Figure 1

Inhibition of BDNF signaling attenuated pain behavior in the rats with bone cancer. (A) Implantation of tumor cells (TCI) into the tibias significantly increased the protein expression of BDNF in the spinal dorsal horn of the rats (day 5: t = 3.7, P < 0.01; day 15: t = 4.7, P < 0.01; n = 7 rats in each group); (B) Intrathecal injection of TrkB-Fc (1.5 μg, from day 3 through day 15) attenuated the increase of input (stimuli intensity) – output (EPSC amplitude) response in the dorsal horn neurons in the modeled rats (F_(1,20) = 13.36, P < 0.01, n = 9–12 neurons per group); (C) Intrathecal injection of TrkB-Fc significantly recovered the ipsilateral paw withdrawal threshold response to mechanical (F_{(1, 18)} = 11.24, P < 0.01) and radiant thermal stimuli (F_{(1, 18)} = 10.85, P < 0.01) in the rats with bone cancer (n = 8–10 rats per group). Control vs. TCI: *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01; TCI vs. TCI + TrkB-Fc: ♦, P < 0.05; ♦♦, P < 0.01.