Chronic neuropathic pain is caused by tissue damage or nervous system inflammation and is characterized by sensitivity to painful stimuli. P2X3 receptors play an important role in facilitating pain transmission. Neferine is a bisbenzylisoquinline alkaloid isolated from seed embryos of lotus, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidation pharmacological functions. The present research investigated whether neferine relieves neuropathic pain related to the P2X3 receptor in rat dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Chronic contraction injury (CCI) in rats was used as a model for neuropathic pain. The results indicated that the expression of P2X3 receptor was significantly increased in the DRGs of CCI rats and that mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia were also enhanced in CCI rats. Neferine markedly lowered the upregulated P2X3 receptor and interleukin-1beta, inhibited the phosphorylation and activation of ERK1/2 in the DRGs of CCI rats, and relieved neuropathic pain. Therefore, neferine alleviates neuropathic pain by downregulating the expression of P2X3 receptor.

慢性神经性疼痛是由组织损伤或神经系统炎症引起的，其特征是对疼痛刺激敏感。P2X3 受体在促进疼痛传递方面发挥着重要作用。Neferine是从莲子胚中分离得到的双苄基异喹啉生物碱，具有抗炎、抗氧化等药理作用。本研究调查了 neferine 是否缓解与大鼠背根神经节 (DRG) 中 P2X3 受体相关的神经性疼痛。大鼠的慢性收缩损伤 (CCI) 被用作神经性疼痛的模型。结果表明，CCI大鼠DRGs中P2X3受体的表达显着增加，CCI大鼠机械性异常性疼痛和热痛觉过敏也增强。Neferine 显着降低了上调的 P2X3 受体和白细胞介素-1β，抑制了 CCI 大鼠背根神经节中 ERK1/2 的磷酸化和激活，并缓解了神经性疼痛。因此，neferine 通过下调 P2X3 受体的表达来减轻神经性疼痛。