Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic neurons in the right-side central amygdala determines ectopic mechanical allodynia in the bilateral hind limbs in rats with orofacial inflammation.

No abstract

Adolescent rats emit 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, a marker of positive emotion, during rough-and-tumble play or on tickling stimulation. The emission of 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in response to tickling is suggested to be mediated by dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens; however, there is no direct evidence supporting this hypothesis. The present study aimed to elucidate whether play behavior (tickling) in adolescent rats can trigger dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens with hedonic 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations. The effect of tickling stimulation was compared with light-touch stimulation, as a discernible stimulus. We examined 35-40-day-old rats, which corresponds to the period of midadolescence. Tickling stimulation for 5 min significantly increased dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (118±7% of the prestimulus control value). Conversely, light-touch stimulation for 5 min did not significantly change dopamine release. In addition, 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations were emitted during tickling stimulation but not during light-touch stimulation. Further, tickling-induced 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations were significantly blocked by the direct application of SCH23390 (D1 receptor antagonist) and raclopride (D2/D3 receptor antagonist) into the nucleus accumbens. Our study demonstrates that tickling stimulation in adolescent rats increases dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, leading to the generation of 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations.

We investigated the effect of noxious (pinching) and innocuous (stroking) stimulation of skin on serotonin (5-HT) release in the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) in anesthetized rats. 5-HT in the CeA was collected by microdialysis methods. Dialysate output from consecutive 10-min periods was injected into a high-performance liquid chromatograph and 5-HT was measured with an electrochemical detector. Bilateral pinching of the back for 10 min increased 5-HT release significantly; 5-HT release was also increased with stimulation of the forelimb or hindlimb. In contrast, stroking of these areas decreased 5-HT release significantly. Furthermore, simultaneous stroking and pinching produced no change in the 5-HT release. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that 5-HT release in the CeA is regulated by somatic afferent stimulation in a modality-dependent manner, and that innocuous stimulation can dampen the change in 5-HT release that occurs in response to noxious stimulation.

Background: Chronic primary low back pain may be associated with hyperalgesia in uninjured tissues and with decreased pain inhibition. Previous studies have shown that the amygdala is involved in pain regulation and chronic pain, that neuronal activity in the amygdala is altered in models of persistent pain, and that the central nucleus of the right amygdala plays an active role in widespread hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli. Methods: Behavioral, electrophysiological, biochemical, and chemogenetic methods were used to examine the role of the central nucleus of the right amygdala in hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli in a rat model of chronic back pain induced by a local injection of Complete Freund Adjuvant (CFA) in paraspinal muscles.Results: CFA produced chronic inflammation limited to the injected area. CFAtreated rats showed increased pain-like (liking) behaviors during the formalin test compared with controls. They also showed widespread mechanical hypersensitivity compared with controls, which persisted for 2 months. This widespread hypersensitivity was accompanied by altered activity of different types of right amygdala neurons, as shown by extracellular recordings. Plasmatic levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were not elevated after 1 or 2 months, indicating that persistent widespread hypersensitivity is not caused by persistent systemic inflammation.However, chemogenetic inhibition of GABAergic neurons in the right amygdala attenuated widespread mechanical hypersensitivity. Conclusions:These findings indicate that chronic widespread mechanical hypersensitivity in a model of chronic back pain can be attenuated by inhibiting GABAergic neurons of the right amygdala, and that widespread hypersensitivity is not maintained by chronic systemic inflammation. Significance:The amygdala is a key structure involved in pain perception and modulation. The present results indicate that the GABAergic neurons of its central nucleus are involved in widespread hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli in a rat model of chronic back pain. The inhibition of amygdala GABAergic neurons