Acta Medicinae Universitatis Scientiae et Technologiae Huazhong ›› 2026, Vol. 55 ›› Issue (4): 579-585.doi: 10.3870/j.issn.1672-0741.26.01.012

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Research Progress on the Neuronal Mechanism of Arthritis Pain Mediated by Transient Receptor Potential Channels and Targeted Regulation by Pulsed Radiofrequency

Li Xin, Wang Meng, Chen Xiaodong, et al   

  1. Department of Anesthesiology,Wuxi Ninth People's Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University,Wuxi 214000,China
  • Received:2026-01-12 Online:2026-08-15 Published:2026-07-28
  • Contact: E-mail:cunjinwang@163.com

Abstract: The treatment of chronic arthritic pain has long been confronted with clinical challenges,such as insufficient efficacy of traditional analgesic drugs and significant adverse reactions.As a non-destructive neuromodulation technique,pulsed radiofrequency(PRF)shows unique potential by targeting the transient receptor potential(TRP)channel family(TRPV1,TRPA1,and TRPM3).This review systematically explores the interaction mechanism between PRF and TRP channels in arthritic pain:As a key hub for pain perception,TRP channels are continuously activated in the arthritic microenvironment(characterized by acidification,oxidative stress,and inflammatory factors),which promotes the progression from peripheral sensitization to central sensitization.PRF regulates the function of TRP via non-thermal biological effects,including modulating neuronal membrane potential and calcium oscillation,improving mitochondrial function and neuroglial interaction,as well as regulating endogenous opioid peptide and γ-aminobutyric acid(GABA)systems to inhibit the activity of the TRP channel family.This study establishes the regulatory axis of "PRF-TRP-arthritic pain",proposes that TRP expression profiles can serve as predictive biomarkers for PRF efficacy,and elucidates the TRP-dependent mechanisms underlying differential responses to PRF among various arthritis subtypes.This article constructs a "PRF-TRP-arthritic pain" regulatory axis,proposes that the TRP expression profile may serve as a predictive marker for PRF efficacy,and elaborates on the TRP-dependent mechanism underlying the differential PRF responses among different arthritis subtypes.PRF has evolved from a simple analgesic tool to a regulator of neural plasticity.By integrating neuro-immune-ion channel functions through TRP channels,PRF promotes the transformation of arthritis treatment from an anti-inflammatory model to neural homeostasis reconstruction,thereby providing a new approach for chronic pain management.

Key words: pulsed radiofrequency, transient receptor potential, arthritic pain, neuromodulation

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