Modulation of itch and pain signals processing in ventrobasal thalamus by thalamic reticular nucleus

Peng-Fei Liu; Yan Wang; Ling Xu; An-Feng Xiang; Ming-Zhe Liu; Ya-Bing Zhu; Xin Jia; Rui Zhang; Jin-Bao Li; Ling Zhang; Di Mu

iScience (Jan 2022)

Modulation of itch and pain signals processing in ventrobasal thalamus by thalamic reticular nucleus

Peng-Fei Liu,
Yan Wang,
Ling Xu,
An-Feng Xiang,
Ming-Zhe Liu,
Ya-Bing Zhu,
Xin Jia,
Rui Zhang,
Jin-Bao Li,
Ling Zhang,
Di Mu

Affiliations

Peng-Fei Liu: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
Yan Wang: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
Ling Xu: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
An-Feng Xiang: The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China
Ming-Zhe Liu: Department of Respiratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510120, China
Ya-Bing Zhu: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
Xin Jia: The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China
Rui Zhang: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
Jin-Bao Li: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China
Ling Zhang: The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200090, China; Corresponding author
Di Mu: Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 201620, China; Corresponding author

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 25, no. 1
p. 103625

Abstract

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Summary: Thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is known to be crucial for dynamically modulating sensory processing. Recently, the functional role of TRN in itch and pain sensation processing has drawn much attention. We found that ventrobasal thalamus (VB) neurons exhibited scratching behavior-related and nociceptive behavior-related neuronal activity changes, and most of VB neurons responsive to pruritic stimulus were also activated by nociceptive stimulus. Inhibition of VB could relieve itch-induced scratching behaviors and pathological pain without affecting basal nociceptive thresholds, and activation of VB could facilitate scratching behaviors. Tracing and electrophysiology recording results showed that VB mainly received inhibitory inputs from ventral TRN. Furthermore, optogenetic activation of TRN-VB projections suppressed scratching behaviors, and ablation of TRN enhanced scratching behaviors. In addition, activation of TRN-VB projections relieved the pathological pain without affecting basal nociceptive thresholds. Thus, our study indicates that TRN modulates itch and pain signals processing via TRN-VB inhibitory projections.

Published in iScience

ISSN: 2589-0042 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Science
Website: http://www.cell.com/iscience/home

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