Morphological and functional characterization of sensory neurons expressing neurotensin (NTS)

• Grant number: 21/10650-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2021
• End date: July 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Pharmacology - General Pharmacology
• Principal Investigator: Thiago Mattar Cunha
• Grantee: Jéssica Bellotto Werlang
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/08216-2 - CRID - Center for Research in Inflammatory Diseases, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Pain is a response usually generated by a noxious stimulus capable of generating tissue damage. The pain pathway starts at nociceptive sensory neurons, whose somas are located at the dorsal root ganglion, and project to the periphery and the spinal cord, in addition to the cerebral cortex, where nociceptive information is interpreted as pain. Different types of sensitive fibers, such as C and A´, are involved in nociception, physiological or pathological. These fibers are classified according to their morphology and function. However, this traditional classification has problems since fibers that previously were believed not to be involved in nociception, like A², have a role in chronic pain development. Thus, this project aims to characterize the neuronal subtype Neurotensin+, regarding their localization and the type of pain elicited by their activation. For this purpose, tissues from TdTomato-Flox animals will be used for immunofluorescences; and Nts-Ai32 and Dreadd-hM3Dq-Flox animals to study the role of Nts+ fibers in nociception. (AU)