Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) depolarizes dorsal root ganglia (DRG) primary afferent neurons through activation of Cl- permeable GABAA receptors but the physiologic role of GABAA receptors in the peripheral terminals of DRG neurons remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of peripheral GABAA receptors in nociception using a mouse model of acute inflammation. In vivo, peripheral...

Trigeminal pain represents one of the worst pains that humans can suffer. One of the obstacles towards development of rationally targeted therapies is rooted in shortcomings of available animal models for trigeminal pain. Another roadblock is lack of clear understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie this type of pain. TRPV4 is a polymodally activated Ca-permeable nonselecti...

The effects of intracerebroventricular application of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) on licking for sucrose, quinine hydrochloride (QHCl), and water solutions were evaluated in two experiments. In experiment 1, rats received 90-min access to sucrose and water solutions after MCH or vehicle microinjection to the third ventricle (3V). MCH increased intake largely through increases in the rat...

Intracerebroventricular administration of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides reduces food intake and increases c-Fos in brain areas involved in the control of feeding. To discern behavioral mechanisms through which CART alters the microstructure of feeding, we injected CART-(55--102) (0.1, 0.5, 1, 2 microg, and saline controls) into the lateral ventricle of male Sprag...

The concentration-dependent decrease in quinine licking by rats is substantially attenuated by combined bilateral transection of the chorda tympani (CT) and glossopharyngeal (GL) nerves, but transection of either nerve alone produces marginal impairments at most. Here we tested whether regeneration of one or both of these nerves after combined transection would result in recovery of taste avoid...