ReIationships between sodium channeI NaV 1.7 and pain / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV1.1-NaV1.9) play important roles in the generation and maintenance of electrical excitability. NaV1.7 is preferentially expressed in peripheral somatic sensory neurons and sympathetic ganglion neurons. ln humans, gain-of-function mutations of SCN9A gene, which encodes NaV1.7, cause inherited neuropathic pain, whereas loss-of-function mutations result in a congenital indifference to pain without motor, cognitive and cardiac deficits. The effects of some analge-sics are associated, at least in part, with the NaV1.7 and selective NaV1.7 inhibitors have also been demonstrated to be analgesic in animal models. NaV1.7 has emerged as a potential target for the treat-ment of pain.