北京大学王韵团队揭示了调节睡眠剥夺的促痛效应——内侧缰核胆碱能神经元的可能作用。2024年8月19日，《神经科学通报》杂志在线发表了这项成果。

研究人员探讨了内侧缰核（MHb）胆碱能神经元在睡眠剥夺诱发的过敏疼痛中的作用。研究人员发现，睡眠剥夺期间MHb胆碱能神经元的活动减少，而这些神经元的化学遗传学刺激可以缓解过敏疼痛。有趣的是，研究人员没有发现MHb胆碱能神经元对疼痛刺激的直接反应。

进一步的研究确定了脚间核（IPN）和丘脑室旁核（PVT）在睡眠剥夺的促痛效应中扮演关键角色。刺激连接MHb与IPN和PVT的通路可以缓解过敏疼痛。这些结果强调了MHb胆碱能神经元，在调节与睡眠剥夺相关的疼痛敏感性中的重要作用，并突显了减轻睡眠剥夺引起的过敏疼痛的潜在神经靶点。

据悉，睡眠剥夺已被证明会加剧疼痛敏感性，并可能促成慢性疼痛的发生，但其具体的神经机制尚不明确。

附：英文原文

Title: Modulating the Pronociceptive Effect of Sleep Deprivation: A Possible Role for Cholinergic Neurons in the Medial Habenula

Author: Yin, Xiang-Sha, Chen, Bai-Rong, Ye, Xi-Chun, Wang, Yun

Issue&Volume: 2024-08-19

Abstract: Sleep deprivation has been shown to exacerbate pain sensitivity and may contribute to the onset of chronic pain, yet the precise neural mechanisms underlying this association remain elusive. In our study, we explored the contribution of cholinergic neurons within the medial habenula (MHb) to hyperalgesia induced by sleep deprivation in rats. Our findings indicate that the activity of MHb cholinergic neurons diminishes during sleep deprivation and that chemogenetic stimulation of these neurons can mitigate the results. Interestingly, we did not find a direct response of MHb cholinergic neurons to pain stimulation. Further investigation identified the interpeduncular nucleus (IPN) and the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) as key players in the pro-nociceptive effect of sleep deprivation. Stimulating the pathways connecting the MHb to the IPN and PVT alleviated the hyperalgesia. These results underscore the important role of MHb cholinergic neurons in modulating pain sensitivity linked to sleep deprivation, highlighting potential neural targets for mitigating sleep deprivation-induced hyperalgesia.

DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01281-4

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12264-024-01281-4