title: Social transfer of pain in mice.
abstract: A complex relationship exists between the psychosocial environment and the perception and experience of pain, and the mechanisms of the social communication of pain have yet to be elucidated. The present study examined the social communication of pain and demonstrates that "bystander" mice housed and tested in the same room as mice subjected to inflammatory pain or withdrawal from morphine or alcohol develop corresponding hyperalgesia. Olfactory cues mediate the transfer of hyperalgesia to the bystander mice, which can be measured using mechanical, thermal, and chemical tests. Hyperalgesia in bystanders does not co-occur with anxiety or changes in corticosterone and cannot be explained by visually dependent emotional contagion or stress-induced hyperalgesia. These experiments reveal the multifaceted relationship between the social environment and pain behavior and support the use of mice as a model system for investigating these factors. In addition, these experiments highlight the need for proper consideration of how experimental animals are housed and tested.
authors: Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Mail Code L470, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors: Monique L
authors: 0000-0002-2656-0677
authors: ML
authors: Smith
authors: Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Mail Code L470, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors: Caroline M
authors: CM
authors: Hostetler
authors: Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Mail Code L470, Portland, OR 97239, USA.; Department of Neurological Surgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors: Mary M
authors: MM
authors: Heinricher
authors: Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Mail Code L470, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors: Andrey E
authors: AE
authors: Ryabinin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Chronic pain; alcohol withdrawal; empathy; olfactory communication; social environment