IL-17 contributed to the neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury by promoting astrocyte proliferation and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines.

Central neuroinflammation is important in the pathophysiological processes of neuropathic pain following peripheral nerve injury. Recently, interleukin-17 (IL-17) has been detected in different inflammatory conditions of the central nervous system and contributes to neuropathic pain associated with multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The present study, based on the rat model of spinal nerve ligation, analyzed the infiltration of cluster of differentiation (CD)4+ T cells and the expression of IL‑17 in the spinal cord during the maintenance phase of neuropathic pain, and investigated central inflammatory reaction and astrocyte activation. The results demonstrated that the infiltrated CD4+ T cells in the spinal cord increased in the rat model of spinal nerve ligation, and immunofluorescence staining demonstrated that the CD4+/IL‑17+ cells were located at superficial laminae of spinal dorsal horn. This was accompanied by significant upregulation of IL‑17. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of IL‑1β and IL‑6 were also significantly enhanced in model rats compared with the sham and control groups in the spinal dorsal horn. In vitro, the proliferation ability and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines notably increased in the IL‑17‑stimulated astrocytes. Results from the present study indicate that IL‑17 may contribute to neuropathic pain by promoting the proliferation of astrocytes and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines in spinal nerve ligation‑induced neuropathic pain.