Fig 1: Decorin promoted the phosphorylation level of GluR1 at serine 831 in BCP rats. (a) Representative triple staining images of decorin (red), presynaptic marker of vesicle protein synapsin I (rose red), and excitatory postsynaptic marker PSD95 (green) in the superficial laminae of the spinal dorsal horn of the rats. Scale bar: 4 µm. (b) Western blot analysis of GluR1and pGluR1 in the sham, BCP, BCP+shctrl, and BCP+shdecorin groups 21-day postsurgery. pGluR1: phosphorylation of GluR1 at the site of serine 831. Values represent the mean ± standard error of the mean (SEM), n = 4. *p < 0.05 compared with the sham group; #p < 0.05 compared with the BCP group, n.s. indicates not significant. (c and d) Decorin negatively regulated sema3a in carcinoma-implanted rats. The effect of decorin on sema3a was confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis in the four groups 21-day postsurgery. Values represent the mean ± SEM, n = 4. *p < 0.05 compared with the sham group; #p < 0.05 compared with the BCP group. (e) Sema3a had no effect on decorin in the carcinoma-implanted rats. The effect of sema3a on decorin was confirmed by western blot analysis in the sham, BCP, BCP+ctrl-LV, and BCP+sema-LV rats 21-day postsurgery. BCP+ctrl-LV rats: BCP rats treated with the control lentivirus and BCP+sema-LV rats: BCP rats treated with the recombinant lentivirus overexpressing sema3a.Values represent the mean ± SEM, n = 4. *p < 0.05 compared with the sham group, #p < 0.05 compared with the BCP group, n.s. indicates not significant (p > 0.05). BCP: bone cancer pain; PSD95: postsynaptic density protein 95; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase.