to induce neuropathic pain phenotype
Note: Used as stimulus to induce mechanical hyperalgesia response
View evidence from paper
“in response to peripheral nerve injury, P2X4 receptors are expressed de novo by activated microglia in the spinal cord”
Mechanical Hyperalgesia Assessment
Evaluate mechanical pain sensitivity in injured animals to measure hyperalgesia phenotype
Note: Conducted on both P2X4-deficient mice and wild-type controls for comparison
View evidence from paper
“P2X4-deficient mice lack mechanical hyperalgesia induced by peripheral nerve injury”
Spinal Cord Analysis
Examine spinal cord tissue for P2X4 receptor expression and BDNF signaling changes
Note: Assessment of molecular changes underlying pain phenotype
View evidence from paper
“display impaired BDNF signaling in the spinal cord”