VGLUT2-dependent sensory neurons in the TRPV1 population regulate pain and itch.

Abstract

The natural response to itch sensation is to scratch, which relieves the itch through an unknown mechanism. Interaction between pain and itch has been frequently demonstrated, and the selectivity hypothesis of itch, based on data from electrophysiological and behavioral experiments, postulates the existence of primary pain afferents capable of repressing itch. Here, we demonstrate that deletion of vesicular glutamate transporter (VGLUT) 2 in a subpopulation of neurons partly overlapping with the vanilloid receptor (TRPV1) primary afferents resulted in a dramatic increase in itch behavior accompanied by a reduced responsiveness to thermal pain. The increased itch behavior was reduced by administration of antihistaminergic drugs and by genetic deletion of the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor, demonstrating a dependence on VGLUT2 to maintain normal levels of both histaminergic and nonhistaminergic itch. This study establishes that VGLUT2 is a major player in TRPV1 thermal nociception and also serves to regulate a normal itch response.

• Authors: Malin C Lagerström, Katarzyna Rogoz, Bjarke Abrahamsen, Emma Persson, Björn Reinius, Karin Nordenankar, Caroline Olund, Casey Smith, José Alfredo Mendez, Zhou-Feng Chen, John N Wood, Asa Wallén-Mackenzie, Klas Kullander
• Journal: Neuron (Neuron) Vol. 68 Issue 3 Pg. 529-42 (Nov 04 2010) ISSN: 1097-4199 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 21040852 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
• SCN10A protein, human
• SLC17A6 protein, human
• Scn10a protein, mouse
• Sodium Channels
• TRPV Cation Channels
• TRPV1 protein, human
• Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2
• Histamine
• Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
• Plasminogen Activators

Topics

• Animals
• Behavior, Animal (physiology)
• Female
• Histamine (physiology)
• Humans
• Immunohistochemistry
• In Situ Hybridization
• Male
• Mice
• NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
• Pain (physiopathology)
• Pain Measurement
• Physical Stimulation
• Plasminogen Activators (physiology)
• Pruritus (physiopathology)
• Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
• Sensory Receptor Cells (physiology)
• Signal Transduction (physiology)
• Sodium Channels (physiology)
• Synaptic Transmission (physiology)
• TRPV Cation Channels (physiology)
• Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase (physiology)
• Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2 (physiology)