SENSORY INNERVATION OF PELVIC ORGANS

这项拟议研究的长期目标是推进我们的知识 盆腔内脏感觉的神经机制，特别是 由女性内部生殖器官引起的疼痛。这位将军 策略是以雌性大鼠为模型，进行行为学和 组织、功能和意识的电生理学研究 她的内部生殖器官神经支配的感官后果 在正常和病理条件下。 为下一批资助期提出的研究将使用这两种方法 解决四个一般问题：(1)腹下、盆腔的功能 和阴部神经在妇科感觉，特别是疼痛；(2) 这些神经的感觉输入是如何在中枢神经中处理的 系统(脊髓和丘脑)；(3)妇科疼痛如何起源 随着荷尔蒙状况的正常变化而变化(发情周期， 假孕)；以及(4)神经的功能，如何处理 关于中枢神经系统和激素变化的信息 正常大鼠对妇科疼痛的感觉不同于正常大鼠 子宫内膜异位症和盆腔等妇科病理模型 炎症性疾病。 据推测，从这些研究中获得的知识将促进 其他人在这个被忽视的领域进行更多的研究，并将导致 改进妇科和其他内脏的治疗策略 很痛苦。

The long-range goal of the proposed research is to advance our knowledge of neural mechanisms underlying pelvic visceral sensation, particularly pain arising from internal reproductive organs in females. The general strategy is to use the female rat as a model and carry out behavioral and electrophysiological studies of the organization, functions and conscious sensory consequences of innervation of her internal reproductive organs under normal and pathological conditions. Studies proposed for the next grant period will use these two methods to address four general issues: (1) functions of the hypogastric, pelvic and pudendal nerves in gynecological sensations, particularly pain; (2) how sensory input from these nerves is processed in the central nervous system (spinal cord and thalamus); (3) how pain of gynecological origin varies with normal variations in hormonal conditions (estrous cycle, pseudo-pregnancy); and (4) how functions of the nerves, processing of information in the central nervous system and hormonal variaitons in gynecological pain sensation as observed in normal rats differ in rat models of gynecological pathology such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. It is reasoned that knowledge gained from these studies will stimulate others to carry out more research in this neglected area and will lead to improved strategies for treatment of gynecological and other visceral pains.