Pulsed radiofrequency alleviates neuropathic pain by upregulating MG53 to inhibit microglial activation

Neuropathic pain (NP) diminishes the patient’s quality of life, and current treatments are often unsatisfactory. Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) is emerging as a treatment for chronic pain, including NP. This study explores how PRF alleviates NP by focusing on MG53, a protein that can inhibit microglial activation (immune response in the brain and spinal cord). The study found that PRF upregulates MG53 expression, which in turn inhibits microglial activation and reduces endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS). The results suggest that PRF could alleviate NP by modulating the MG53-mediated suppression of microglial activation, offering a potential new approach for treating NP.

• 1
  PRF treatment alleviated NP in CCI rats, and upregulated the expression of MG53 while inhibiting microglial activation.
• 2
  Knockdown of MG53 weakened the pain remission effect of PRF, and increased microglial activation and endoplasmic reticulum stress.
• 3
  Overexpression of MG53 inhibited microglial activation and its alleviation effect on NP were reversed after injection of ERS inducer in CCI rats.