慢性病理性疼痛的表观遗传学研究进展

病理性疼痛是指由创伤、感染、肿瘤等因素造成组织病理性改变后引起的疼痛.疼痛若持续1个月以上或在损伤组织愈合后持续存在则演变为慢性疼痛.慢性疼痛患者常伴有失眠、焦虑、抑郁等精神心理疾病,正常的生理功能和生活质量严重受损,带来许多社会经济问题.最新研究发现,表观遗传学调控可以在分子水平解释各种慢性病理性疼痛,包括炎性疼痛、神经病理性疼痛和精神源性疼痛的发病机制,进而引领其治疗手段的发展.本文围绕表观遗传学中DNA甲基化、组蛋白乙酰化和小干扰RNA(miRNA)调控这3种主要机制在慢性病理性疼痛领域的最新研究进展作一综述.

Epigenetic mechanisms of chronic pathological pain: research progress

Pathological pain exists after tissue injury caused by trauma, infection, tumor, etc. It may turn into chronic pain if lasting for more than one month. Patients with chronic pain often suffer insomnia, anxiety, depression and other mental disorders so as to seriously impair their physical function and quality of life, which brings about many social and economic problems. Recent studies have found that epigenetic regulation may explain the pathogenesis of pathological pain, including inflammation pain, neuropathic pain and psychological pain, at molecular level and thus lead the development of its therapeutic means. In this article, we reviewed the latest research progress of epigenetic regulation, including DNA methylation, histone acetylation and miRNA activity, of chronic pathological pain.