Bilateral changes of IL-10 protein in lumbar and cervical dorsal root ganglia following proximal and distal chronic constriction injury of peripheral nerve

► We studied changes of IL-10 protein in dorsal root ganglia after nerve constriction injury. ► IL-10 protein was examined by immunohistochemistry and ELISA in dorsal root ganglia of spinal cord levels homo- and heteronymous to injured nerve. ► Transient bilateral elevation of IL-10 protein occurred in the homo- and heteronymous ganglia. ► Bilateral elevation of IL-10 in dorsal root ganglia was also observed after sham operations. Interleukin-10 prevents transition of a physiological inflammatory reaction to a pathological state that may result in neuropathic pain. We studied bilateral changes of IL-10 protein levels in L4–L5 and C7–C8 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) after a chronic constriction injury (CCI) of either L4–L5 spinal nerves (pCCI) or the sciatic nerve (dCCI). Rats undergoing pCCI or dCCI were left to survive for 1, 3, 7 or 14 d, sham-operated rats for 3 or 14 d. After the survival time, C7–C8 and L4–L5 DRG were removed bilaterally from naïve, operated, and sham-operated rats and IL-10 protein was detected by immunohistochemical staining and measured using ELISA analysis. Unilateral pCCI and dCCI induced a transient bilateral elevation in IL-10 protein level not only in the homonymous lumbar DRG but also in the heteronymous cervical DRG nonassociated with the spinal segments of constricted nerve. Sham operations also induced bilateral elevation of IL-10 protein in both homonymous and heteronymous DRG. Our experiments revealed that the more proximal is a nerve injury the more rapid is the initial increase and slower the subsequent decrease of IL-10 protein level in DRG. Changes of IL-10 protein in DRG nonassociated with damaged nerve could be related to a general neuroinflammatory reaction of the nervous system to injury and thereby promote potential of the DRG neurons for regenerating their axons following a conditioning lesion.