Excitatory superficial dorsal horn interneurons are functionally heterogeneous and required for the full behavioral expression of pain and itch.

ABSTRACT: To what extent dorsal horn interneurons contribute to the modality specific processing of pain and itch messages is not known. Here, we report that loxp/cre-mediated CNS deletion of TR4, a testicular orphan nuclear receptor, results in loss of many excitatory interneurons in the superficial dorsal horn but preservation of primary afferents and spinal projection neurons. The interneuron loss is associated with a near complete absence of supraspinally integrated pain and itch behaviors, elevated mechanical withdrawal thresholds and loss of nerve injury-induced mechanical hypersensitivity, but reflex responsiveness to noxious heat, nerve injury-induced heat hypersensitivity, and tissue injury-induced heat and mechanical hypersensitivity are intact. We conclude that different subsets of dorsal

SUBMITTER: Wang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3700415 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature