Evaluation of the role of 5-HT3 receptors on nociceptive response in mice subjected to the model of empathy for pain

• Grant number: 15/15335-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2015
• End date: November 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Physiological Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Azair Liane Matos Do Canto de Souza
• Grantee: Daniele Pereira Ferrari
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Empathy is a skill that allows you to share emotions with others. Rodents can recognize pain-related responses in conspecifics. Therefore, cohabitation with a conspecific animal with chronic pain can potentially promote nociceptive responses. In this sense, studies from our group recently demonstrated that living together can alter nociceptive response in mice. The pain-response can mobilized affective-emotional, perceptual and sensory components and is influenced by neurotransmitters such as serotonin (5-HT). Serotonin is involved in a large variety of physiological functions such as antinociception or hyperalgesia. One of known functions of 5-HT in the nervous system is the control of nociception, exerting either anti- or pro-nociceptive effects mobilized depending on receptor subtype. Some studies showed that administration of ondansetron, a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, exhibited analgesic effect. However, the effect of this drug on pain responses related to empathy remains unknown. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate the role of ondansetron on nociception in mice after contact with conspecific subjected to a model of neuropathic pain. For this, mice will live in pairs, from weaning, and after 14 days of living, one of each pair animal will be submitted to sciatic nerve constriction surgery (CNC) or not (Sham), returning to live for another 14 days. In 28th day, after treatment with ondansetron or saline, mice that lived with conspecific subjected to nerve constriction, will be evaluated in writhing test for 5 minutes to evaluate nociception.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

RODRIGUES TAVARES, LIGIA RENATA; PELARIN, VINICIUS; BAPTISTA-DE-SOUZA, DANIELA; PEREIRA FERRARI, DANIELE; NUNES-DE-SOUZA, RICARDO LUIZ; CANTO-DE-SOUZA, AZAIR. 5-HT3 receptor within the amygdaloid complex modulates pain hypersensitivity induced by empathy model of cohabitation with a partner in chronic pain condition in mice. Social Neuroscience, JUL 2021. (12/22238-6, 17/25409-0, 15/15335-3)