LRP1-mediated p-tau propagation contributes to cognitive impairment after chronic neuropathic pain in rats

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a prevalent chronic neuropathic pain syndrome characterized by severe pain, often accompanied by cognitive dysfunction and cerebral degeneration. However, its mechanisms remain poorly understood. Hyperphosphorylation of tau protein (p-tau) is often seen in neurodegenerat...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Youzhi Ning, Yue Zhang, Tao Jiang, Jianguo Feng, Jian Zhan, Cehua Ou, Lu Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Neuroscience Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016801022400155X
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Summary:Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a prevalent chronic neuropathic pain syndrome characterized by severe pain, often accompanied by cognitive dysfunction and cerebral degeneration. However, its mechanisms remain poorly understood. Hyperphosphorylation of tau protein (p-tau) is often seen in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). LRP1 expression on brain neurons and microglial cells is believed to facilitate the propagation of p-tau. We established a TN rat model via infraorbital nerve chronic constrictive injury (ION-CCI). Once the model was established, we investigated the association between p-tau and cognitive impairment in TN rats by evaluating behavioral and degenerative markers. During the initial phase, we noted an increase in p-tau level in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal tissues of TN rats. The accompanied impaired learning and memory abilities suggested cognitive dysfunction. Blocking p-tau synthesis by orally administering a protein phosphatase and by injecting adenoviral vectors targeting LRP1 into the lateral ventricle of rats ameliorated cognitive impairment. This suggests that cognitive decline in TN rats is linked to elevated p-tau levels. Our findings show that LRP1-mediated p-tau propagation may drive cognitive impairment associated with neuropathic pain in TN rats.
ISSN:0168-0102