Noradrenergic Locus Coeruleus pathways in pain modulation.
The noradrenergic system is crucial for several activities in the body, including the modulation of pain. As the major producer of noradrenaline (NA) in the central nervous system (CNS), the Locus Coeruleus (LC) is a nucleus that has been studied in several pain conditions, mostly due to its strategic location. Indeed, apart from a well-known descending LC-spinal pathway that is important for pain control, an ascending pathway passing through this nucleus may be responsible for the noradrenergic inputs to higher centers of the pain processing, such as the limbic system and frontal cortices. Thus, the noradrenergic system appears to modulate different components of the pain experience and accordingly, its manipulation has distinct behavioral outcomes. The main goal of this review is to bring together the data available regarding the noradrenergic system in relation to pain, particularly focusing on the ascending and descending LC projections in different conditions. How such findings influence our understanding of these conditions is also discussed.
Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Meritxell
M
Llorca-Torralba
Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Centro de Investigação Médica da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (CIM-FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC) e Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
Gisela
G
Borges
Departamento de Biologia Experimental, Centro de Investigação Médica da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade do Porto (CIM-FMUP), 4200-319 Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC) e Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (I3S), Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
Fani
F
Neto
Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, University of Cádiz, 11003 Cádiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Juan Antonio
JA
Mico
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Neuropsychopharmacology and Psychobiology Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain. Electronic address: esther.berrocoso@uca.es.
Esther
E
Berrocoso
D018663:Adrenergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D010146:Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic / Q000378:metabolism*
D018663:Adrenergic Agents; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D011941:Receptors, Adrenergic; D009638:Norepinephrine
Locus Coeruleus; inflammatory pain; neuropathic pain; noradrenaline; norepinephrine; pain