Chen Q, Sahbaie P, Irvine KA, Clark JD (2026) Persistent headache and pain sensitization after traumatic brain injury is driven by mu-opioid receptor-positive neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla for both males and females. Research Square doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9890815/v1
Objective: To investigate whether mu-opioid receptor-positive (Oprm+) pain-facilitating neurons are essential for posttraumatic pain behaviors, ongoing vulnerability to postsurgical and headache-like pain, and latent pain sensitization after mild traumatic brain injury in both male and female animals.
Summary: The rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) is a key output node of the endogenous pain modulation system, which contains mu-opioid receptor-positive (Oprm+) pain-facilitating neurons that are important in chronic pain. Periorbital mechanical sensitivity was used as a headache-related measure, and hindpaw mechanical withdrawal thresholds were used to assess distal pain sensitization. Lesioning these neurons abolished BLS-induced reinstatement of periorbital allodynia at 5 and 9 weeks after injury in both males and females.
Usage: Male and female C57BL/6J mice received microinjection of Dermorphin-SAP (IT-12)) to lesion RMV Oprm+ neurons, or Blank-SAP (IT-21) as controls (1.5 picomoles in 300 nL of phosphate-buffered saline).
Related Products: Dermorphin-SAP / MOR-SAP (Cat. #IT-12), Blank-SAP (Cat. #IT-21)