Central medial thalamic nucleus dynamically participates in acute itch sensation and chronic itch-induced anxiety-like behavior in male mice

Jia-Ni Li; Xue-Mei Wu; Liu-Jie Zhao; Han-Xue Sun; Jie Hong; Feng-Ling Wu; Si-Hai Chen; Tao Chen; Hui Li; Yu-Lin Dong; Yun-Qing Li

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-38264-4

Central medial thalamic nucleus dynamically participates in acute itch sensation and chronic itch-induced anxiety-like behavior in male mice

Nat Commun. 2023 May 3;14(1):2539. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-38264-4.

Authors

Jia-Ni Li^#¹, Xue-Mei Wu^#^{1

2}, Liu-Jie Zhao^{1

3}, Han-Xue Sun^{1

4}, Jie Hong^{1

5}, Feng-Ling Wu^{1

3}, Si-Hai Chen^{1

3}, Tao Chen¹, Hui Li¹, Yu-Lin Dong⁶, Yun-Qing Li^{7

8

9

10

11}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
² Department of Human Anatomy, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
³ Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
⁴ Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China.
⁵ Department of Human Anatomy, Baotou Medical College Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014040, China.
⁶ Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China. donganat@fmmu.edu.cn.
⁷ Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China. deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn.
⁸ Department of Human Anatomy, West China School of Basic Medical Sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China. deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Anatomy, Basic Medical College, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China. deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn.
¹⁰ Department of Human Anatomy, The School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, China. deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn.
¹¹ Department of Human Anatomy, Baotou Medical College Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology, Baotou, 014040, China. deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Itch is an annoying sensation consisting of both sensory and emotional components. It is known to involve the parabrachial nucleus (PBN), but the following transmission nodes remain elusive. The present study identified that the PBN-central medial thalamic nucleus (CM)-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) pathway is essential for itch signal transmission at the supraspinal level in male mice. Chemogenetic inhibition of the CM-mPFC pathway attenuates scratching behavior or chronic itch-related affective responses. CM input to mPFC pyramidal neurons is enhanced in acute and chronic itch models. Specifically chronic itch stimuli also alter mPFC interneuron involvement, resulting in enhanced feedforward inhibition and a distorted excitatory/inhibitory balance in mPFC pyramidal neurons. The present work underscores CM as a transmit node of the itch signal in the thalamus, which is dynamically engaged in both the sensory and affective dimensions of itch with different stimulus salience.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Anxiety
Interneurons
Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei*
Male
Mice
Prefrontal Cortex / physiology
Sensation