Pasquini Elisa, Brouwer Jochem, Di Rollo Victor, Baracchi David, Messina Andrea, Frasnelli Elisa
Center for Mind/Brain Science (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
Aeres University of Applied Sciences, Arboterium West 98, 1325 WB Almere, the Netherlands.
iScience. 2025 Feb 14;28(3):112024. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112024. eCollection 2025 Mar 21.
In mammals, nocifensive behaviors are modulated by neuroactive compounds indicating a complex pain-processing system. This study aimed to assess the role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in modulating nocifensive behaviors in the bumble bee to better understand how pain-like behaviors are regulated in insects. Results showed that oral administration of gabapentin (0.24 mg/mL), a GABAergic analgesic acting at the central level, reduced heat sensitivity, making bees more likely to pass through a tunnel heated to 50°C, and suppressed their nocifensive behaviors. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant increase in brain expression of GAD1 in response to noxious stimulation. These findings indicate that GABA plays a key role in modulating nocifensive behaviors in insects, similar to its role in mammals, suggesting that insects may possess mechanisms for pain modulation that go beyond simple peripheral responses.
在哺乳动物中，伤害防御行为受神经活性化合物调节，这表明存在一个复杂的疼痛处理系统。本研究旨在评估γ-氨基丁酸（GABA）在调节大黄蜂伤害防御行为中的作用，以更好地了解昆虫中类似疼痛的行为是如何调节的。结果表明，口服加巴喷丁（0.24毫克/毫升），一种作用于中枢水平的GABA能镇痛药，降低了热敏感性，使蜜蜂更有可能穿过加热到50°C的隧道，并抑制了它们的伤害防御行为。基因表达分析显示，响应有害刺激，大脑中GAD1的表达显著增加。这些发现表明，GABA在调节昆虫伤害防御行为中起关键作用，类似于其在哺乳动物中的作用，这表明昆虫可能拥有超越简单外周反应的疼痛调节机制。
