Fig. 7. Repetitive photoinhibition of VP ChAT neurons mitigates depression- and anxiety-like behaviours in persistent pain.
a–d Schematic diagram for repetitive optogenetic inhibition of VP ChAT neurons and behavioural tests in sham (n = 12), SNI (n = 12), SNI-VP-light (n = 12) mice. b TST. F(2, 33) = 27.86, P < 0.0001. t = 7.32, df = 33, P < 0.0001, Sham vs SNI; t = 4.94, df = 33, P < 0.0001, SNI vs SNI-VP-light. c FST. F(2, 33) = 39.43, df = 33, P < 0.0001. t = 8.85, df = 33, P < 0.0001, Sham vs SNI. t = 5.06, df = 33, P < 0.0001, SNI vs SNI-VP-light. d EPM. Time in open-arms: F(2, 33) = 10.31, P = 0.0003. t = 4.12, df = 33, P = 0.0005, Sham vs SNI. t = 3.71, df = 33, P = 0.0008, SNI vs SNI-VP-light; Open-arm entries: F(2, 33) = 12.95, P < 0.0001. t = 3.97, df = 33, P = 0.0004, Sham vs SNI; t = 4.74, df = 33, P < 0.0001, SNI vs SNI-VP-light; Distance: F(2, 33) = 0.47, P = 0.63. e–g Representative images and summary of c-Fos(+) ChAT and non-ChAT neurons in sham (n = 15), SNI (n = 14), and SNI-VP-light (n = 14) sections from 5 mice in each group. f ChAT neurons. Left: F(2, 41) = 13.51, P < 0.0001; t = 5.15, df = 41, P < 0.0001, sham vs SNI; t = 3.17, df = 41, P = 0.006, SNI vs SNI-VP-light. Right: F(2, 41) = 12.73, P < 0.0001; t = 4.56, df = 41, P = 0.0001, sham vs SNI; t = 4.12, df = 41, P = 0.0004, SNI vs SNI-VP-light. g Non-ChAT neurons. Left: F(2, 41) = 9.78, P = 0.0003; t = 3.89, df = 41, P = 0.001, sham vs SNI; t = 3.75, df = 41, P = 0.001, SNI vs SNI-VP-light. Right: F(2, 41) = 44.84, P < 0.0001; t = 6.75, df = 41, P < 0.0001, sham vs SNI; t = 9.10, df = 41, P < 0.0001, SNI vs SNI-VP-light. One-way ANOVAs with Bonferroni tests were used for (b–d, f–g). * P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ns not significant.