PAIN, NOCICEPTION AND THE AMYGDALA

描述：（改编自申请人摘要）持续性疼痛具有强烈的 情感成分杏仁核作为边缘系统的一部分， 在行为的情感和自主方面， 感觉刺激的情绪意义，情绪学习和记忆，以及 应激反应脑桥臂旁区至小脑的一条新通路 杏仁核已经被描述，并可能提供了一个重要的联系， 和脑干区域接受疼痛输入与更高的大脑中心 包括杏仁核（CeA）。杏仁核的作用 和CeA神经元，特别是，在持续性疼痛是不清楚的， 这个提议的主题。持续性疼痛对CeA活性的影响 将使用高岭土/角叉菜胶发炎的膝关节模型来研究神经元 在老鼠。细胞外单个单元记录体内和全细胞电压- 体外脑切片的电流钳记录被用来检查 CeA神经元的功能特性，并评估谷氨酸的影响 受体亚型对细胞反应的影响。具体目标1比较了 伤害性和非伤害性反应的CeA神经元之前和期间 体内持续性炎性疼痛。在体外平行实验中， 突触传递和膜特性在两个来源的输入到 脑桥臂旁复合体-CeA（pPB-CeA）输入和基底外侧 杏仁核-CeA（BLA-CeA）。具体目标2确定参与 谷氨酸受体（离子型和代谢型）在 炎症增强的体内伤害性处理。在平行实验中 在体外，分析谷氨酸受体亚型的影响， 对突触传递的影响，包括突触前和突触后的影响， 炎症后的膜特性。

DESCRIPTION: (adapted from applicant's abstract) Persistent pain has a strong emotional component. As part of the limbic system the amygdala plays a key role in the affective and autonomic aspects of behavior, the evaluation of the emotional significance of sensory stimuli, emotional learning and memory, and stress responses. A novel pathway from the pontine parabrachial region to the amygdala has been described and may provide an important link between spinal and brainstem regions that receive pain input with higher brain centers including the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA). The role of the amygdala and CeA neurons, in particular, in persistent pain is not clear and is the subject of this proposal. The effects of persistent pain on the activity of CeA neurons will be studied using the kaolin/carrageenan inflamed knee joint model in the rat. Extracellular single unit recording in vivo and whole cell voltage- and current-clamp recordings from brain slices in vitro are used to examine functional properties of CeA neurons and to assess the influence of glutamate receptor subtypes on cellular responses. Specific Aim 1 compares the nociceptive and non-nociceptive responses of CeA neurons before and during persistent inflammatory pain in vivo. In parallel experiments in vitro, synaptic transmission and membrane properties at two sources of input to the CeA, the pontine parabrachial complex-CeA (pPB-CeA) input and the basolateral amygdala-CeA (BLA-CeA) are analyzed. Specific Aim 2 determines the involvement of glutamate receptors (ionotropic and metabotropic) in the inflammation-enhanced nociceptive processing in vivo. In parallel experiments in vitro, the influence of glutamate receptor subtypes is analyzed for effects on synaptic transmission including pre- versus postsynaptic influences and membrane properties after inflammation.