Warning: mkdir(): Permission denied in /home/virtual/lib/view_data.php on line 81 Warning: fopen(/home/virtual/e-kjs/journal/upload/ip_log/ip_log_2024-04.txt): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /home/virtual/lib/view_data.php on line 83 Warning: fwrite() expects parameter 1 to be resource, boolean given in /home/virtual/lib/view_data.php on line 84 Neural Mechanisms of Discogenic Back Pain: How Does Nerve Growth Factor Play a Key Role?.
  • Advanced Search
Korean J Spine Search

CLOSE

Review
Korean J Spine 2011;8(2): 83-87.
11
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14245/kjs.2011.8.2.83   
Neural Mechanisms of Discogenic Back Pain: How Does Nerve Growth Factor Play a Key Role?.
Yasuchika Aoki, Seiji Ohtori, Koichi Nakagawa, Arata Nakajima, Gen Inoue, Masayuki Miyagi, Kazuhisa Takahashi
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Toho University Sakura Medical Center, Japan. yasuaoki35@fc4.so-net.ne.jp
2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Japan.
Abstract
It was reported that nerve fibers were present in the inner part of lumbar intervertebral discs from patients with discogenic pain. Because there are no nerve fibers in the inner part of annulus fibrosus in normal condition, this finding suggests nerve ingrowth into the disc may be a cause of discogenic pain. Disc degeneration is often asymptomatic, thus, to understand the differences between symptomatic and asymptomatic disc, it is necessary to understand the pathogenesis of discogenic pain. We recently revealed that over 90% of the nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons innervating the disc are sensitive to nerve growth factor (NGF), which is related to inflammatory pain. This indicates that discogenic pain is closely related to inflammation and NGF may play a key role. The increase of inflammatory mediators in symptomatic discs has been reported; we therefore studied the effects of disc inflammation and found that it induces sensitization of disc-innervating neurons and nerve ingrowth into the disc. More recently, it was shown that annular rupture induces nerve ingrowth, an increase of inflammatory mediators in the disc, and upregulation of calcitonin gene-related peptide, a pain-related molecule in DRGs. These findings led us to believe that annular rupture triggers inflammation and nerve ingrowth, inflammatory mediators then further promote nerve ingrowth into the disc and sensitization of disc-innervating neurons, and discogenic pain finally becomes chronic. NGF, found in symptomatic discs, may act as a key factor in generating chronic discogenic pain by sensitizing disc-innervating neurons and stimulating nerve ingrowth into the disc.
Keywords: Discogenic pain;Dorsal root ganglion (DRG);Intervertebral disc;Nerve growth factor (NGF);Disc degeneration
  • Medtronic
    • TOOLS
    Share :
    Facebook Twitter Linked In Google+
    METRICS Graph View
    • 1 Crossref
    •   Scopus
    • 5,459 View
    • 48 Download
    Related articles in NS
    Journal Impact Factor 3.2
    ABOUT
    SUBSPECIALTY

    Browse all articles >

    ARTICLE CATEGORY

    Browse all articles >

    BROWSE ARTICLES
    AUTHOR INFORMATION
    Editorial Office
    CHA University, CHA School of Medicine Bundang Medical Center
    59 Yatap-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 13496, Korea
    Tel: +82-31-780-1924  Fax: +82-31-780-5269  E-mail: support@e-neurospine.org
    The Korean Spinal Neurosurgery Society
    #407, Dong-A Villate 2nd Town, 350 Seocho-daero, Seocho-gu, Seoul 06631, Korea
    Tel: +82-2-585-5455  Fax: +82-2-2-523-6812  E-mail: ksns1987@gmail.com
    Business License No.: 209-82-62443

    Copyright © The Korean Spinal Neurosurgery Society.

    Developed in M2PI

    Close layer
    prev next