Abstract

A key question in our understanding of itch coding mechanisms is whether itch is relayed by dedicated molecular and neuronal pathways. Previous studies suggested that gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) is an itch-specific neurotransmitter. Neuromedin B (NMB) is a mammalian member of the bombesin family of peptides closely related to GRP, but its role in itch is unclear. Here, we show that itch deficits in mice lacking NMB or GRP are non-redundant and Nmb/Grp double KO (DKO) mice displayed additive deficits. Furthermore, both Nmb/Grp and Nmbr/Grpr DKO mice responded normally to a wide array of noxious stimuli. Ablation of NMBR neurons partially attenuated peripherally induced itch without compromising nociceptive processing. Importantly, electrophysiological studies suggested that GRPR neurons receive glutamatergic input from NMBR neurons. Thus, we propose that NMB and GRP may transmit discrete itch information and NMBR neurons are an integral part of neural circuits for itch in the spinal cord.

Details

Title
Distinct roles of NMB and GRP in itch transmission
Author
Li, Wan 1 ; Jin, Hua 2 ; Xian-Yu, Liu 3 ; Joseph, Jeffry 3 ; Barry, Devin M 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kai-Feng, Shen 4 ; Jia-Hang, Peng 3 ; Xue-Ting, Liu 5 ; Jin-Hua, Jin 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Sun, Yu 7 ; Kim, Ray 8 ; Qing-Tao, Meng 9 ; Mo, Ping 10 ; Yin, Jun 3 ; Tao, Ailin 11 ; Bardoni, Rita 12 ; Zhou-Feng, Chen 13   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Pain Medicine, The State Key Clinical Specialty in Pain Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong, P.R. China 
2  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, The First Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming, Yunnan, P.R. China 
3  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA 
4  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China 
5  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China 
6  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China 
7  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, P.R. China 
8  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA 
9  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, P.R. China 
10  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, the Affiliated Nanhai Hospital of Southern Medical University, Foshan, Guangdong, P.R. China 
11  Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, The State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China 
12  Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy 
13  Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA 
Pages
1-16
Publication year
2017
Publication date
Nov 2017
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-15756-0
ProQuest document ID
1963433462
Copyright
© 2017. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.