An Anterior Cingulate Cortex-to-Midbrain Projection Controls Chronic Itch in Mice / 神经科学通报·英文版
Neuroscience Bulletin
;
(6): 793-807, 2023.
Article
in English
| WPRIM
| ID: wpr-982434
ABSTRACT
Itch is an unpleasant sensation that provokes the desire to scratch. While acute itch serves as a protective system to warn the body of external irritating agents, chronic itch is a debilitating but poorly-treated clinical disease leading to repetitive scratching and skin lesions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of chronic itch remain mysterious. Here, we identified a cell type-dependent role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in controlling chronic itch-related excessive scratching behaviors in mice. Moreover, we delineated a neural circuit originating from excitatory neurons of the ACC to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that was critically involved in chronic itch. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the ACC→VTA circuit also selectively modulated histaminergic acute itch. Finally, the ACC neurons were shown to predominantly innervate the non-dopaminergic neurons of the VTA. Taken together, our findings uncover a cortex-midbrain circuit for chronic itch-evoked scratching behaviors and shed novel insights on therapeutic intervention.
Full text:
Available
Index:
WPRIM (Western Pacific)
Main subject:
Pruritus
/
Mesencephalon
/
Cerebral Cortex
/
Gyrus Cinguli
/
Neurons
Limits:
Animals
Language:
English
Journal:
Neuroscience Bulletin
Year:
2023
Type:
Article
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