| Alterations in NK Cell Cytotoxicity Induced by Peripheral Nerve Injury in Mice. |
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You Jin Kang, Ho Kyung Song, Jin Young Chon, Joo Hyun You |
1Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, St. Vincent's Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
2Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, Incheon, Korea. genovia@olmh.cuk.ac.kr
3St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. |
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| Abstract |
BACKGROUND
Chronic pain is often associated with changes in the immune responses, which highlights the need for the aggressive pain control to obtain a better prognosis. This study examined splenic NK cell cytotoxicity in an attempt to assess the possible changes in the immune function under chronic neuropathic pain after a partial transsection of the sciatic nerve.
METHODS
After confirming tactile allodynia in response to the von Frey filament, a modified lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of splenic NK cells on the YAC-1 cell line in C3H/HeN (H-2k) mice (n = 6). NK cells as effector cells were mixed with YAC-1 cells as target cells (1 x 10(4)/100microliter), resulting in an effector-target ratio of 1 : 25, 1 : 50, 1 : 100 in the culture medium.
RESULTS
At 1 and 2 weeks after the nerve injury, all the subjects showed significant mechanical sensitivity compared with those observed before surgery. The percentage of NK cell cytotoxicity of the neuropathic mice increased significantly 1 week after the nerve injury but decreased within 2 weeks compared with the normal mice.
CONCLUSIONS
In terms of the altered NK cell cytotoxicity, neuropathic pain can cause changes in the normal performance of the immune function. |
| Key Words:
immune system; immunologic cytotoxicity test; neuropathy; NK cell; pain |
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