Fatty acid amide hydrolase activity in the dorsal periaqueductal gray attenuates neuropathic pain and associated dysautonomia

The complexity of neuropathic pain and its associated comorbidities, including dysautonomia, make it difficult to treat. Overlap of anatomical regions and pharmacology of sympathosensory systems in the central nervous system (CNS) provide targets for novel treatment strategies. The dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) is an integral component of both the descending pain modulation system and the acute stress response and is critically involved in both analgesia and the regulation of sympathetic activity. Local manipulation of the endocannabinoid signaling system holds great promise to provide analgesia without excessive adverse effects and also influence autonomic output. Inhibition of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) increases brain concentrations of the endocannabinoid -arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and reduces pain-related behaviors in neuropathic pain models. Neuropathic hyperalgesia and reduced sympathetic tone are associated with increased FAAH activity in the dPAG, which suggests the hypothesis that inhibition of FAAH in the dPAG will normalize pain sensation and autonomic function in neuropathic pain. To test this hypothesis, the effects of systemic or intra-dPAG FAAH inhibition on hyperalgesia and dysautonomia developed after spared nerve injury (SNI) were assessed in male and female rats. Administration of the FAAH inhibitor PF-3845 into the dPAG reduces hyperalgesia behavior and the decrease in sympathetic tone induced by SNI. Prior administration of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM281, attenuated the antihyperalgesic and sympathetic effects of FAAH inhibition. No sex differences were identified. These data support an integrative role for AEA/CB1 receptor signaling in the dPAG contributing to the regulation of both hyperalgesia behavior and altered sympathetic tone in neuropathic pain.