Wu-tou decoction inhibits chronic inflammatory pain in mice: participation of TRPV1 and TRPA1 ion channels
Authors: Danni Sun
Xianghong Jing
Chunfang Liu
Ying Xu
Hongye Wan
Yakun Qu
Danhua Wang
Chao Wang
Zhiqiang Liu
Shuping Chen
Na Lin
Yue Yang
Junling Liu
Tengfei Xu
Journal: BioMed Research International (2015)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: Wu-tou decoction; antinociceptive activity; TRP ion channels; inflammatory conditions; hypersensitivities
Affiliations: Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China., National Center for Mass Spectrometry in Changchun & Jilin Province Key Laboratory for Traditional Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry & Chemical Biology Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China ; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China., Institute Acupuncture & Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China., National Center for Mass Spectrometry in Changchun & Jilin Province Key Laboratory for Traditional Chinese Medicine Chemistry and Mass Spectrometry & Chemical Biology Laboratory, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, China.

Abstract:  Wu-tou decoction (WTD) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine formula and has been used effectively to treat joint diseases clinically. Previous reports indicated that WTD possesses anti-inflammatory activity; however, its actions on pain have not been clarified. Here, we investigated the antinociceptive activity of WTD in CFA-induced mice, and its possible mechanism of the action associated with transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels was also explored. Our results showed that 1.58, 3.15, and 6.30 g/kg WTD significantly attenuated mechanical, cold, and heat hypersensitivities. Moreover, WTD effectively inhibited spontaneous nociceptive responses to intraplantar injections of capsaicin and cinnamaldehyde, respectively. WTD also effectively suppressed jumping and wet-dog-shake behaviors to intraperitoneal injection of icilin. Additionally, WTD significantly reduced protein expression of TRPV1 and TRPA1 in dorsal root ganglia and skins of injured paw. Collectively, our data demonstrate firstly that WTD exerts antinociceptive activity in inflammatory conditions by attenuating mechanical, cold, and heat hypersensitivities. This antinociceptive effect may result in part from inhibiting the activities of TRPV1, TRPA1, and TRPM8, and the suppression of TRPV1 and TRPA1 protein by WTD was also highly effective. These findings suggest that WTD might be an attractive and suitable therapeutic agent for the management of chronic inflammatory pain. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This paper is in Chinese but has its abstract, title, and author list affiliation in English. A very similar paper was published in Bioscience Reports and has been commented in this thread here: https: pubpeer.com publications 3C2419570DAD3357756F35AD66ACE8 The Bioscience Reports paper was submitted 20+ months after submitting the paper to the Chinese journal [u4e2du56fdu5b9eu9a8cu8840u6db2u5b66u6742u5fd7 Zhongguo shi yan xue ye xue za zhi] Journal of Experimental Hematology. Judged from the English titles and the abstracts, the two papers shared most of the results; yet, it looks like the English manuscript was submitted after the print of the Chinese version was already out for months. The authors may help to clarify that the current paper was not submitted again (after translation into English) to Bioscience Reports using the same set of data. ![] , 
 The authors may also want to provide explanation for the overlap of images for different experimental conditions, between their English and Chinese versions. In their Bioscience Reports paper Fig 3 (on the left), image A was for HSC co-cultured with MECs, while part of the same image (purple box) seemed to be used for HSC alone on D2 (probably day 2?) in their J Exp Hematol 2019 paper Fig 5 (on the right). ![] , 
 Some additional potential overlapped images for different experimental conditions between their English and Chinese versions. The solid red boxes were from user Actinopolyspora Biskrensis s comment in another thread mention in #1. Noted that there are 5 identical pairs of images for Transwell group day 5 and 7 (D3 and D4), and for 2D group day 1, 5, and 7 (D1, 3, and 4). I did not mark them because they were supposedly to be identical, per experimental conditions. Again, suggesting duplicated publication of the same set of data. ![] , 
 2020 retraction. https: portlandpress.com bioscirep article 40 7 BSR-20192104_RET 225737 Retraction-Role-of-Microvascular-endothelial-cells This Retraction follows an Expression of Concern relating to this article previously published by Portland Press. This article is being retracted from Bioscience Reports at the request of the authors following receipt of a notification from a reader, alerting the authors to the duplications in Figure 4A as well as duplicated figures from another published article by the same authors in Zhongguo Shi Yan Xue Ye Xue Za Zhi (10.19746 j.cnki.issn1009-2137.2019.02.046). ,