Fig. 4
From: CircAnks1a in the spinal cord regulates hypersensitivity in a rodent model of neuropathic pain
VEGFB in the spinal dorsal horn contributed to neuropathic pain following SNL. a Heat map showed the significantly upregulated mRNAs in the dorsal horn of AAV-circAnks1a-EGFP-injected rats (n = 4). b Volcano map showing that VEGFB has the maximum increased fold with q < 0.05 (n = 4). c, d The mRNA and protein levels of VEGFB in the dorsal horn of rats were measured at various time points following SNL (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 vs. the sham group, two-tailed one-way ANOVA, n = 5 for (c) and n = 4 for (d)). e Immunofluorescence staining of VEGFB (red) colocalized with NeuN (neuron marker, green) but not with GFAP (astrocyte marker, green) or Iba-1 (microglial marker, green). Scale bar, 50 μm (n = 3). f VEGFB siRNA treatment (1 nmol 10 µl−1, i.t.) ameliorated the increase in the amplitude and frequency of mEPSCs on day 14 following SNL (**P < 0.01 vs. the sham group, ##P <0.01 vs. the corresponding scramble group, two-tailed one-way ANOVA for amplitude, two-tailed permutation tests for frequency, n = 24). g Intrathecal injection of VEGFB siRNA attenuated the mechanical allodynia induced by SNL (**P < 0.01 vs. the sham group, #P < 0.05 vs. the corresponding scramble group, two-tailed permutation tests, n = 12). h The effect of VEGFB siRNA on withdrawal latency (**P < 0.01 vs. the sham group, #P < 0.05 vs. the corresponding scramble group, two-tailed permutation tests, n = 12). i, j Local knockdown of VEGFB by intraspinal injection of AAV-Cre-mCherry into VEGFBflox/flox mice significantly ameliorated mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia (**P < 0.01 vs. the sham group, #P < 0.05, ##P < 0.01 vs. the corresponding AAV-mCherry group, two-tailed permutation tests, n = 8 for (i) and n = 12 for (j)). k, l Intraspinal injection of AAV-VEGFB-EGFP significantly reduced the withdrawal threshold and withdrawal latency 21 days after injection (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 vs. the corresponding AAV-EGFP group, two-tailed permutation tests, n = 12). The data are presented as the mean ± s.e.m. Source data is available as a Source Data file
