실험연구 : 말초신경 손상 통증모델에서 쥐 NK 세포의 세포독성 변화

Background: Chronic pain is often associated with changes in the immune responses, which highlights the need for the aggressive pain control to obtain a better prognosis. This study examined splenic NK cell cytotoxicity in an attempt to assess the possible changes in the immune function under chronic neuropathic pain after a partial transsection of the sciatic nerve. Methods: After confirming tactile allodynia in response to the von Frey filament, a modified lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay was used to determine the cytotoxic activity of splenic NK cells on the YAC-1 cell line in C3H/HeN (H-2k) mice (n = 6). NK cells as effector cells were mixed with YAC-1 cells as target cells (1 × 104/100μl), resulting in an effector-target ratio of 1：25, 1：50, 1：100 in the culture medium. Results: At 1 and 2 weeks after the nerve injury, all the subjects showed significant mechanical sensitivity compared with those observed before surgery. The percentage of NK cell cytotoxicity of the neuropathic mice increased significantly 1 week after the nerve injury but decreased within 2 weeks compared with the normal mice. Conclusions: In terms of the altered NK cell cytotoxicity, neuropathic pain can cause changes in the normal performance of the immune function. (Korean J Anesthesiol 2007; 52: 219~23)