title: Potentiation of synaptic transmission in Rat anterior cingulate cortex by chronic itch.
abstract: Itch and pain share similar mechanisms. It has been well documented that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is important for pain-related perception. ACC has also been approved to be a potential pruritus-associated brain region. However, the mechanism of sensitization in pruriceptive neurons in the ACC is not clear. In current study, a chronic itch model was established by diphenylcyclopropenone (DCP) application. We found that both the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents in the ACC were enhanced after the formation of chronic itch. The paired-pulse ratio in ACC neurons recorded from the DCP group were smaller than those recorded in control group at the 50-ms interval. We also observe a significant increase in the AMPA/NMDA ratio in the DCP group. Moreover, an increased inward rectification of AMPARs in ACC pyramidal neurons was observed in the DCP group. Interestingly, the calculated ratio of silent synapses was significantly reduced in the DCP group compared with controls. Taken together, we conclude that a potentiation of synaptic transmission in the ACC can be induced by chronic itch, and unsilencing silent synapses, which probably involved recruitment of AMPARS, contributed to the potentiation of postsynaptic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, College of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Ting-Ting
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hosptital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Yan
authors.initials: FY
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Huashan Hosptital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
authors.forename: Li-Qing
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, College of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, College of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, College of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
authors.forename: Yuan-Zhi
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Ru
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Xinhua Hospital, College of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai, 200092, China. zhaoxuan0323@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003521:Cyclopropanes; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016202:N-Methylaspartate / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003521:Cyclopropanes; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D016202:N-Methylaspartate; D018350:alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid; C029402:diphenylcyclopropenone
keywords: Anterior cingulate cortex; Chronic itch; Silent synapse; Synaptic transmission