Spinal Endocannabinoids and CB 1 Receptors Mediate C-Fiber–Induced Heterosynaptic Pain Sensitization

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1171870
• Publication Date: 2009-08-06T21:31:34Z
• Authors: Alejandro J. Pern...; Ako Kato; Robert Witschi; Rita Nyilas; István Katona; Tamás F. Freund; Masahiko Watanabe; Jörg Filitz; Wolfgang Koppert; Jürgen Schüttler; Guangchen Ji; Volker Neugebauer; Giovanni Marsicano; Beat Lutz; Horacio Vanegas; Hanns Ulrich Zeil...
• Keywords: Adult; Male; 0301 basic medicine; 10050 Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Pain; 610 Medicine & health; Mice, Transgenic; Mice; 03 medical and health sciences; Piperidines; Interneurons; Cannabinoid Receptor Modulators; Animals; Humans; 1000 Multidisciplinary; Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated; 0303 health sciences; Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials; Neural Inhibition; Electric Stimulation; 3. Good health; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Posterior Horn Cells; Inhibitory Postsynaptic Potentials; Hyperalgesia; 570 Life sciences; biology; Female; Endocannabinoids

Plastic Pain Perception

Drugs and endocannabinoids acting on cannabinoid (CB) receptors have potential in the treatment of certain types of pain. In the spinal cord they are believed to suppress nociception, the perception of pain and noxious stimuli.

Pernia-Andrade et al.

(p. 760 ) now find that endocannabinoids, which are released in spinal cord by noxious stimulation, may promote rather than inhibit nociception by acting on CB1 receptors. Endocannabinoids not only depress transmission at excitatory synapses in the spinal cord, but also block the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters, thereby facilitating nociception.