PAIN Research Laboratory

In studies of neurophysiology of chronic pain (e.g. chemogenic low back pain and CRPS), behavioral measurements of cutaneous hyperalgesia and allodynia were correlated with extracellular and intracellular recordings of sensory neurons with chronic compression injury of the DRG or the peripheral nerve. Our first goal is to study the etiology of low back pain originated in the intact or injured lumbar ganglia, and to determine the role of inflammatory cytokines in the development of pain and hyperalgesia after injury of the ganglion or damage to the peripheral nerve. Our second goal is to study the activity-dependent sympathetic sprouting as a cause of CRPS.

Members

Ahmed H. Ghaleb, M.D. (Director of the Pain Service)
Dobretsov, Maxim, Ph.D.
Romanovsky, Dimitry, Ph.D.
 

Recent Publications:

Research Articles

Ackerman, W., Zhang, J.-M., and Munir, M.A. A comparison of laser Doppler image with three-phase scintigraphy for the diagnosis of CRPS I. Pain, in press.

Li, A.-H., Zhang, J.-M. and Xie, Y.-K. Human acupuncture points mapped in rats are associated with excitable muscle/skin-nerve complexes with enriched nerve endings. Brain Res, 1012:154-159, 2004.

Zhang, J.-M., Li, H. and Munir, M.A. Decreasing sprouting of noradrenergic sympathetic fibers in pathologic sensory ganglia: new mechanism and approach for treating neuropathic pain using local anesthetics. Pain, 109: 143-149, 2004 (cover).

Simone, D.A., Zhang, X., Li, J., Zhang, J.-M., Honda, C.A., LaMotte, R.H., and Giesler, G.J. Comparison of responses of primate spinothalamic tract neurons to pruritic and algogenic stimuli. J. Neurophysiol., 91(1): 213-222, 2004.

Dupont-Versteegden, E.E., Houle, J.D., Dennis, R.A., Zhang, J.-M., Knox, M., Wagoner, G. and Peterson, C.A. Exercise-induced gene expression in soleus muscle is dependent on time after spinal cord injury in rats. Muscle & Nerve, 29: 73-81, 2004.

Song, X.-J., Zhang, J.-M., Hu, S.-J. and LaMotte, R.H. Enhanced responses to inflammatory mediators in the somata of nerve-injured sensory neurons. Pain, 104: 701-709, 2003.

Munir, M.A., Jaffar, M., Arshad, M., Akhter, M.S. and Zhang, J.-M. Reduced duration of muscle relaxation with rocuronium in a normocalcemic hyperparathyroid patient. Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, 50: 558-561, 2003.

Dobretsov, M., Hastings, S.L., Romanovsky, D., Stimers, J.R. and Zhang, J.-M. Mechanical hyperalgesia in rats with systemic or local hyperglycemia. Brain Research, 960 (1-2), 167-176, 2003.

Liu, B.-G., Li, H., Brull, S.J. and Zhang, J.-M. Increased sensitivity of primary sensory neurons to exogenous tumor necrosis factor a in rats with chronic compression of the lumbar ganglia. J. Neurophysiol., 88: 1387-1392, 2002.

Zhang, J.-M., Li, H., Liu, B.-G. and Brull, S.J. Acute application of tumor necrosis factor a evokes protein kinase A-mediated responses in rat sensory neurons. J. Neurophysiol., 88: 1393-1399, 2002.

Homma, Y. Brull, S.J. and Zhang, J.-M. A comparison of the chronic pain following local application of tumor necrosis factor a to the normal and mechanically injured lumbar ganglion in the rat. Pain, 95 (3):239-246, 2002.

Li, H., Liu, B.-G., Dobretsov, M. Brull, S.J. and Zhang, J.-M., Thermosensitivity of large primary sensory neurons. Brain Res, 926(1-2):18-26, 2002.

Hu, S. -J., Song, X. -J., Greenquist, K. W., Zhang, J. -M., and LaMotte, R.H. Protein kinase A mediates spontaneous activity in chronically compressed dorsal root ganglion neurons in the rat. Pain, 94: 39-46, 2001.

Dobretsov, M, Hasting, S.L., Stimers, J.R. and Zhang, J.-M. Mechanical hyperalgesia in rats with chronic perfusion of lumbar dorsal root ganglion with hyperglycemic solution. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 110: 9-15, 2001.

Zhang, J.-M., Homma, Y., Ackerman, W.E. and Brull, S.J. Topical application of acidic bupivacaine to the lumbar ganglion induces mechanical hyperalgesia in the rat. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 93: 466-471, 2001.

Liu, B.-G., Zhuang, X.-L., Brull, S.-J., and Zhang, J.-M. Effects of bupivacaine and ropivacaine on the high voltage-activated calcium currents of rat dorsal horn neurons. Anesthesiology, 95:139-143, 2001.

Zhang, J.-M., H. Li and Brull, S.J. Perfusion of the compressed dorsal root ganglion with lidocaine reduces mechanical hyperalgesia and allodynia in an animal model of low back pain and sciatica. J. Neurophysiol, 84: 798-805, 2000.

Atanassoff, P.G., Brull, S.J., Zhang, J. -M. Greenquist, K.W., Silverman D.G. and LaMotte, R.H. Enhancement of experimental pruritus and secondary dysesthesia with local anesthesia. Somatosensory & Motor Research, 16: 291, 1999.

Brull, S.J., Atanassoff, P. G, Silverman, D.G., Zhang, J. -M., Pitchford, M.W. and LaMotte, R.H. Attenuation of experimental pruritus and secondary dysesthesia in the area of cutaneous allodynia. Somatosensory & Motor Research, 16: 299, 1999.

Song, X. -J., HU, S. -J., Greenquist, K. W., Zhang, J. -M., and LaMotte, R.H. Mechanical and thermal cutaneous hyperalgesia and ectopic neuronal discharge in rats with chronic ally compressed dorsal root ganglia. J. Neurophysiol., 82: 3347, 1999.

Zhang, J. -M., Song, X. -J. and LaMotte, R.H. Enhanced excitability of sensory neurons in rat with cutaneous hyperalgesia produced by chronic compression of dorsal root ganglia. J. Neurophysiol, 82:3359, 1999.

Zhang, J. -M., Donnelly, D.F. and LaMotte, R.H. Patch clamp recording from the intact dorsal root ganglion. J. Neurosci. Methods, 79: 97-103, 1998.

Zhang, J. -M., Donnelly, D.F., Song, X.-J. and LaMotte, R.H. Axotomy increases the excitability of dorsal root ganglion cells with unmyelinated axons. J. Neurophysiol. 78:2790-2794, 1997.

Zhang, J. -M. and LaMotte, R.H. An in vitro study of ectopic discharge generation and adrenergic sensitivity in intact nerve-injured rat dorsal root ganglion. Pain 72: 51-57, 1997.

Petersen, M., Zhang, J. -M. and LaMotte, R.H. Abnormal spontaneous activity and responses to norepinephrine in dissociated dorsal root ganglion cells after chronic nerve constriction. Pain 67: 391-397, 1996.

Xie, Y.-K., Zhang, J. -M., Petersen, M. and LaMotte, R.H. Functional changes in dorsal root ganglion cells after chronic nerve constriction in the rat. J. Neurophysiol., 73: 1811?1819, 1995.