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- Fransén, Erik, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Computational modeling of activity dependent velocity changes in peripheral C-fibers
- 2011
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Initiation and propagation of action potentials along unmyelinated C-fibers are the first steps of the pain pathway. Propagation velocity and its fiber class-specific activity-dependent slowing (ADS) is intimately linked to fibre excitability. In chronic pain patients, ADS alterations have been suggested to reflect increased excitability, possibly underlying clinical pain. Due to their small diameter, peripheral axons of nociceptors in patients are not accessible for intraaxonal recordings of their ion channel properties. We have therefore constructed a model of a C-fibre to study the relationship between ion channel composition and velocity changes as well as excitability. Ion channels are modeled from data of DRG somata using a Hodgkin-Huxley formalism (Na currents: TTX-sensitive, Nav1.8, Nav1.9, K currents: Kdr, A-type, Kv7.3, non-specific cationic: HCN). Moreover, ion pumps (Na/K-ATPase) and concentrations of intra and extraaxonal sodium and potassium are also included. The geometry and temperature of the fibre represents a section of the superficial branch and the deeper parent and is represented by a multicompartmental structure where each compartment contains passive as well as ion channel and pump elements. Using parameter estimation techniques, we optimized ion channel and pump expression pattern such that basic electrophysiological characteristics of the action potential and its velocity matched the experimental data. Moreover, we have also replicated activity dependent slowing. In ongoing work, we extend optimization to also include recovery cycles. The model will be used to study hypothesis of the relationship between individual ion channel subtypes and axonal excitability related to pain, generating independent information on impact of selective neuronal targets.
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- Fransén, Erik, 1962-, et al.
(författare)
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Differences in action potential propagation in mechanosensitive and insensitive C-nociceptors - a modeling approach
- 2012
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- C-fibers, unmyelinated afferent axons, convey information from the periphery of the nervous system to the spinal cord. They transmit signals originating from noxious stimulation evoking the sensations of itch and pain in the central nervous system. Different classes of C-fibers are characterized by functional, morphological and biochemical characteristics. In pain studies, a classification into mechano-insensitive (CMi) and mechano responsive fibers (CM) has proven useful as changes in proportions and response characteristics of these fibers have been observed in neuropathy patients (Weidner et al. 1999, 2000; Orstavik 2003, 2010). In this study, using computational modeling of a C-fiber, we have studied the possible contribution of different ion channel subtypes (Na-TTXs, Nav1.8, Nav1.9, Kdr, KA, KM, K(Na), h) as well as the Na/K-ATPase pump to conductive properties of C-fibers. In particular we investigated mechanisms that could generate the fiber-specific differences between CM and CMi fibers with regard to activity dependent slowing (ADS) and recovery cycles (RC). In our study we represent the axon by three cylindrical sections, one representing the peripheral thin end (branch, 2.5 cm), one the central part (parent, 10 cm) and a conical section between these (0.5 cm). In total 730 compartments are used. Temperature is set to 32 degrees C in branch and 37 degrees in parent sections. We represent variable ion concentrations of Na and K intra axonally, periaxonally and extracellularly, from which reversal potentials are calculated. We use ion channel models based on Hodgkin Huxley formalism. An ion pump (Na/K-ATPase) is included. We find that TTX-sensitive Na and Nav1.8 have the strongest influence on action potential conduction velocity as is expected since these are the major components of the rising phase of the action potential. Preliminary observations indicate that a small subset of Na and K currents play a key role in determining differences in activity dependent velocity changes (ADS) in the two fiber classes. We plan to also study contributions from morphological characteristics (superficial branch lengths) to activity dependent differences between the fiber classes (Schmidt et al. 2002). We further intend to investigate candidate ion channels which could play a role in changing the functional characteristics of a CMi fiber to that of a CM fiber. Our studies may provide insights into ionic changes underlying changes in the excitability of C-fibers associated with pain.
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- Petersson, Marcus E., 1983-, et al.
(författare)
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Low-frequency summation of synaptically activated transient receptor potential channel-mediated depolarizations
- 2011
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Ingår i: European Journal of Neuroscience. - : Wiley. - 0953-816X .- 1460-9568. ; 34:4, s. 578-593
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Neurons sum their input by spatial and temporal integration. Temporally, presynaptic firing rates are converted to dendritic membrane depolarizations by postsynaptic receptors and ion channels. In several regions of the brain, including higher association areas, the majority of firing rates are low. For rates below 20 Hz, the ionotropic receptors alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor and N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor will not produce effective temporal summation. We hypothesized that depolarization mediated by transient receptor potential (TRP) channels activated by metabotropic glutamate receptors would be more effective, owing to their slow kinetics. On the basis of voltage-clamp and current-clamp recordings from a rat slice preparation, we constructed a computational model of the TRP channel and its intracellular activation pathway, including the metabotropic glutamate receptor. We show that synaptic input frequencies down to 3-4 Hz and inputs consisting of as few as three to five pulses can be effectively summed. We further show that the time constant of integration increases with increasing stimulation frequency and duration. We suggest that the temporal summation characteristics of TRP channels may be important at distal dendritic arbors, where spatial summation is limited by the number of concurrently active synapses. It may be particularly important in regions characterized by low and irregular rates.
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| 8. |
- Tigerholm, Jenny, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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C-Fiber Recovery Cycle Supernormality Depends on Ion Concentration and Ion Channel Permeability
- 2015
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Ingår i: Biophysical Journal. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-3495 .- 1542-0086. ; 108:5, s. 1057-1071
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Following each action potential, C-fiber nociceptors undergo cyclical changes in excitability, including a period of superexcitability, before recovering their basal excitability state. The increase in superexcitability during this recovery cycle depends upon their immediate firing history of the axon, but also determines the instantaneous firing frequency that encodes pain intensity. To explore the mechanistic underpinnings of the recovery cycle phenomenon a biophysical model of a C-fiber has been developed. The model represents the spatial extent of the axon including its passive properties as well as ion channels and the Na/K-ATPase ion pump. Ionic concentrations were represented inside and outside the membrane. The model was able to replicate the typical transitions in excitability from subnormal to supernormal observed empirically following a conducted action potential. In the model, supernormality depended on the degree of conduction slowing which in turn depends upon the frequency of stimulation, in accordance with experimental findings. In particular, we show that activity-dependent conduction slowing is produced by the accumulation of intraaxonal sodium. We further show that the supernormal phase results from a reduced potassium current K-dr as a result of accumulation of periaxonal potassium in concert with a reduced influx of sodium through Na(v)1.7 relative to Na(v)1.8 current. This theoretical prediction was supported by data from an in vitro preparation of small rat dorsal root ganglion somata showing a reduction in the magnitude of tetrodotoxin-sensitive relative to tetrodotoxin - resistant whole cell current. Furthermore, our studies provide support for the role of depolarization in supernormality, as previously suggested, but we suggest that the basic mechanism depends on changes in ionic concentrations inside and outside the axon. The understanding of the mechanisms underlying repetitive discharges in recovery cycles may provide insight into mechanisms of spontaneous activity, which recently has been shown to correlate to a perceived level of pain.
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