The Role of Glia in the Spinal Cord in Neuropathic and Inflammatory Pain

摘要: Chronic pain, both inflammatory and neuropathic, is a debilitating condition in which the pain experience persists after painful stimulus has resolved. The efficacy of current treatment strategies using opioids, NSAIDS anticonvulsants limited by extensive side effects observed patients, underlining necessity for novel therapeutic targets. Preclinical models chronic have recently provided evidence critical role played glial cells mechanisms underlying chronicity at site damage periphery dorsal horn spinal cord. Here microglia astrocytes respond to increased input from change morphology, increase number release pro-nociceptive mediators such as ATP, cytokines chemokines. These gliotransmitters can sensitise neurons activation their cognate receptors thereby contributing central sensitization fundamental generation allodynia, hyperalgesia spontaneous pain.