Molecular Dynamics in the Ventral Tegmental Area during Chronic Pain-Induced Negative Affect.

ABSTRACT: Chronic pain frequently coexists with negative affect, with about 60% of patients suffering from both. This dual condition complicates treatment and exacerbates both disorders, highlighting the urgent need for innovative therapeutic strategies. Chronic pain negative affect (CPNA) involves complex neurobiological changes, including increased hyperexcitability of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a critical region involved in reward, mood, and pain processing. To elucidate CPNA's underlying mechanisms, we employed a multidisciplinary approach using immunohistochemistry, lipidomic analysis, and proteomic screening to investigate VTA molecular alterations in mice subjected to partial sciatic nerve ligation (pSNL) at one and four weeks post-injury. Our results revealed a significant, sex-depend

SUBMITTER: Diezel CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12236664 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature