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Safronov BV, Szucs P. Novel aspects of signal processing in lamina I. Neuropharmacology 2024; 247:109858. [PMID: 38286189 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
The most superficial layer of the spinal dorsal horn, lamina I, is a key element of the nociceptive processing system. It contains different types of projection neurons (PNs) and local-circuit neurons (LCNs) whose functional roles in the signal processing are poorly understood. This article reviews recent progress in elucidating novel anatomical features and physiological properties of lamina I PNs and LCNs revealed by whole-cell recordings in ex vivo spinal cord. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Ukrainian Neuroscience".
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris V Safronov
- Neuronal Networks Group, Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Peter Szucs
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary; HUN-REN-DE Neuroscience Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
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2
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Hadeiy SK, Habtemariam S, Shankayi Z, Shahyad S, Sahraei H, Asghardoust Rezaei M, Bahrami F. Amelioration of pain and anxiety in sleep-deprived rats by intra-amygdala injection of cinnamaldehyde. Sleep Med X 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sleepx.2023.100069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
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Dabala E, Guédon A, Ficheux G, Béal L, Moxham B, Plaisant O. Homologies of spinal ascending nociceptive pathways between rats and macaques: can we transpose to human? A review and analysis of the literature. Surg Radiol Anat 2023; 45:1443-1460. [PMID: 37507602 DOI: 10.1007/s00276-023-03212-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Due to the difficulty of using neural tracers in humans, knowledge of the nociceptive system's anatomy is mainly derived from studies in animals and mainly in rats. The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological differences of the ascending spinal nociceptive pathways between the rat and the macaque monkey; in order to evaluate the variability of this anatomy during phylogenesis, and thus to know if the anatomical description of these pathways can be transposed from the rat to the human. METHODS A review and analysis of the literature were performed. The criteria used for comparison were: origins, pathways, their terminations in target structures, and projections from target structures of ascending spinal nociceptive pathways. The monkey was used as an intermediate species for comparison because of the lack of data in humans. The hypothesis of transposition of anatomy between rat and human was considered rejected if differences were found between rat and monkey. RESULTS An anatomical difference in termination was found for the spino-annular or spino-periaqueductal grey (spino-PAG) pathway and transposition of its anatomy from rat to human was rejected. No difference was found in other pathways and the transposition of their anatomy from rat to human was therefore, not rejected. CONCLUSION This work highlights the conservation of most of the ascending spinal nociceptive pathways' anatomy between rat and monkey. Thus, the possibility for a transposition of their anatomy between rat and human is not rejected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Dabala
- Department of Anatomy, Université Catholique de Lille, Lille, France.
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France.
| | - Alexis Guédon
- Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, INSERM UMR_S 1140, Lariboisière Hospital, AP-HP Nord, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Ficheux
- Department of Anatomy, Université Catholique de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Louis Béal
- Department of Anatomy, Université Catholique de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Bernard Moxham
- Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
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Leva TM, Whitmire CJ. Thermosensory thalamus: parallel processing across model organisms. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1210949. [PMID: 37901427 PMCID: PMC10611468 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1210949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamus acts as an interface between the periphery and the cortex, with nearly every sensory modality processing information in the thalamocortical circuit. Despite well-established thalamic nuclei for visual, auditory, and tactile modalities, the key thalamic nuclei responsible for innocuous thermosensation remains under debate. Thermosensory information is first transduced by thermoreceptors located in the skin and then processed in the spinal cord. Temperature information is then transmitted to the brain through multiple spinal projection pathways including the spinothalamic tract and the spinoparabrachial tract. While there are fundamental studies of thermal transduction via thermosensitive channels in primary sensory afferents, thermal representation in the spinal projection neurons, and encoding of temperature in the primary cortical targets, comparatively little is known about the intermediate stage of processing in the thalamus. Multiple thalamic nuclei have been implicated in thermal encoding, each with a corresponding cortical target, but without a consensus on the role of each pathway. Here, we review a combination of anatomy, physiology, and behavioral studies across multiple animal models to characterize the thalamic representation of temperature in two proposed thermosensory information streams.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias M. Leva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Clarissa J. Whitmire
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Handlin L, Novembre G, Lindholm H, Kämpe R, Paul E, Morrison I. Human endogenous oxytocin and its neural correlates show adaptive responses to social touch based on recent social context. eLife 2023; 12:81197. [PMID: 37157840 PMCID: PMC10168694 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Both oxytocin (OT) and touch are key mediators of social attachment. In rodents, tactile stimulation elicits the endogenous release of OT, potentially facilitating attachment and other forms of prosocial behavior, yet the relationship between endogenous OT and neural modulation remains unexplored in humans. Using a serial sampling of plasma hormone levels during functional neuroimaging across two successive social interactions, we show that contextual circumstances of social touch influence not only current hormonal and brain responses but also later responses. Namely, touch from a male to his female romantic partner enhanced her subsequent OT release for touch from an unfamiliar stranger, yet females' OT responses to partner touch were dampened following stranger touch. Hypothalamus and dorsal raphe activation reflected plasma OT changes during the initial social interaction. In the subsequent interaction, precuneus and parietal-temporal cortex pathways tracked time- and context-dependent variables in an OT-dependent manner. This OT-dependent cortical modulation included a region of the medial prefrontal cortex that also covaried with plasma cortisol, suggesting an influence on stress responses. These findings demonstrate that modulation between hormones and the brain during human social interactions can flexibly adapt to features of social context over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Handlin
- Department of Biomedicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Giovanni Novembre
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Helene Lindholm
- Department of Biomedicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
| | - Robin Kämpe
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV) Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Elisabeth Paul
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV) Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - India Morrison
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV) Linköping University Hospital, Linköping, Sweden
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Huang Z, Sun L, Zheng X, Zhang Y, Zhu Y, Chen T, Chen Z, Ja L, OuYang L, Zhu Y, Chen S, Lei W. A neural tract tracing study on synaptic connections for cortical glutamatergic terminals and cervical spinal calretinin neurons in rats. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1086873. [PMID: 37187913 PMCID: PMC10175624 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1086873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex innervates motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord by regulating of interneurons. At present, nerve tracing, immunohistochemistry, and immunoelectron microscopy are used to explore and confirm the characteristics of synaptic connections between the corticospinal tract (CST) and cervical spinal calretinin (Cr) interneurons. Our morphological results revealed that (1) biotinylated dextran amine labeled (BDA+) fibers from the cerebral cortex primarily presented a contralateral spinal distribution, with a denser distribution in the ventral horn (VH) than in the dorsal horn (DH). An electron microscope (EM) showed that BDA+ terminals formed asymmetric synapses with spinal neurons, and their mean labeling rate was not different between the DH and VH. (2) Cr-immunoreactive (Cr+) neurons were unevenly distributed throughout the spinal gray matter, and were denser and larger in the VH than in the DH. At the single labeling electron microscope (EM) level, the labeling rate of Cr+ dendrites was higher in the VH than in the DH, in which Cr+ dendrites mainly received asymmetric synaptic inputs, and between the VH and DH. (3) Immunofluorescence triple labeling showed obvious apposition points among BDA+ terminals, synaptophysin and Cr+ dendrites, with a higher density in the VH than in the DH. (4) Double labeling in EM, BDA+ terminals and Cr+ dendrites presented the same pattern, BDA+ terminals formed asymmetric synapses either with Cr+ dendrites or Cr negative (Cr-) dendrites, and Cr+ dendrites received either BDA+ terminals or BDA- synaptic inputs. The average percentage of BDA+ terminals targeting Cr+ dendrites was higher in the VH than in the DH, but the percentage of BDA+ terminals targeting Cr- dendrites was prominently higher than that targeting Cr+ dendrites. There was no difference in BDA+ terminal size. The percentage rate for Cr+ dendrites receiving BDA+ terminal inputs was lower than that receiving BDA- terminal inputs, and the BDA+ terminal size was larger than the BDA- terminal size received by Cr+ dendrites. The present morphological results suggested that spinal Cr+ interneurons are involved in the regulatory process of the cortico-spinal pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyun Huang
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liping Sun
- Department of Pathology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xuefeng Zheng
- Neuroscience Laboratory for Cognitive and Developmental Disorders, Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Neuroscience Laboratory for Cognitive and Developmental Disorders, Department of Anatomy, Medical College of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaxi Zhu
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Linju Ja
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lisi OuYang
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yaofeng Zhu
- College of Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Jishou University, Jishou, China
- Yaofeng Zhu, ,
| | - Si Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Zunyi Medical University, Zhuhai, China
- Si Chen, ,
| | - Wanlong Lei
- Department of Anatomy, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wanlong Lei, ,
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Lu J, Chen B, Levy M, Xu P, Han BX, Takatoh J, Thompson PM, He Z, Prevosto V, Wang F. Somatosensory cortical signature of facial nociception and vibrotactile touch-induced analgesia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn6530. [PMID: 36383651 PMCID: PMC9668294 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn6530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Pain relief by vibrotactile touch is a common human experience. Previous neurophysiological investigations of its underlying mechanism in animals focused on spinal circuits, while human studies suggested the involvement of supraspinal pathways. Here, we examine the role of primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in touch-induced mechanical and heat analgesia. We found that, in mice, vibrotactile reafferent signals from self-generated whisking significantly reduce facial nociception, which is abolished by specifically blocking touch transmission from thalamus to the barrel cortex (S1B). Using a signal separation algorithm that can decompose calcium signals into sensory-evoked, whisking, or face-wiping responses, we found that the presence of whisking altered nociceptive signal processing in S1B neurons. Analysis of S1B population dynamics revealed that whisking pushes the transition of the neural state induced by noxious stimuli toward the outcome of non-nocifensive actions. Thus, S1B integrates facial tactile and noxious signals to enable touch-mediated analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghao Lu
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Manuel Levy
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Bao-Xia Han
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Jun Takatoh
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - P. M. Thompson
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Zhigang He
- Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Vincent Prevosto
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fan Wang
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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Bokiniec P, Whitmire CJ, Leva TM, Poulet JFA. Brain-wide connectivity map of mouse thermosensory cortices. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4870-4885. [PMID: 36255325 PMCID: PMC10110442 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the thermal system, skin cooling is represented in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and the posterior insular cortex (pIC). Whether S1 and pIC are nodes in anatomically separate or overlapping thermal sensorimotor pathways is unclear, as the brain-wide connectivity of the thermal system has not been mapped. We address this using functionally targeted, dual injections of anterograde viruses or retrograde tracers into the forelimb representation of S1 (fS1) and pIC (fpIC). Our data show that inputs to fS1 and fpIC originate from separate neuronal populations, supporting the existence of parallel input pathways. Outputs from fS1 and fpIC are more widespread than their inputs, sharing a number of cortical and subcortical targets. While, axonal projections were separable, they were more overlapping than the clusters of input cells. In both fS1 and fpIC circuits, there was a high degree of reciprocal connectivity with thalamic and cortical regions, but unidirectional output to the midbrain and hindbrain. Notably, fpIC showed connectivity with regions associated with thermal processing. Together, these data indicate that cutaneous thermal information is routed to the cortex via parallel circuits and is forwarded to overlapping downstream regions for the binding of somatosensory percepts and integration with ongoing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Bokiniec
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Clarissa J Whitmire
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tobias M Leva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.,Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany
| | - James F A Poulet
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany.,Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Li QY, Chen SX, Liu JY, Yao PW, Duan YW, Li YY, Zang Y. Neuroinflammation in the anterior cingulate cortex: the potential supraspinal mechanism underlying the mirror-image pain following motor fiber injury. J Neuroinflammation 2022; 19:162. [PMID: 35725625 PMCID: PMC9210588 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-022-02525-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Peripheral nerve inflammation or lesion can affect contralateral healthy structures, and thus result in mirror-image pain. Supraspinal structures play important roles in the occurrence of mirror pain. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a first-order cortical region that responds to painful stimuli. In the present study, we systematically investigate and compare the neuroimmune changes in the bilateral ACC region using unilateral- (spared nerve injury, SNI) and mirror-(L5 ventral root transection, L5-VRT) pain models, aiming to explore the potential supraspinal neuroimmune mechanism underlying the mirror-image pain. Methods The up-and-down method with von Frey hairs was used to measure the mechanical allodynia. Viral injections for the designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) were used to modulate ACC glutamatergic neurons. Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, western blotting, protein microarray were used to detect the regulation of inflammatory signaling. Results Increased expressions of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and chemokine CX3CL1 in ACC induced by unilateral nerve injury were observed on the contralateral side in the SNI group but on the bilateral side in the L5-VRT group, representing a stronger immune response to L5-VRT surgery. In remote ACC, both SNI and L5-VRT induced robust bilateral increase in the protein level of Nav1.6 (SCN8A), a major voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) that regulates neuronal activity in the mammalian nervous system. However, the L5-VRT-induced Nav1.6 response occurred at PO 3d, earlier than the SNI-induced one, 7 days after surgery. Modulating ACC glutamatergic neurons via DREADD-Gq or DREADD-Gi greatly changed the ACC CX3CL1 levels and the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold. Neutralization of endogenous ACC CX3CL1 by contralateral anti-CX3CL1 antibody attenuated the induction and the maintenance of mechanical allodynia and eliminated the upregulation of CX3CL1, TNF-α and Nav1.6 protein levels in ACC induced by SNI. Furthermore, contralateral ACC anti-CX3CL1 also inhibited the expression of ipsilateral spinal c-Fos, Iba1, CD11b, TNF-α and IL-6. Conclusions The descending facilitation function mediated by CX3CL1 and its downstream cascade may play a pivotal role, leading to enhanced pain sensitization and even mirror-image pain. Strategies that target chemokine-mediated ACC hyperexcitability may lead to novel therapies for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-022-02525-8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-Yun Li
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Shao-Xia Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sun Yat-Sen University Cancer Center, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Yu Liu
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Pei-Wen Yao
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Wen Duan
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Yong Li
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Zang
- Pain Research Center and Department of Physiology, Zhongshan Medical School of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, 74 Zhongshan Rd. 2, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
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You HJ, Lei J, Pertovaara A. Thalamus: The 'promoter' of endogenous modulation of pain and potential therapeutic target in pathological pain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104745. [PMID: 35716873 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
More recently, the thalamic mediodorsal (MD) and ventromedial (VM) nuclei have been revealed to be functioned as 'nociceptive discriminator' in discriminating noxious and innocuous peripheral afferents, and exhibits distinct different descending controls of nociception. Of particularly importance, the function of thalamic nuclei in engaging descending modulation of nociception is 'silent' or inactive during the physiological state as well as in condition exposed to insufficient noxious stimulation. Once initiation by sufficient noxious or innocuous C-afferents associated with temporal and spatial summation, the thalamic MD and VM nuclei exhibit salient, different effects: facilitation and inhibition, on noxious mechanically and heat evoked nociception, respectively. Based on series of experimental evidence, we here summarize a novel hypothesis involving thalamic MD and VM nuclei functioned as 'promoter' in initiating descending facilitation and inhibition of pain with specific spatiotemporal characteristics. We further hypothesize that clinical remedy in targeting thalamic VM nucleus by enhancing its activities in recruiting inhibition alone or decreasing thalamic MD nucleus induced facilitation may provide promising way in effectively control of pathological pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Jun You
- Center for Translational Medicine Research on Sensory-Motor Diseases, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Yan'an Sports Rehabilitation Medicine, Yan'an 716000, PR China.
| | - Jing Lei
- Center for Translational Medicine Research on Sensory-Motor Diseases, Yan'an University, Yan'an 716000, PR China; Key Laboratory of Yan'an Sports Rehabilitation Medicine, Yan'an 716000, PR China
| | - Antti Pertovaara
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, POB 63, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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11
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Spinal ascending pathways for somatosensory information processing. Trends Neurosci 2022; 45:594-607. [PMID: 35701247 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The somatosensory system processes diverse types of information including mechanical, thermal, and chemical signals. It has an essential role in sensory perception and body movement and, thus, is crucial for organism survival. The neural network for processing somatosensory information comprises multiple key nodes. Spinal projection neurons represent the key node for transmitting somatosensory information from the periphery to the brain. Although the anatomy of spinal ascending pathways has been characterized, the mechanisms underlying somatosensory information processing by spinal ascending pathways are incompletely understood. Recent studies have begun to reveal the diversity of spinal ascending pathways and their functional roles in somatosensory information processing. Here, we review the anatomic, molecular, and functional characteristics of spinal ascending pathways.
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12
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Guan L, Shi X, Tang Y, Yan Y, Chen L, Chen Y, Gao G, Lin C, Chen A. Contribution of Amygdala Histone Acetylation in Early Life Stress-Induced Visceral Hypersensitivity and Emotional Comorbidity. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:843396. [PMID: 35600618 PMCID: PMC9120649 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.843396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) experience not only enhanced visceral pain but also emotional comorbidities, such as anxiety and depression. Early life stress (ELS) is a high-risk for the development of IBS. Literatures have reported an important epigenetic modulation in sustaining extrinsic phenotypes. The amygdala is closely related to the regulation of visceral functions and emotional experiences. In this study, we hypothesized that ELS-induced reprogramming inappropriate adaptation of histone acetylation modification in the amygdala may result in visceral hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors in ELS rats. To test this hypothesis, the model of ELS rats was established by neonatal colorectal dilatation (CRD). Visceral hypersensitivity was assessed based on the electromyography response of the abdominal external oblique muscle to CRD. Emotional comorbidities were examined using the elevated plus maze test, open field test, and sucrose preference test. Trichostatin A (TSA) and C646 were microinjected into the central amygdala (CeA) individually to investigate the effects of different levels of histone acetylation modification on visceral hypersensitivity and emotion. We found neonatal CRD resulted in visceral hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors after adulthood. Inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs) in the CeA by TSA enhanced visceral sensitivity but did not affect anxiety-like behaviors, whereas inhibiting HAT by C646 attenuated visceral hypersensitivity in ELS rats. Interestingly, CeA treatment with TSA induced visceral sensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors in the control rats. Western blot showed that the expressions of acetylated 9 residue of Histone 3 (H3K9) and protein kinase C zeta type (PKMζ) were higher in the ELS rats compared to those of the controls. The administration of the PKMζ inhibitor ZIP into the CeA attenuated visceral hypersensitivity of ELS rats. Furthermore, the expression of amygdala PKMζ was enhanced by TSA treatment in control rats. Finally, western blot and immunofluorescence results indicated the decrease of HDAC1 and HDAC2 expressions, but not HDAC3 expression, contributed to the enhancement of histone acetylation in ELS rats. Our results support our hypothesis that amygdala-enhanced histone acetylation induced by stress in early life results in visceral hypersensitivity and anxiety-like behaviors in ELS rats, and reversing the abnormal epigenetic mechanisms may be crucial to relieve chronic symptoms in ELS rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Guan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xi Shi
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Ying Tang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Guangcheng Gao
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chun Lin
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Chun Lin,
| | - Aiqin Chen
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Pain Research Institute, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- Aiqin Chen,
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13
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Watts AG, Kanoski SE, Sanchez-Watts G, Langhans W. The physiological control of eating: signals, neurons, and networks. Physiol Rev 2022; 102:689-813. [PMID: 34486393 PMCID: PMC8759974 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00028.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past 30 yr, investigating the physiology of eating behaviors has generated a truly vast literature. This is fueled in part by a dramatic increase in obesity and its comorbidities that has coincided with an ever increasing sophistication of genetically based manipulations. These techniques have produced results with a remarkable degree of cell specificity, particularly at the cell signaling level, and have played a lead role in advancing the field. However, putting these findings into a brain-wide context that connects physiological signals and neurons to behavior and somatic physiology requires a thorough consideration of neuronal connections: a field that has also seen an extraordinary technological revolution. Our goal is to present a comprehensive and balanced assessment of how physiological signals associated with energy homeostasis interact at many brain levels to control eating behaviors. A major theme is that these signals engage sets of interacting neural networks throughout the brain that are defined by specific neural connections. We begin by discussing some fundamental concepts, including ones that still engender vigorous debate, that provide the necessary frameworks for understanding how the brain controls meal initiation and termination. These include key word definitions, ATP availability as the pivotal regulated variable in energy homeostasis, neuropeptide signaling, homeostatic and hedonic eating, and meal structure. Within this context, we discuss network models of how key regions in the endbrain (or telencephalon), hypothalamus, hindbrain, medulla, vagus nerve, and spinal cord work together with the gastrointestinal tract to enable the complex motor events that permit animals to eat in diverse situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan G Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Scott E Kanoski
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Graciela Sanchez-Watts
- The Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Wolfgang Langhans
- Physiology and Behavior Laboratory, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule-Zürich, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland
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14
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Kókai É, Alsulaiman WAA, Dickie AC, Bell AM, Goffin L, Watanabe M, Gutierrez-Mecinas M, Todd AJ. Characterisation of deep dorsal horn projection neurons in the spinal cord of the Phox2a::Cre mouse line. Mol Pain 2022; 18:17448069221119614. [PMID: 36000342 PMCID: PMC9445510 DOI: 10.1177/17448069221119614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Projection neurons belonging to the anterolateral system (ALS) underlie the perception of pain, skin temperature and itch. Many ALS cells are located in laminae III-V of the dorsal horn and the adjacent lateral white matter. However, relatively little is known about the excitatory synaptic input to these deep ALS cells, and therefore about their engagement with the neuronal circuitry of the region. We have used a recently developed mouse line, Phox2a::Cre, to investigate a population of deep dorsal horn ALS neurons known as "antenna cells", which are characterised by dense innervation from peptidergic nociceptors, and to compare these with other ALS cells in the deep dorsal horn and lateral white matter. We show that these two classes differ, both in the density of excitatory synapses, and in the source of input at these synapses. Peptidergic nociceptors account for around two-thirds of the excitatory synapses on the antenna cells, but for only a small proportion of the input to the non-antenna cells. Conversely, boutons with high levels of VGLUT2, which are likely to originate mainly from glutamatergic spinal neurons, account for only ∼5% of the excitatory synapses on antenna cells, but for a much larger proportion of the input to the non-antenna cells. VGLUT1 is expressed by myelinated low-threshold mechanoreceptors and corticospinal axons, and these innervate both antenna and non-antenna cells. However, the density of VGLUT1 input to the non-antenna cells is highly variable, consistent with the view that these neurons are functionally heterogeneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Éva Kókai
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Wafa AA Alsulaiman
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Allen C Dickie
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Andrew M Bell
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Luca Goffin
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Masahiko Watanabe
- Department of Anatomy, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Maria Gutierrez-Mecinas
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Andrew J Todd
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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15
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Modulation of itch and pain signals processing in ventrobasal thalamus by thalamic reticular nucleus. iScience 2022; 25:103625. [PMID: 35106466 PMCID: PMC8786640 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is known to be crucial for dynamically modulating sensory processing. Recently, the functional role of TRN in itch and pain sensation processing has drawn much attention. We found that ventrobasal thalamus (VB) neurons exhibited scratching behavior-related and nociceptive behavior-related neuronal activity changes, and most of VB neurons responsive to pruritic stimulus were also activated by nociceptive stimulus. Inhibition of VB could relieve itch-induced scratching behaviors and pathological pain without affecting basal nociceptive thresholds, and activation of VB could facilitate scratching behaviors. Tracing and electrophysiology recording results showed that VB mainly received inhibitory inputs from ventral TRN. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of TRN-VB projections suppressed scratching behaviors, and ablation of TRN enhanced scratching behaviors. In addition, activation of TRN-VB projections relieved the pathological pain without affecting basal nociceptive thresholds. Thus, our study indicates that TRN modulates itch and pain signals processing via TRN-VB inhibitory projections. VB is involved in both itch and pain signals processing Manipulation of VB or TRN-VB inhibitory projections modulates both itch and pain Enhancing the inhibitory tone might be a strategy for treating itch and pain
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16
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Mercer Lindsay N, Chen C, Gilam G, Mackey S, Scherrer G. Brain circuits for pain and its treatment. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:eabj7360. [PMID: 34757810 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj7360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
[Figure: see text].
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Mercer Lindsay
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,Department of Biology, CNC Program, Department of Applied Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Chong Chen
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gadi Gilam
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Sean Mackey
- Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Grégory Scherrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, UNC Neuroscience Center, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.,New York Stem Cell Foundation-Robertson Investigator, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
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17
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Mu D, Sun YG. Circuit Mechanisms of Itch in the Brain. J Invest Dermatol 2021; 142:23-30. [PMID: 34662562 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2021.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Itch is an unpleasant somatic sensation with the desire to scratch, and it consists of sensory, affective, and motivational components. Acute itch serves as a critical protective mechanism because an itch-evoked scratching response will help to remove harmful substances invading the skin. Recently, exciting progress has been made in deciphering the mechanisms of itch at both the peripheral nervous system and the CNS levels. Key neuronal subtypes and circuits have been revealed for ascending transmission and the descending modulation of itch. In this review, we mainly summarize the current understanding of the central circuit mechanisms of itch in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Mu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan-Gang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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18
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Functional organization of the midbrain periaqueductal gray for regulating aversive memory formation. Mol Brain 2021; 14:136. [PMID: 34496926 PMCID: PMC8424891 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00844-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Innately aversive experiences produce rapid defensive responses and powerful emotional memories. The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) drives defensive behaviors through projections to brainstem motor control centers, but the PAG has also been implicated in aversive learning, receives information from aversive-signaling sensory systems and sends ascending projections to the thalamus as well as other forebrain structures which could control learning and memory. Here we sought to identify PAG subregions and cell types which instruct memory formation in response to aversive events. We found that optogenetic inhibition of neurons in the dorsolateral subregion of the PAG (dlPAG), but not the ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG), during an aversive event reduced memory formation. Furthermore, inhibition of a specific population of thalamus projecting dlPAG neurons projecting to the anterior paraventricular thalamus (aPVT) reduced aversive learning, but had no effect on the expression of previously learned defensive behaviors. By contrast, inactivation of dlPAG neurons which project to the posterior PVT (pPVT) or centromedial intralaminar thalamic nucleus (CM) had no effect on learning. These results reveal specific subregions and cell types within PAG responsible for its learning related functions.
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19
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Sánchez-Salcedo JA, Cabrera MME, Molina-Jiménez T, Cortes-Altamirano JL, Alfaro-Rodríguez A, Bonilla-Jaime H. Depression and Pain: use of antidepressant. Curr Neuropharmacol 2021; 20:384-402. [PMID: 34151765 PMCID: PMC9413796 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x19666210609161447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Emotional disorders are common comorbid affectations that exacerbate the severity and persistence of chronic pain. Specifically, depressive symptoms can lead to an excessive duration and intensity of pain. Clinical and preclinical studies have been focused on the underlying mechanisms of chronic pain and depression comorbidity and the use of antidepressants to reduce pain. Aim: This review provides an overview of the comorbid relationship of chronic pain and depression, the clinical and pre-clinical studies performed on the neurobiological aspects of pain and depression, and the use of antidepressants as analgesics. Methods: A systematic search of literature databases was conducted according to pre-defined criteria. The authors independently conducted a focused analysis of the full-text articles. Results: Studies suggest that pain and depression are highly intertwined and may co-exacerbate physical and psychological symptoms. One important biochemical basis for pain and depression focuses on the serotonergic and norepinephrine system, which have been shown to play an important role in this comorbidity. Brain structures that codify pain are also involved in mood. It is evident that using serotonergic and norepinephrine antidepressants are strategies commonly employed to mitigate pain Conclusion: Literature indicates that pain and depression impact each other and play a prominent role in the development and maintenance of other chronic symptoms. Antidepressants continue to be a major therapeutic tool for managing chronic pain. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) are more effective in reducing pain than Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs).
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Affiliation(s)
- José Armando Sánchez-Salcedo
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, UAM-I, Apartado Postal 55 535, C.P. 09340, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Maribel Maetizi Estevez Cabrera
- Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, UAM-I, Apartado Postal 55 535, C.P. 09340, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Tania Molina-Jiménez
- Facultad de Química Farmacéutica Biológica, Universidad Veracruzana. Circuito Gonzálo Aguirre Beltrán Sn, Zona Universitaria. C.P. 91090 Xalapa-Enríquez
| | - José Luis Cortes-Altamirano
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación "Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra", Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Alfonso Alfaro-Rodríguez
- División de Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación "Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra", Secretaría de Salud, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Herlinda Bonilla-Jaime
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa. Apartado Postal 55 535, C.P. 09340, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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20
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Neuropathic pain generates silent synapses in thalamic projection to anterior cingulate cortex. Pain 2021; 162:1322-1333. [PMID: 33230002 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Pain experience can change the central processing of nociceptive inputs, resulting in persistent allodynia and hyperalgesia. However, the underlying circuit mechanisms remain underexplored. Here, we focus on pain-induced remodeling of the projection from the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) to the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a projection that relays spinal nociceptive input for central processing. Using optogenetics combined with slice electrophysiology, we detected in male mice that 7 days of chronic constriction injury (CCI; achieved by loose ligation of the sciatic nerve) generated AMPA receptor (AMPAR)-silent glutamatergic synapses within the contralateral MD-to-ACC projection. AMPAR-silent synapses are typically GluN2B-enriched nascent glutamatergic synapses that mediate the initial formation of neural circuits during early development. During development, some silent synapses mature and become "unsilenced" by recruiting and stabilizing AMPARs, consolidating and strengthening the newly formed circuits. Consistent with these synaptogenic features, pain-induced generation of silent synapses was accompanied by increased densities of immature dendritic spines in ACC neurons and increased synaptic weight of GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors (NMDARs) in the MD-to-ACC projection. After prolonged (∼30 days) CCI, injury-generated silent synapses declined to low levels, which likely resulted from a synaptic maturation process that strengthens AMPAR-mediated MD-to-ACC transmission. Consistent with this hypothesis, viral-mediated knockdown of GluN2B in ACC neurons, which prevented pain-induced generation of silent synapses and silent synapse-mediated strengthening of MD-to-ACC projection after prolonged CCI, prevented the development of allodynia. Taken together, our results depict a silent synapse-mediated mechanism through which key supraspinal neural circuits that regulate pain sensitivity are remodeled to induce allodynia and hyperalgesia.
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21
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O'Reilly C, Iavarone E, Yi J, Hill SL. Rodent somatosensory thalamocortical circuitry: Neurons, synapses, and connectivity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:213-235. [PMID: 33766672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
As our understanding of the thalamocortical system deepens, the questions we face become more complex. Their investigation requires the adoption of novel experimental approaches complemented with increasingly sophisticated computational modeling. In this review, we take stock of current data and knowledge about the circuitry of the somatosensory thalamocortical loop in rodents, discussing common principles across modalities and species whenever appropriate. We review the different levels of organization, including the cells, synapses, neuroanatomy, and network connectivity. We provide a complete overview of this system that should be accessible for newcomers to this field while nevertheless being comprehensive enough to serve as a reference for seasoned neuroscientists and computational modelers studying the thalamocortical system. We further highlight key gaps in data and knowledge that constitute pressing targets for future experimental work. Filling these gaps would provide invaluable information for systematically unveiling how this system supports behavioral and cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian O'Reilly
- Azrieli Centre for Autism Research, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Ronin Institute, Montclair, NJ, USA; Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Elisabetta Iavarone
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Jane Yi
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sean L Hill
- Blue Brain Project, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.
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22
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Li JN, Ren JH, Zhao LJ, Wu XM, Li H, Dong YL, Li YQ. Projecting neurons in spinal dorsal horn send collateral projections to dorsal midline/intralaminar thalamic complex and parabrachial nucleus. Brain Res Bull 2021; 169:184-195. [PMID: 33508400 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2021.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Itch is an annoying sensation that always triggers scratching behavior, yet little is known about its transmission pathway in the central nervous system. Parabrachial nucleus (PBN), an essential transmission nucleus in the brainstem, has been proved to be the first relay station in itch sensation. Meanwhile, dorsal midline/intralaminar thalamic complex (dMITC) is proved to be activated with nociceptive stimuli. However, whether the PBN-projecting neurons in spinal dorsal horn (SDH) send collateral projections to dMITC, and whether these projections involve in itch remain unknown. In the present study, a double retrograde tracing method was applied when the tetramethylrhodamine-dextran (TMR) was injected into the dMITC and Fluoro-gold (FG) was injected into the PBN, respectively. Immunofluorescent staining for NeuN, substance P receptor (SPR), substance P (SP), or FOS induced by itch or pain stimulations with TMR and FG were conducted to provide morphological evidence. The results revealed that TMR/FG double-labeled neurons could be predominately observed in superficial laminae and lateral spinal nucleus (LSN) of SDH; Meanwhile, most of the collateral projection neurons expressed SPR and some of them expressed FOS in acute itch model induced by histamine. The present results implicated that some of the SPR-expressing neurons in SDH send collateral projections to the dMITC and PBN in itch transmission, which might be involved in itch related complex affective/emotional processing to the higher brain centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Ni Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Jia-Hao Ren
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Liu-Jie Zhao
- Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China
| | - Xue-Mei Wu
- Department of Human Anatomy, West China School of Preclinical and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China
| | - Yu-Lin Dong
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China; Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Science Research and Transformation in Tropical Environment of Hainan Province, Haikou, China.
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23
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Bourojeni FB, Zeilhofer HU, Kania A. Netrin-1 receptor DCC is required for the contralateral topography of lamina I anterolateral system neurons. Pain 2021; 162:161-175. [PMID: 32701653 PMCID: PMC7737868 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Anterolateral system (AS) neurons relay nociceptive information from the spinal cord to the brain, protecting the body from harm by evoking a variety of behaviours and autonomic responses. The developmental programs that guide the connectivity of AS neurons remain poorly understood. Spinofugal axons cross the spinal midline in response to Netrin-1 signalling through its receptor deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC); however, the relevance of this canonical pathway to AS neuron development has only been demonstrated recently. Here, we disrupted Netrin-1:DCC signalling developmentally in AS neurons and assessed the consequences on the path finding of the different classes of spinofugal neurons. Many lamina I AS neurons normally innervate the lateral parabrachial nucleus and periaqueductal gray on the contralateral side. The loss of DCC in the developing spinal cord resulted in increased frequency of ipsilateral projection of spinoparabrachial and spinoperiaqueductal gray neurons. Given that contralateral spinofugal projections are largely associated with somatotopic representation of the body, changes in the laterality of AS spinofugal projections may contribute to reduced precision in pain localization observed in mice and humans carrying Dcc mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farin B. Bourojeni
- Research Unit in Neural Circuit Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Artur Kania
- Research Unit in Neural Circuit Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
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24
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Roome RB, Bourojeni FB, Mona B, Rastegar-Pouyani S, Blain R, Dumouchel A, Salesse C, Thompson WS, Brookbank M, Gitton Y, Tessarollo L, Goulding M, Johnson JE, Kmita M, Chédotal A, Kania A. Phox2a Defines a Developmental Origin of the Anterolateral System in Mice and Humans. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108425. [PMID: 33238113 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anterolateral system neurons relay pain, itch, and temperature information from the spinal cord to pain-related brain regions, but the differentiation of these neurons and their specific contribution to pain perception remain poorly defined. Here, we show that most mouse spinal neurons that embryonically express the autonomic-system-associated Paired-like homeobox 2A (Phox2a) transcription factor innervate nociceptive brain targets, including the parabrachial nucleus and the thalamus. We define the Phox2a anterolateral system neuron birth order, migration, and differentiation and uncover an essential role for Phox2a in the development of relay of nociceptive signals from the spinal cord to the brain. Finally, we also demonstrate that the molecular identity of Phox2a neurons is conserved in the human fetal spinal cord, arguing that the developmental expression of Phox2a is a prominent feature of anterolateral system neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Brian Roome
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Farin B Bourojeni
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Bishakha Mona
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Shima Rastegar-Pouyani
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Raphael Blain
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
| | - Annie Dumouchel
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Charleen Salesse
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - W Scott Thompson
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Megan Brookbank
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Yorick Gitton
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Neural Development Section, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Martyn Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jane E Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Marie Kmita
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2, Canada
| | - Alain Chédotal
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
| | - Artur Kania
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2, Canada.
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25
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Xiao R, Xu XZS. Temperature Sensation: From Molecular Thermosensors to Neural Circuits and Coding Principles. Annu Rev Physiol 2020; 83:205-230. [PMID: 33085927 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-031220-095215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Temperature is a universal cue and regulates many essential processes ranging from enzymatic reactions to species migration. Due to the profound impact of temperature on physiology and behavior, animals and humans have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to detect temperature changes. Studies from animal models, such as mouse, Drosophila, and C. elegans, have revealed many exciting principles of thermosensation. For example, conserved molecular thermosensors, including thermosensitive channels and receptors, act as the initial detectors of temperature changes across taxa. Additionally, thermosensory neurons and circuits in different species appear to adopt similar logic to transduce and process temperature information. Here, we present the current understanding of thermosensation at the molecular and cellular levels. We also discuss the fundamental coding strategies of thermosensation at the circuit level. A thorough understanding of thermosensation not only provides key insights into sensory biology but also builds a foundation for developing better treatments for various sensory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xiao
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging and Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32610, USA;
| | - X Z Shawn Xu
- Life Sciences Institute and Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA;
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26
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Deng J, Zhou H, Lin JK, Shen ZX, Chen WZ, Wang LH, Li Q, Mu D, Wei YC, Xu XH, Sun YG. The Parabrachial Nucleus Directly Channels Spinal Nociceptive Signals to the Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei, but Not the Amygdala. Neuron 2020; 107:909-923.e6. [PMID: 32649865 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) is one of the major targets of spinal projection neurons and plays important roles in pain. However, the architecture of the spinoparabrachial pathway underlying its functional role in nociceptive information processing remains elusive. Here, we report that the PBN directly relays nociceptive signals from the spinal cord to the intralaminar thalamic nuclei (ILN). We demonstrate that the spinal cord connects with the PBN in a bilateral manner and that the ipsilateral spinoparabrachial pathway is critical for nocifensive behavior. We identify Tacr1-expressing neurons as the major neuronal subtype in the PBN that receives direct spinal input and show that these neurons are critical for processing nociceptive information. Furthermore, PBN neurons receiving spinal input form functional monosynaptic excitatory connections with neurons in the ILN, but not the amygdala. Together, our results delineate the neural circuit underlying nocifensive behavior, providing crucial insight into the circuit mechanism underlying nociceptive information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Deng
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
| | - Hua Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Jun-Kai Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zi-Xuan Shen
- Department of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei-long Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wen-Zhen Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lin-Han Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qing Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Di Mu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yi-Chao Wei
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yan-Gang Sun
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science & Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China; Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai 201210, China.
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27
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Associative and plastic thalamic signaling to the lateral amygdala controls fear behavior. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:625-637. [PMID: 32284608 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-0620-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Decades of research support the idea that associations between a conditioned stimulus (CS) and an unconditioned stimulus (US) are encoded in the lateral amygdala (LA) during fear learning. However, direct proof for the sources of CS and US information is lacking. Definitive evidence of the LA as the primary site for cue association is also missing. Here, we show that calretinin (Calr)-expressing neurons of the lateral thalamus (Calr+LT neurons) convey the association of fast CS (tone) and US (foot shock) signals upstream from the LA in mice. Calr+LT input shapes a short-latency sensory-evoked activation pattern of the amygdala via both feedforward excitation and inhibition. Optogenetic silencing of Calr+LT input to the LA prevents auditory fear conditioning. Notably, fear conditioning drives plasticity in Calr+LT neurons, which is required for appropriate cue and contextual fear memory retrieval. Collectively, our results demonstrate that Calr+LT neurons provide integrated CS-US representations to the LA that support the formation of aversive memories.
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28
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Abstract
The amygdala has emerged as an important brain area for the emotional-affective dimension of pain and pain modulation. The amygdala receives nociceptive information through direct and indirect routes. These excitatory inputs converge on the amygdala output region (central nucleus) and can be modulated by inhibitory elements that are the target of (prefrontal) cortical modulation. For example, inhibitory neurons in the intercalated cell mass in the amygdala project to the central nucleus to serve gating functions, and so do inhibitory (PKCdelta) interneurons within the central nucleus. In pain conditions, synaptic plasticity develops in output neurons because of an excitation-inhibition imbalance and drives pain-like behaviors and pain persistence. Mechanisms of pain related neuroplasticity in the amygdala include classical transmitters, neuropeptides, biogenic amines, and various signaling pathways. An emerging concept is that differences in amygdala activity are associated with phenotypic differences in pain vulnerability and resilience and may be predetermining factors of the complexity and persistence of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Neugebauer
- Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Giles McCrary Endowed Chair in Addiction Medicine, Director, Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- School of Medicine, 3601 4th Street
- Mail Stop 6592, Lubbock, Texas 79430-6592
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29
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Sleep deficiency and chronic pain: potential underlying mechanisms and clinical implications. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:205-216. [PMID: 31207606 PMCID: PMC6879497 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0439-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Pain can be both a cause and a consequence of sleep deficiency. This bidirectional relationship between sleep and pain has important implications for clinical management of patients, but also for chronic pain prevention and public health more broadly. The review that follows will provide an overview of the neurobiological evidence of mechanisms thought to be involved in the modulation of pain by sleep deficiency, including the opioid, monoaminergic, orexinergic, immune, melatonin, and endocannabinoid systems; the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis; and adenosine and nitric oxide signaling. In addition, it will provide a broad overview of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for the management of chronic pain comorbid with sleep disturbances and for the management of postoperative pain, as well as discuss the effects of sleep-disturbing medications on pain amplification.
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30
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Distinct mechanisms of signal processing by lamina I spino-parabrachial neurons. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19231. [PMID: 31848358 PMCID: PMC6917718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55462-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lamina I spino-parabrachial neurons (SPNs) receive peripheral nociceptive input, process it and transmit to the supraspinal centres. Although responses of SPNs to cutaneous receptive field stimulations have been intensively studied, the mechanisms of signal processing in these neurons are poorly understood. Therefore, we used an ex-vivo spinal cord preparation to examine synaptic and cellular mechanisms determining specific input-output characteristics of the neurons. The vast majority of the SPNs received a few direct nociceptive C-fiber inputs and generated one spike in response to saturating afferent stimulation, thus functioning as simple transducers of painful stimulus. However, 69% of afferent stimulation-induced action potentials in the entire SPN population originated from a small fraction (19%) of high-output neurons. These neurons received a larger number of direct Aδ- and C-fiber inputs, generated intrinsic bursts and efficiently integrated a local network activity via NMDA-receptor-dependent mechanisms. The high-output SPNs amplified and integrated the nociceptive input gradually encoding its intensity into the number of generated spikes. Thus, different mechanisms of signal processing allow lamina I SPNs to play distinct roles in nociception.
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31
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Bourgeais-Rambur L, Beynac L, Villanueva L. [Brain network dysfunctions as substrates of primary headaches]. Biol Aujourdhui 2019; 213:43-49. [PMID: 31274102 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2019022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
A large body of clinical and pre-clinical evidence has shown complex interactions between bottom-up and top-down mechanisms that are essential for the discrimination of noxious information and pain perception. These endogenous systems, mainly originating from the brainstem, hypothalamus and cerebral cortex, are strongly influenced by behavioral, cognitive and emotional factors that are relevant for the survival of the individual. Under pathological conditions, however, dysfunctional engagement of these descending pathways certainly contributes to the transformation from acute into chronic pain states. In disorders such as primary headaches, dysfunctions affecting brain regulation mechanisms contribute to the generation of episodic painful states in susceptible individuals, and to the evolution from acute to chronic migraine or cluster headache. Taken together, these studies support the concept that CNS mechanisms that process trigemino-vascular pain do not consist only of a bottom-up process, whereby a painful focus modifies the inputs to the next higher level. Indeed, several CNS regions mediate subtle forms of plasticity by adjusting neural maps downstream and, consequently, altering all the modulatory mechanisms as a result of sensory, autonomic, endocrine, cognitive and emotional influences. Disturbances in normal sensory processing within these loops could lead to maladaptive changes and impaired craniofacial functions at the origin of primary headaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Bourgeais-Rambur
- Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France - Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP), Inserm U1261, 102-108, rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Laurianne Beynac
- Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France - Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP), Inserm U1261, 102-108, rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Luis Villanueva
- Institut de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences de Paris (IPNP), Inserm U1261, 102-108, rue de la Santé, 75014 Paris, France
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32
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Asano H, Arima Y, Yokota S, Fujitani M. New nociceptive circuits to the hypothalamic perifornical area from the spinal cord and spinal trigeminal nucleus via the parabrachial nucleus. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2019; 512:705-711. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.02.153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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33
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Bokiniec P, Zampieri N, Lewin GR, Poulet JF. The neural circuits of thermal perception. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2018; 52:98-106. [PMID: 29734030 PMCID: PMC6191924 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Thermal information about skin surface temperature is a key sense for the perception of object identity and valence. The identification of ion channels involved in the transduction of thermal changes has provided a genetic access point to the thermal system. However, from sensory specific 'labeled-lines' to multimodal interactive pathways, the functional organization and identity of the neural circuits mediating innocuous thermal perception have been debated for over 100 years. Here we highlight points in the system that require further attention and review recent advances using in vivo electrophysiology, cellular resolution calcium imaging, optogenetics and thermal perceptual tasks in behaving mice that have begun to uncover the anatomical principles and neural processing mechanisms underlying innocuous thermal perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phillip Bokiniec
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin-Buch, Germany; Neuroscience Research Center and Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Niccolò Zampieri
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin-Buch, Germany; Neuroscience Research Center and Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Gary R Lewin
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin-Buch, Germany; Neuroscience Research Center and Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - James Fa Poulet
- Department of Neuroscience, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Berlin-Buch, Germany; Neuroscience Research Center and Cluster of Excellence NeuroCure, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
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34
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Grinevich V, Stoop R. Interplay between Oxytocin and Sensory Systems in the Orchestration of Socio-Emotional Behaviors. Neuron 2018; 99:887-904. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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35
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Kawai Y. Differential Ascending Projections From the Male Rat Caudal Nucleus of the Tractus Solitarius: An Interface Between Local Microcircuits and Global Macrocircuits. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:63. [PMID: 30087599 PMCID: PMC6066510 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To integrate and broadcast neural information, local microcircuits and global macrocircuits interact within certain specific nuclei of the central nervous system. The structural and functional architecture of this interaction was determined for the caudal nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) at the level of the area postrema (AP), a relay station of peripheral viscerosensory information that is processed and conveyed to brain regions concerned with autonomic-affective and other interoceptive reflexive functions. Axon collaterals of most small NTS cells (soma <150 μm2) establish excitatory or inhibitory local microcircuits likely to control the activity of nearby NTS cells and to transfer peripheral signals to efferent projection neurons. At least two types of cells that constitute efferent pathways from the caudal NTS (cNTS) were distinguished: (1) a greater numbers of small cells, seemingly forming local excitatory microcircuits via recurrent axon collaterals, that project specifically and unidirectionally to the lateral parabrachial nucleus; and (2) a much smaller numbers of cells likely to establish multiple global connections, mostly via the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) or the dorsal longitudinal fascicle (DLF), with a wide range of brain regions, including the ventrolateral medulla (VLM), hypothalamus, central nucleus of the amygdala (ACe), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), spinal cord dorsal horn, brainstem reticular formation, locus coeruleus (LC), periaqueductal gray (PAG) and periventricular diencephalon (including the epithalamus). The evidence presented here suggests that distinct cNTS cell types distinguished by projection pattern and related structural and functional features participate differentially in the computation of viscerosensory information and coordination of global macro-networks in a highly organized manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshinori Kawai
- Department of Anatomy, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Center for Neuroscience of Pain, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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36
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Ji G, Yakhnitsa V, Kiritoshi T, Presto P, Neugebauer V. Fear extinction learning ability predicts neuropathic pain behaviors and amygdala activity in male rats. Mol Pain 2018; 14:1744806918804441. [PMID: 30209982 PMCID: PMC6172937 DOI: 10.1177/1744806918804441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The amygdala plays a key role in fear learning and extinction and has emerged as an important node of emotional-affective aspects of pain and pain modulation. Impaired fear extinction learning, which involves prefrontal cortical control of amygdala processing, has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we tested the hypothesis that fear extinction learning ability can predict the magnitude of neuropathic pain. Results We correlated fear extinction learning in naive adult male rats with sensory and affective behavioral outcome measures (mechanical thresholds, vocalizations, and anxiety- and depression-like behaviors) before and after the induction of the spinal nerve ligation model of neuropathic pain compared to sham controls. Auditory fear conditioning, extinction learning, and extinction retention tests were conducted after baseline testing. All rats showed increased freezing responses after fear conditioning. During extinction training, the majority (75%) of rats showed a decline in freezing level to 50% in 5 min (fear extinction+), whereas 25% of the rats maintained a high freezing level (>50%, fear extinction-). Fear extinction- rats showed decreased open-arm preference in the elevated plus maze, reflecting anxiety-like behavior, but there were no significant differences in sensory thresholds, vocalizations, or depression-like behavior (forced swim test) between fear extinction+ and fear extinction- types. In the neuropathic pain model (four weeks after spinal nerve ligation), fear extinction- rats showed a greater increase in vocalizations and anxiety-like behavior than fear extinction+ rats. Fear extinction- rats, but not fear extinction+ rats, also developed depression-like behavior. Extracellular single unit recordings of amygdala (central nucleus) neurons in behaviorally tested rats (anesthetized with isoflurane) found greater increases in background activity, bursting, and evoked activity in fear extinction- rats than fear extinction+ rats in the spinal nerve ligation model compared to sham controls. Conclusion The data may suggest that fear extinction learning ability predicts the magnitude of neuropathic pain-related affective rather than sensory behaviors, which correlates with differences in amygdala activity changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangchen Ji
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Vadim Yakhnitsa
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Takaki Kiritoshi
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Peyton Presto
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Center of Excellence for Translational Neuroscience and Therapeutics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA
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37
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Chronic stress exacerbates neuropathic pain via the integration of stress-affect-related information with nociceptive information in the central nucleus of the amygdala. Pain 2017; 158:717-739. [PMID: 28225710 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Exacerbation of pain by chronic stress and comorbidity of pain with stress-related psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression, represent significant clinical challenges. However, the underlying mechanisms still remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether chronic forced swim stress (CFSS)-induced exacerbation of neuropathic pain is mediated by the integration of stress-affect-related information with nociceptive information in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). We first demonstrated that CFSS indeed produces both depressive-like behaviors and exacerbation of spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced mechanical allodynia in rats. Moreover, we revealed that CFSS induces both sensitization of basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons and augmentation of long-term potentiation (LTP) at the BLA-CeA synapse and meanwhile, exaggerates both SNI-induced sensitization of CeA neurons and LTP at the parabrachial (PB)-CeA synapse. In addition, we discovered that CFSS elevates SNI-induced functional up-regulation of GluN2B-containing NMDA (GluN2B-NMDA) receptors in the CeA, which is proved to be necessary for CFSS-induced augmentation of LTP at the PB-CeA synapse and exacerbation of pain hypersensitivity in SNI rats. Suppression of CFSS-elicited depressive-like behaviors by antidepressants imipramine or ifenprodil inhibits the CFSS-induced exacerbation of neuropathic pain. Collectively, our findings suggest that CFSS potentiates synaptic efficiency of the BLA-CeA pathway, leading to the activation of GluN2B-NMDA receptors and sensitization of CeA neurons, which subsequently facilitate pain-related synaptic plasticity of the PB-CeA pathway, thereby exacerbating SNI-induced neuropathic pain. We conclude that chronic stress exacerbates neuropathic pain via the integration of stress-affect-related information with nociceptive information in the CeA.
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Plasticity in the Interoceptive System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1015:59-74. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-62817-2_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
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Mosley GE, Evashwick-Rogler TW, Lai A, Iatridis JC. Looking beyond the intervertebral disc: the need for behavioral assays in models of discogenic pain. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2017; 1409:51-66. [PMID: 28797134 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Orthopedic research into chronic discogenic back pain has commonly focused on aging- and degeneration-related changes in intervertebral disc structure, biomechanics, and biology. However, the primary spine-related reason for physician office visits is pain. The ambiguous nature of the human condition of discogenic low back pain motivates the use of animal models to better understand the pathophysiology. Discogenic back pain models must consider both emergent behavioral changes following pain induction and changes in the nervous system that mediate such behavior. Looking beyond the intervertebral disc, we describe the different ways to classify pain in human patients and animal models. We describe several behavioral assays that can be used in rodent models to augment disc degeneration measurements and characterize different types of pain. We review rodent models of discogenic pain that employed behavioral pain assays and highlight a need to better integrate neuroscience and orthopedic science methods to extend current understanding of the complex and multifactorial pathophysiology of discogenic back pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace E Mosley
- Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Thomas W Evashwick-Rogler
- Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Alon Lai
- Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - James C Iatridis
- Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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Abstract
Pain associated with mechanical, chemical, and thermal heat stimulation of the ocular surface is mediated by trigeminal ganglion neurons, while cold thermoreceptors detect wetness and reflexly maintain basal tear production and blinking rate. These neurons project into two regions of the trigeminal brain stem nuclear complex: ViVc, activated by changes in the moisture of the ocular surface and VcC1, mediating sensory-discriminative aspects of ocular pain and reflex blinking. ViVc ocular neurons project to brain regions that control lacrimation and spontaneous blinking and to the sensory thalamus. Secretion of the main lacrimal gland is regulated dominantly by autonomic parasympathetic nerves, reflexly activated by eye surface sensory nerves. These also evoke goblet cell secretion through unidentified efferent fibers. Neural pathways involved in the regulation of meibomian gland secretion or mucin release have not been identified. In dry eye disease, reduced tear secretion leads to inflammation and peripheral nerve damage. Inflammation causes sensitization of polymodal and mechano-nociceptor nerve endings and an abnormal increase in cold thermoreceptor activity, altogether evoking dryness sensations and pain. Long-term inflammation and nerve injury alter gene expression of ion channels and receptors at terminals and cell bodies of trigeminal ganglion and brainstem neurons, changing their excitability, connectivity and impulse firing. Perpetuation of molecular, structural and functional disturbances in ocular sensory pathways ultimately leads to dysestesias and neuropathic pain referred to the eye surface. Pain can be assessed with a variety of questionaires while the status of corneal nerves is evaluated with esthesiometry and with in vivo confocal microscopy.
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The lateral parabrachial nucleus, but not the thalamus, mediates thermosensory pathways for behavioural thermoregulation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5031. [PMID: 28694517 PMCID: PMC5503995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05327-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermoregulatory behaviour, such as migration to a comfortable thermal environment, is a representative innate animal behaviour and facilitates effective autonomic regulation of body temperature with a reduced cost of resources. Here we determine the central thermosensory ascending pathway that transmits information on environmental temperature from cutaneous thermoreceptors to elicit thermoregulatory behaviour. To examine the contribution of the spinothalamocortical pathway, which is known to mediate thermosensory transmission for perception of skin temperature, we lesioned thalamic regions mediating this pathway in rats. Thalamic-lesioned rats showed compromised electroencephalographic responses in the primary somatosensory cortex to changes in skin temperature, indicating functional ablation of the spinothalamocortical pathway. However, these lesioned rats subjected to a two-floor innocuous thermal plate preference test displayed intact heat- and cold-avoidance thermoregulatory behaviours. We then examined the involvement of the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB), which mediates cutaneous thermosensory signaling to the thermoregulatory center for autonomic thermoregulation. Inactivation of neurons in the LPB eliminated both heat- and cold-avoidance thermoregulatory behaviours and ablated heat defense. These results demonstrate that the LPB, but not the thalamus, mediates the cutaneous thermosensory neural signaling required for behavioural thermoregulation, contributing to understanding of the central circuit that generates thermal comfort and discomfort underlying thermoregulatory behaviours.
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Sikandar S, West SJ, McMahon SB, Bennett DL, Dickenson AH. Sensory processing of deep tissue nociception in the rat spinal cord and thalamic ventrobasal complex. Physiol Rep 2017; 5:e13323. [PMID: 28720713 PMCID: PMC5532477 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.13323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing of deep somatic tissue constitutes an important component of the nociceptive system, yet associated central processing pathways remain poorly understood. Here, we provide a novel electrophysiological characterization and immunohistochemical analysis of neural activation in the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN). These neurons show evoked activity to deep, but not cutaneous, stimulation. The evoked responses of neurons in the LSN can be sensitized to somatosensory stimulation following intramuscular hypertonic saline, an acute model of muscle pain, suggesting this is an important spinal relay site for the processing of deep tissue nociceptive inputs. Neurons of the thalamic ventrobasal complex (VBC) mediate both cutaneous and deep tissue sensory processing, but in contrast to the lateral spinal nucleus our electrophysiological studies do not suggest the existence of a subgroup of cells that selectively process deep tissue inputs. The sensitization of polymodal and thermospecific VBC neurons to mechanical somatosensory stimulation following acute muscle stimulation with hypertonic saline suggests differential roles of thalamic subpopulations in mediating cutaneous and deep tissue nociception in pathological states. Overall, our studies at both the spinal (lateral spinal nucleus) and supraspinal (thalamic ventrobasal complex) levels suggest a convergence of cutaneous and deep somatosensory inputs onto spinothalamic pathways, which are unmasked by activation of muscle nociceptive afferents to produce consequent phenotypic alterations in spinal and thalamic neural coding of somatosensory stimulation. A better understanding of the sensory pathways involved in deep tissue nociception, as well as the degree of labeled line and convergent pathways for cutaneous and deep somatosensory inputs, is fundamental to developing targeted analgesic therapies for deep pain syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shafaq Sikandar
- Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Steven J West
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen B McMahon
- Neurorestoration Group, Wolfson Wing Hodgkin Building, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David L Bennett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony H Dickenson
- Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Xu WX. Central and Peripheral Modulation of Visceral Pain and Visceral Hypersensitivity by the CRF-CRFR System. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.15406/ghoa.2017.06.00207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Saito H, Katagiri A, Okada S, Mikuzuki L, Kubo A, Suzuki T, Ohara K, Lee J, Gionhaku N, Iinuma T, Bereiter DA, Iwata K. Ascending projections of nociceptive neurons from trigeminal subnucleus caudalis: A population approach. Exp Neurol 2017; 293:124-136. [PMID: 28366470 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.03.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Second-order neurons in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (Vc) and upper cervical spinal cord (C1) are critical for craniofacial pain processing and project rostrally to terminate in: ventral posteromedial thalamic nucleus (VPM), medial thalamic nuclei (MTN) and parabrachial nuclei (PBN). The contribution of each region to trigeminal nociception was assessed by the number of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase-immunoreactive (pERK-IR) neurons co-labeled with fluorogold (FG). The phenotype of pERK-IR neurons was further defined by the expression of neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1). The retrograde tracer FG was injected into VPM, MTN or PBN of the right hemisphere and after seven days, capsaicin was injected into the left upper lip in male rats. Nearly all pERK-IR neurons were found in superficial laminae of Vc-C1 ipsilateral to the capsaicin injection. Nearly all VPM and MTN FG-labeled neurons in Vc-C1 were found contralateral to the injection site, whereas FG-labeled neurons were found bilaterally after PBN injection. The percentage of FG-pERK-NK1-IR neurons was significantly greater (>10%) for PBN projection neurons than for VPM and MTN projection neurons (<3%). pERK-NK1-IR VPM projection neurons were found mainly in the middle-Vc, while pERK-NK1-immunoreactive MTN or PBN projection neurons were found in the middle-Vc and caudal Vc-C1. These results suggest that a significant percentage of capsaicin-responsive neurons in superficial laminae of Vc-C1 project directly to PBN, while neurons that project to VPM and MTN are subject to greater modulation by pERK-IR local interneurons. Furthermore, the rostrocaudal distribution differences of FG-pERK-NK1-IR neurons in Vc-C1 may reflect functional differences between these projection areas regarding craniofacial pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Saito
- Department of Complete Denture Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan; Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Ayano Katagiri
- Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Shinji Okada
- Department of Complete Denture Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan; Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Lou Mikuzuki
- Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan; Department of Psychosomatic Dentistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8510, Japan.
| | - Asako Kubo
- Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Tatsuro Suzuki
- Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan; Department of Periodontology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Kinuyo Ohara
- Department of Endodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Jun Lee
- Department of Complete Denture Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Nobuhito Gionhaku
- Department of Complete Denture Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - Toshimitsu Iinuma
- Department of Complete Denture Prosthodontics, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
| | - David A Bereiter
- Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Koichi Iwata
- Department of Physiology, Nihon University School of Dentistry, 1-8-13 Kandasurugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-8310, Japan.
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Poisbeau P, Grinevich V, Charlet A. Oxytocin Signaling in Pain: Cellular, Circuit, System, and Behavioral Levels. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2017; 35:193-211. [PMID: 28942595 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2017_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Originally confined to the initiation of parturition and milk ejection after birth, the hypothalamic nonapeptide oxytocin (OT) is now recognized as a critical determinant of social behavior and emotional processing. It accounts for the modulation of sensory processing and pain perception as OT displays a potent analgesic effect mediated by OT receptors (OTRs) expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems. In our chapter, we will first systemically analyze known efferent and afferent OT neuron projections, which form the anatomical basis for OT modulation of somatosensory and pain processing. Next, we will focus on the synergy of distinct types of OT neurons (e.g., magno- and parvocellular OT neurons) which efficiently control acute inflammatory pain perception. Finally, we will describe how OT signaling mechanisms in the spinal cord control nociception, as well as how OT is able to modulate emotional pain processing within the central amygdala. In the conclusions at the end of the chapter, we will formulate perspectives in the study of OT effects on pain anticipation and pain memory, as well as propose some reasons for the application of exogenous OT for the treatment of certain types of pain in human patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierrick Poisbeau
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valery Grinevich
- Schaller Research Group on Neuropeptides, German Cancer Research Center, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, BW, Germany.,Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, BW, Germany
| | - Alexandre Charlet
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, University of Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives, Strasbourg, France. .,University of Strasbourg Institute for Advanced Study, USIAS, Strasbourg, France.
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Lu YF, Neugebauer V, Chen J, Li Z. Distinct contributions of reactive oxygen species in amygdala to bee venom-induced spontaneous pain-related behaviors. Neurosci Lett 2016; 619:68-72. [PMID: 26971700 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2016] [Revised: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, play essential roles in physiological plasticity and are also involved in the pathogenesis of persistent pain. Roles of peripheral and spinal ROS in pain have been well established, but much less is known about ROS in the amygdala, a brain region that plays an important role in pain modulation. The present study explored the contribution of ROS in the amygdala to bee venom (BV)-induced pain behaviors. Our data show that the amygdala is activated following subcutaneous BV injection into the left hindpaw, which is reflected in the increased number of c-Fos positive cells in the central and basolateral amygdala nuclei in the right hemisphere. Stereotaxic administration of a ROS scavenger (tempol, 10mM), NADPH oxidase inhibitor (baicalein, 5mM) or lipoxygenase inhibitor (apocynin, 10mM) into the right amygdala attenuated the BV-induced spontaneous licking and lifting behaviors, but had no effect on BV-induced paw flinch reflexes. Our study provides further evidence for the involvement of the amygdala in nociceptive processing and pain behaviors, and that ROS in amygdala may be a potential target for treatment strategies to inhibit pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Fei Lu
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an 710038, PR China
| | - Volker Neugebauer
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC), Lubbock, TX, USA.
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an 710038, PR China; Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing 100069, PR China
| | - Zhen Li
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain and Institute for Functional Brain Disorders, Tangdu Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, PR China; Key Laboratory of Brain Stress and Behavior, PLA, Xi'an 710038, PR China.
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Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests an important contribution of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to pain and neuropsychiatric disorders, but their role in pain-related plasticity in the brain is largely unknown. Neuroplasticity in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) correlates positively with pain behaviors in different models. Little is known, however, about mechanisms of visceral pain-related amygdala changes. The electrophysiological and behavioral studies reported here addressed the role of ROS in the CeA in a visceral pain model induced by intracolonic zymosan. Vocalizations to colorectal distension and anxiety-like behavior increased after intracolonic zymosan and were inhibited by intra-CeA application of a ROS scavenger (tempol, a superoxide dismutase mimetic). Tempol also induced a place preference in zymosan-treated rats but not in controls. Single-unit recordings of CeA neurons in anesthetized rats showed increases of background activity and responses to visceral stimuli after intracolonic zymosan. Intra-CeA application of tempol inhibited the increased activity but had no effect under normal conditions. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings of CeA neurons in brain slices from zymosan-treated rats showed that tempol decreased neuronal excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission of presumed nociceptive inputs from the brainstem (parabrachial area) through a combination of presynaptic and postsynaptic actions. Tempol had no effect in brain slices from sham controls. The results suggest that ROS contribute to visceral pain-related hyperactivity of amygdala neurons and amygdala-dependent behaviors through a mechanism that involves increased excitatory transmission and excitability of CeA neurons.
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Kolesar TA, Fiest KM, Smith SD, Kornelsen J. Assessing Nociception by fMRI of the Human Spinal Cord: A Systematic Review. MAGNETIC RESONANCE INSIGHTS 2015; 8:31-9. [PMID: 26543372 PMCID: PMC4624094 DOI: 10.4137/mri.s23556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the use of fMRI of the spinal cord in measuring noxious stimulation. METHODS The Scopus, Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched, along with the reference lists of included articles. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts, full-text articles, and extracted data. Original research was included if fMRI of the human spinal cord was used to measure responses to noxious stimulation. RESULTS Of the 192 abstracts screened, 19 met the search criteria and were divided according to their focus: investigating pain responses (n = 6), methodology (n = 6), spinal cord injury (n = 2), or cognition–pain interactions (n = 5). All but one study appear to have observed activity in ipsilateral and dorsal gray matter regions in response to noxious stimuli, although contralateral or ventral activity was also widely observed. CONCLUSIONS Although nociception can be investigated using spinal fMRI, establishing reliability, standardizing methodology, and reporting of results will greatly advance this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kirsten M Fiest
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Stephen D Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Hoxb8 intersection defines a role for Lmx1b in excitatory dorsal horn neuron development, spinofugal connectivity, and nociception. J Neurosci 2015; 35:5233-46. [PMID: 25834049 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4690-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord neurons respond to peripheral noxious stimuli and relay this information to higher brain centers, but the molecules controlling the assembly of such pathways are poorly known. In this study, we use the intersection of Lmx1b and Hoxb8::Cre expression in the spinal cord to genetically define nociceptive circuits. Specifically, we show that Lmx1b, previously shown to be expressed in glutamatergic dorsal horn neurons and critical for dorsal horn development, is expressed in nociceptive dorsal horn neurons and that its deletion results in the specific loss of excitatory dorsal horn neurons by apoptosis, without any effect on inhibitory neuron numbers. To assess the behavioral consequences of Lmx1b deletion in the spinal cord, we used the brain-sparing driver Hoxb8::Cre. We show that such a deletion of Lmxb1 leads to a robust reduction in sensitivity to mechanical and thermal noxious stimulation. Furthermore, such conditional mutant mice show a loss of a subpopulation of glutamatergic dorsal horn neurons, abnormal sensory afferent innervations, and reduced spinofugal innervation of the parabrachial nucleus and the periaqueductal gray, important nociceptive structures. Together, our results demonstrate an important role for the intersection of Lmx1b and Hoxb8::cre expression in the development of nociceptive dorsal horn circuits critical for mechanical and thermal pain processing.
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Neurons in the lateral part of the lumbar spinal cord show distinct novel axon trajectories and are excited by short propriospinal ascending inputs. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:2343-60. [PMID: 25912439 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1046-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The role of spinal dorsal horn propriospinal connections in nociceptive processing is not yet established. Recently described, rostrocaudally oriented axon collaterals of lamina I projection and local-circuit neurons (PNs and LCNs) running in the dorsolateral funiculus (DLF) may serve as the anatomical substrate for intersegmental processing. Putative targets of these axons include lateral dendrites of superficial dorsal horn neurons, including PNs, and also neurons in the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN) that are thought to be important integrator units receiving, among others, visceral sensory information. Here we used an intact spinal cord preparation to study intersegmental connections within the lateral part of the superficial dorsal horn. We detected brief monosynaptic and prolonged polysynaptic excitation of lamina I and LSN neurons when stimulating individual dorsal horn neurons located caudally, even in neighboring spinal cord segments. These connections, however, were infrequent. We also revealed that some projection neurons outside the dorsal grey matter and in the LSN have distinct, previously undescribed course of their projection axon. Our findings indicate that axon collaterals of lamina I PNs and LCNs in the DLF rarely form functional connections with other lamina I and LSN neurons and that the majority of their targets are on other elements of the dorsal horn. The unique axon trajectories of neurons in the dorsolateral aspect of the spinal cord, including the LSN do not fit our present understanding of midline axon guidance and suggest that their function and development differ from the neurons inside lamina I. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the connectivity matrix of the superficial dorsal horn in order to decipher spinal sensory information processing.
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