title: [Analgesic mechanisms of noradrenaline in the spinal dorsal horn].
abstract: The superficial laminae of the spinal dorsal horn play important roles in nociceptive transmission and modulation. Noradrenergic fibers originated from brainstem pain-control system terminate and release noradrenaline (NA) in the superficial dorsal horn. The released NA might take part in the modulation of nociceptive transmission through the following pathways: (1) inhibits the glutamate and substance P release from primary afferent terminals; (2) increases the release of inhibitory neurotransmitters from lamina II (substantia gelatinosa) neurons. Morphological findings also raise the possibility that NA directly inhibits projection neurons in laminae I/III which convey the nociceptive information to the thalamus, thus inhibit nociceptive transmission at spinal level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032.
authors.forename: Y P
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Y Q
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D013373:Substance P; D009638:Norepinephrine