Li Wenfeng, Zhang Lili, Chen Shaozong
School of Acupuncture and Massage, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Institute of Acupuncture and Massage, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Dev Neurobiol. 2025 Oct;85(4):e22996. doi: 10.1002/dneu.22996.
Chronic visceral pain is the primary symptom of functional gastrointestinal disorders, affecting up to 20% of the population. It involves peripheral sensitization in the peripheral nervous system and central sensitization in the central nervous system (CNS). In recent years, related research has extended from neurons to glial cells, particularly astrocytes in the spinal cord, which become activated, exhibit enhanced coupling, and show higher sensitivity to pain mediators. This review discusses the mechanisms of spinal astrocytes in different animal models of visceral pain. A role of spinal astrocytes in the pathogenesis of visceral pain is also emerging, and astrocytes are likely to be a target for the future therapies of chronic visceral pain.
慢性内脏痛是功能性胃肠疾病的主要症状，影响多达20%的人群。它涉及外周神经系统的外周敏化和中枢神经系统（CNS）的中枢敏化。近年来，相关研究已从神经元扩展到神经胶质细胞，特别是脊髓中的星形胶质细胞，这些细胞被激活，表现出增强的耦合，并对疼痛介质表现出更高的敏感性。本文综述了不同内脏痛动物模型中脊髓星形胶质细胞的机制。脊髓星形胶质细胞在内脏痛发病机制中的作用也正在显现，星形胶质细胞很可能成为慢性内脏痛未来治疗的靶点。
