Abstract:Abstract: Objective To investigate the effects of Dexmedetomidine on the expressions of P2X3 receptor and P2X4 receptor in the spinal cord of rats with neuropathic pain. Methods Sixty healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (sham group), neuropathic pain group (NP group) and Dexmedetomidine intervention group (DI group). The neuropathic-pain rat models were constructed. At the start of model construction, the rats in the DI group were intraperitoneally injected with 40 μg/kg Dexmedetomidine, which was repeated at 24-h intervals till 14 d after the models were successfully constructed. The rats in the sham group and the NP group were given intraperitoneal injection of normal saline. Mechanical withdraw threshold (MWT) and thermal withdrawal latency (TWL) of the rats were detected before model construction (T0) and 24 h (T1), 72 h (T2), 7 d (T3) and 14 d (T4) after model construction. The expressions of total proteins and membrane proteins of P2X3 receptor and P2X4 receptor in the spinal cord of the rats were detected using Western blot. Results Compared with the sham group, the MWT and TWL in the NP group and the DI group were decreased at T1-4; compared with the NP group, the MWT and TWL in the DI group were increased at T2-4, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Compared with the sham group, the expressions of total proteins and membrane proteins of P2X3 receptor and P2X4 receptor in the spinal cord of the rats in the NP group were increased; compared with the NP group, the expressions of total proteins and membrane proteins of P2X3 receptor and P2X4 receptor in the spinal cord of the rats in the DI group were decreased, the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions Dexmedetomidine could effectively improve the symptoms of neuropathic hyperalgesia in the neuropathic-pain rats. It might be related with the inhibition of the expressions of P2X3 receptor and P2X4 receptor proteins in the spinal cord.