Svensson Camilla I, Brodin Ernst
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Mol Interv. 2010 Feb;10(1):25-38. doi: 10.1124/mi.10.1.6.
The treatment of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain is a major concern, and the need for new more effective analgesics with less adverse effects is immense. Traditionally, mechanisms proposed for pain modulation have centered almost exclusively on peripheral or central neurons in the pain pathways. Recent research, however, indicates that activation of microglia and astrocytes in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord is of central importance for the development of chronic pain states. Understanding the intercellular communication among astrocytes, microglia, and neurons in the dorsal horn during acute and chronic pain may be instrumental for the development of new analgesic drugs. The purpose of this review is to highlight the role of astrocytes in regulating pain processing.
慢性炎症性疼痛和神经性疼痛的治疗是一个主要关注点，对于新型、更有效且副作用更少的镇痛药的需求极为迫切。传统上，所提出的疼痛调节机制几乎完全集中在疼痛通路中的外周或中枢神经元上。然而，最近的研究表明，脊髓背角中的小胶质细胞和星形胶质细胞的激活对于慢性疼痛状态的发展至关重要。了解急性和慢性疼痛期间脊髓背角中星形胶质细胞、小胶质细胞和神经元之间的细胞间通讯可能有助于开发新的镇痛药。本综述的目的是强调星形胶质细胞在调节疼痛处理中的作用。
