Nerve growth factor induces sensitization of nociceptors without evidence for increased intraepidermal nerve fiber density.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is involved in the long-term sensitization of nociceptive processing linked to chronic pain. Functional and structural ("sprouting") changes can contribute. Thus, humans report long-lasting hyperalgesia to mechanical and electrical stimulation after intradermal NGF injection and NGF-induced sprouting has been reported to underlie cancer bone pain and visceral pain. Using a human-like animal model we investigated the relationship between the structure and function of unmyelinated porcine nociceptors 3 weeks after intradermal NGF treatment. Axonal and sensory characteristics were studied by in vivo single-fiber electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry. C fibers recorded extracellularly were classified based on mechanical response and activity-dependent slowing (ADS) of conduction velocity. Intraepidermal nerve fiber (IENF) densities were assessed by immunohistochemistry in pigs and in human volunteers using the same NGF model. NGF increased conduction velocity and reduced ADS and propagation failure in mechano-insensitive nociceptors. The proportion of mechano-sensitive C nociceptors within NGF-treated skin areas increased from 45.1% (control) to 71% and their median mechanical thresholds decreased from 40 to 20 mN. After NGF application, the mechanical receptive fields of nociceptors increased from 25 to 43 mm(2). At the structural level, however, IENF density was not increased by NGF. In conclusion, intradermal NGF induces long-lasting axonal and mechanical sensitization in porcine C nociceptors that corresponds to hyperalgesia observed in humans. Sensitization is not accompanied by increased IENF density, suggesting that NGF-induced hyperalgesia might not depend on changes in nerve fiber density but could be linked to the recruitment of previously silent nociceptors.

Structural and functional differences between neuropathy with and without pain?

We aimed to find functional and structural differences in neuropathy between patients with and without chronic pain following nerve injury. We included 30 patients requiring hand surgery after a trauma, with 21 reporting chronic pain for more than one year after the injury, while 9 did not suffer from injury-related chronic pain. We assessed mechanical sensitivity, thermal thresholds, electrically induced pain and axon reflex erythema and cutaneous nerve fiber density in skin biopsies of the injured site and its contralateral control. Epidermal fiber density of the injured site was reduced similarly in both patient groups. Thresholds for cold and heat pain and axon reflex areas were reduced in the injured site, but did not differ between the patient groups. Only warmth thresholds were better preserved in the pain patients (35.2 vs. 38.4°C). Neuronal CGRP staining did not reveal any difference between pain and non-pain patients. Epidermal innervation density correlated best to warmth detection thresholds and deeper dermal innervation density to the area of the axon reflex erythema. No specific pattern of subjective, functional or structural parameters was detected that would separate the neuropathy patients into pain and non-pain patients. Specific staining of additional targets may help to improve our mechanistic understanding of pain development.