We established that neurons present in dorsal root ganglia (DRG), similar to leukocytes, express a wide variety of receptors for cytokines, chemokines, opioids, anandamide and other neuropeptides. We previously showed that prior exposure to chemokines such as MIP1alpha results in PKC mediated desensitization of the chemotactic response to opioids by opioid receptors, and thus potentially enhances pain. This decrease in the analgesic effect of opioids was evident from the enhanced tail flick assay of rats administered MIP1alpha or RANTES prior to an analgesic opioid into the PAG of the CNS. We then extended these earlier studies by showing that prior administration of chemokines Asensitized and primed the calcium flux of capsaicin or anandamide stimulated vanilloid (TRPV1) algesic receptor on DRG neurons. This response also increased pain as shown by the enhancement of paw withdrawal in response to the intrathecal administration of the chemokine prior to capsaicin in vivo. This sensitization of the vanilloid receptor was also PKC dependent. Consequently, proinflammatory chemokines can increase pain both by suppressing opioid and enhancing vanilloid receptor responses. Based on these studies, we predicted that the anti-inflammatory effects of adenosine, which also interacts with GiPCR, might have effects on chemokine receptors. Indeed our current studies show that prior addition of adenosine results in suppressing the in vitro chemotactic response of leukocytes to a variety of chemokines. Furthermore, prior in vivo injection of adenosine inhibits the in vivo influx of leukocytes into a murine air pouch by about 90%. This cross-desensitization of chemokine receptors by adenosine A2a receptors was PKA dependent. These studies therefore reveal novel pathways of receptor mediated intercommunication of inflammatory as well as painful stimuli. Means of interfering with these PKC and PKA dependent signals and the pathophysiological relevance of this receptor cross-talk to inflammation and pain need to be further evaluated. We are currently investigating how these pathways may be contributing to the very painful inflammatory lesions of Herpes Zoster in animal models. The role of adenosine as an immunosuppressive effector molecule also has been reported to mediate the cell contact dependent effects of Tregs and to interfere with host resistance to tumors. Thus, studies of adenosine effects are relevant to tumor biology and immunology. The projects of my laboratory are focused on the resolution and control of inflammation and cancer, to achieve this goal we have taken three diverse approaches involving studies of the cross-talk between pain and inflammatory receptors, the tumor protective effects of T regulatory cells and the identification of alarmins that may prove useful as anti tumor vaccine adjuvants.
| Zhang, Ning; Yang, De; Dong, Huifang et al. (2006) Adenosine A2a receptors induce heterologous desensitization of chemokine receptors. Blood 108:38-44 |
| Zhang, Ning; Inan, Saadet; Inan, Sadeet et al. (2005) A proinflammatory chemokine, CCL3, sensitizes the heat- and capsaicin-gated ion channel TRPV1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 102:4536-41 |
| Jiao, Xuanmao; Zhang, Ning; Xu, Xuehua et al. (2005) Ligand-induced partitioning of human CXCR1 chemokine receptors with lipid raft microenvironments facilitates G-protein-dependent signaling. Mol Cell Biol 25:5752-62 |
| Sun, Ronghua; Gao, Ping; Chen, Lin et al. (2005) Protein kinase C zeta is required for epidermal growth factor-induced chemotaxis of human breast cancer cells. Cancer Res 65:1433-41 |
| Gao, Ping; Wange, Ronald L; Zhang, Ning et al. (2005) Negative regulation of CXCR4-mediated chemotaxis by the lipid phosphatase activity of tumor suppressor PTEN. Blood 106:2619-26 |
