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Identification of Early RET+ Deep Dorsal Spinal Cord Interneurons in Gating Pain.
- Source :
-
Neuron . Sep2016, Vol. 91 Issue 5, p1137-1153. 17p. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Summary The gate control theory (GCT) of pain proposes that pain- and touch-sensing neurons antagonize each other through spinal cord dorsal horn (DH) gating neurons. However, the exact neural circuits underlying the GCT remain largely elusive. Here, we identified a new population of deep layer DH (dDH) inhibitory interneurons that express the receptor tyrosine kinase Ret neonatally. These early RET+ dDH neurons receive excitatory as well as polysynaptic inhibitory inputs from touch- and/or pain-sensing afferents. In addition, they negatively regulate DH pain and touch pathways through both pre- and postsynaptic inhibition. Finally, specific ablation of early RET+ dDH neurons increases basal and chronic pain, whereas their acute activation reduces basal pain perception and relieves inflammatory and neuropathic pain. Taken together, our findings uncover a novel spinal circuit that mediates crosstalk between touch and pain pathways and suggest that some early RET+ dDH neurons could function as pain “gating” neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 08966273
- Volume :
- 91
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Neuron
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 117893127
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2016.07.038