Intravenous recombinant cerebellin 1 treatment restores signalling by spinal glutamate delta 1 receptors and mitigates chronic pain

Background and Purpose Chronic pain remains a major clinical problem that needs effective therapeutic agents. Glutamate delta 1 (GluD1) receptors and the protein cerebellin 1 (Cbln1) are down‐regulated in the central amygdala (CeA) in models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain. One treatment with Cbln1, intracerebroventricularly (ICV) or in CeA, normalized GluD1 and reduced AMPA receptor expression, resulting in lasting (7–10 days) pain relief. Unlike many CNS‐targeting biological agents, the structure of Cbln1 suggests potential blood–brain barrier penetration. Here, we have tested whether systemic administration of Cbln1 provides analgesic effects via action in the CNS. Experimental Approach Analgesic effects of intravenous recombinant Cbln1 was assessed in complete Freund's adjuvant inflammatory pain model in mice. GluD1 knockout and a mutant form of Cbln1 were used. Key Results A single intravenous injection of Cbln1 mitigated nocifensive and averse behaviour in both inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. This effect of Cbln1 was dependent on GluD1 receptors and required binding to the amino terminal domain of GluD1. Time course of analgesic effect was similar to previously reported ICV and intra‐CeA injection. GluD1 in both spinal cord and CeA was down –regulated in the inflammatory pain model, whereas GluD1 expression in spinal cord but not in CeA, was partly normalized by intravenous Cbln1. Importantly, recombinant Cbln1 was detected in the synaptoneurosomes in spinal cord but not in the CeA. Conclusions and Implications Our results describe a novel mechanism by which systemic Cbln1 induces analgesia potentially by central actions involving normalization of signalling by spinal cord GluD1 receptors.