Effects of surgical induction of endometriosis on response properties of preoptic area neurons in rats

Chadha, Harpreet K.; Armstrong, James; Mower, George D.; Hubscher, Charles H.

doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2008.10.004

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 67 publications

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“…13 In other chronic conditions that cause pain, changes in PAG activity have been reported. 15,16 Although changes in other brain regions such as the preoptic hypothalamic area have been reported in the endometriosis rat model, 7,12,17 whether PAG activity is altered during endometriosis remains elusive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Endometriosis Is Associated With a Shift in MU Opioid and NMDA Receptor Expression in the Brain Periaqueductal Gray

et al. 2016

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Studies have examined how endometriosis interacts with the nervous system, but little attention has been paid to opioidergic systems, which are relevant to pain signaling. We used the autotransplantation rat model of endometriosis and allowed to progress for 60 days. The brain was collected and examined for changes in endogenous opioid peptides, mu opioid receptors (MORs), and the N-methyl-D-aspartate subunit receptor (NR1) in the periaqueductal gray (PAG), since both of these receptors can regulate PAG activity. No changes in endogenous opioid peptides in met-and leu-enkephalin or b-endorphin levels were observed within the PAG. However, MOR immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in the ventral PAG in the endometriosis group. Endometriosis reduced by 20% the number of neuronal profiles expressing MOR and reduced by 40% the NR1 profiles. Our results suggest that endometriosis is associated with subtle variations in opioidergic and glutamatergic activity within the PAG, which may have implications for pain processing.

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