Heterogeneity in primary nociceptive neurons: from molecules to pathology.
Pain sensation (nociception) is an alarm system aiming to signal the presence of potentially or actually harmful stimuli. In our hazard-rich environment, pain initiates the necessary reactions to prevent or limit tissue damage in response to noxious inputs playing therefore a crucial survival role. Specialized noxious stimuli detectors, called primary nociceptive neurons or nociceptors transduce and convey pain information to the central nervous system. Unlike other sensory systems, pain sensation could be evoked by a vast range of external or internal stimuli. Nearly any of the environmental stimuli could be potentially noxious depending on their nature and/or intensity and/or duration. Early studies at the beginning of the 20th century identified a discrete number of nociceptive neuronal types according to their electrophysiological responses or their degree of myelination. However, the advent of molecular biology techniques revealed an extraordinary diversity among nociceptors. Such heterogeneity likely reflects the evolutionary adaptation required to respond to an extremely variety of circumstances.
Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille Luminy, UMR 6216 CNRS-Université de la Méditerranée, Campus de Luminy case 907, Marseille Cedex 09, France.
Eduardo
E
Gascon
Aziz
A
Moqrich
D000220:Adaptation, Biological; D000818:Animals; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055495:Neurogenesis; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D058748:Pain Perception / Q000187:drug effects
D007473:Ion Channels; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins