Korean J Anesthesiol.  2007 Feb;52(2):219-223. 10.4097/kjae.2007.52.2.219.

Alterations in NK Cell Cytotoxicity Induced by Peripheral Nerve Injury in Mice

• Kang YJ
• Song HK
• Chon JY
• You JH

• KMID: 2236626
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.2007.52.2.219

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.

Keyword

immune system; immunologic cytotoxicity test; neuropathy; NK cell; pain

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cell Line
Chronic Pain
Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic
Hyperalgesia
Immune System
Killer Cells, Natural*
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase
Mice*
Neuralgia
Peripheral Nerve Injuries*
Peripheral Nerves*
Prognosis
Sciatic Nerve
L-Lactate Dehydrogenase