Dopamine receptor D2, but not D1, mediates descending dopaminergic pathway-produced analgesic effect in a trigeminal neuropathic pain mouse model.

ABSTRACT: Neuropathic pain represents a challenge to clinicians because it is resistant to commonly prescribed analgesics due to its largely unknown mechanisms. Here, we investigated a descending dopaminergic pathway-mediated modulation of trigeminal neuropathic pain. We performed chronic constriction injury of the infraorbital nerve from the maxillary branch of trigeminal nerve to induce trigeminal neuropathic pain in mice. Our retrograde tracing showed that the descending dopaminergic projection from hypothalamic A11 nucleus to spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis is bilateral. Optogenetic/chemogenetic manipulation of dopamine receptors D1 and D2 in the spinal trigeminal nucleus caudalis produced opposite effects on the nerve injury-induced trigeminal neuropathic pain. Specific excitation of dopamin

SUBMITTER: Liu S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6344251 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature