Age-dependent decrease in inhibitory drive on the excitatory superficial spinal dorsal horn neurons.

ABSTRACT: The excitatory and inhibitory interneurons of superficial laminae I-II of the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) receive and process pain-related information from the primary afferents and transmit it to the brain via the projection neurons. Thus, the interaction between excitatory and inhibitory SDH interneurons is crucial in determining the output from the spinal cord network. Disruption of this interaction in pathological conditions leads to increased SDH output to the higher brain centers, which could underlie pathological pain. Here, we examined whether the changes in the intrinsic SDH connectivity also occur with age, possibly underlying age-related increase in pain sensitivity. Using Vgat;tdTomato transgenic mouse line, we compared the spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPS

SUBMITTER: Rayi PR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10624944 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature