Abstract

Background. Neuropathic pain is a debilitating disease with few effective treatments. Emerging evidence indicates the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in neuropathic pain. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a potent regulator of the antioxidant response system. In this study, we investigated whether RTA-408 (RTA, a novel synthetic triterpenoid under clinical investigation) could activate Nrf2 and promote mitochondrial biogenesis (MB) to reverse neuropathic pain and the underlying mechanisms. Methods. Neuropathic pain was induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve. Pain behaviors were measured via the von Frey test and Hargreaves plantar test. The L4-6 spinal cord was collected to examine the activation of Nrf2 and MB. Results. RTA-408 treatment significantly reversed mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in CCI mice in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, RTA-408 increased the activity of Nrf2 and significantly restored MB that was impaired in CCI mice in an Nrf2-dependent manner. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1alpha (PGC-1α) is the key regulator of MB. We found that the PGC-1α activator also induced a potent analgesic effect in CCI mice. Moreover, the antinociceptive effect of RTA-408 was reversed by the preinjection of the PGC-1α inhibitor. Conclusions. Nrf2 activation attenuates chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain via induction of PGC-1α-mediated mitochondrial biogenesis in the spinal cord. Our results indicate that Nrf2 may be a potential therapeutic strategy to ameliorate neuropathic pain and many other disorders with oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.