RT journal article
T1 Pain exacerbates chronic mild stress-induced changes in noradrenergic transmission in rats
A1 Bravo García, Lidia
A1 Torres Sánchez, Sonia
A1 Micó Segura, Juan Antonio
A1 Berrocoso Domínguez, Esther María
A1 Alba Delgado, Cristina
A2 Neurociencias
A2 Psicología
K1 pain
K1 depression
K1 locus coeruleus
K1 noradrenergic
AB Depression can influence pain and vice versa, yet the biological mechanisms underlying how one influences the pathophysiology of the other remains unclear. Dysregulation of locus coeruleus-noradrenergic transmission is implicated in both conditions, although it is not known whether this effect is exacerbated in cases of co-morbid depression and chronic pain. We studied locus coeruleus activity using immunofluorescence and electrophysiological approaches in rats subjected to unpredictable chronic mild stress (CMS, an experimental model of depression) and/or chronic constriction injury (CCI, a model of chronic neuropathic pain) for 2 weeks. CCI alone had no effect on any of the locus coeruleus parameters studied, while CMS led to a slight reduction in the electrophysiological activity of the locus coeruleus. Furthermore, CMS was associated with an increase in the number of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in the locus coeruleus, although they were smaller in size. Interestingly, these effects of CMS were exacerbated when combined with CCI, even though no changes in the α2-adrenoreceptors or the noradrenaline transporter were observed in any group. Together, these findings suggest that CMS triggers several modifications in locus coeruleus-noradrenergic transmission that are exacerbated by co-morbid chronic pain.
SN 1873-7862
YR 2014
FD 2014-03-19T00:00:00Z
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/15966
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/15966
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-nov-2026