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Takanami K, Kuroiwa M, Ishikawa R, Imai Y, Oishi A, Hashino M, Shimoda Y, Sakamoto H, Koide T. Function of gastrin-releasing peptide receptors in ocular itch transmission in the mouse trigeminal sensory system. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1280024. [PMID: 38098939 PMCID: PMC10719851 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1280024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of allergic conjunctivitis in itchy eyes has increased constantly worldwide owing to environmental pollution. Currently, anti-allergic and antihistaminic eye drops are used; however, there are many unknown aspects about the neural circuits that transmit itchy eyes. We focused on the gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and GRP receptor (GRPR), which are reportedly involved in itch transmission in the spinal somatosensory system, to determine whether the GRP system is involved in itch neurotransmission of the eyes in the trigeminal sensory system. First, the instillation of itch mediators, such as histamine (His) and non-histaminergic itch mediator chloroquine (CQ), exhibited concentration-dependent high levels of eye scratching behavior, with a significant sex differences observed in the case of His. Histological analysis revealed that His and CQ significantly increased the neural activity of GRPR-expressing neurons in the caudal part of the spinal trigeminal nucleus of the medulla oblongata in GRPR transgenic mice. We administered a GRPR antagonist or bombesin-saporin to ablate GRPR-expressing neurons, followed by His or CQ instillation, and observed a decrease in CQ-induced eye-scratching behavior in the toxin experiments. Intracisternal administration of neuromedin C (NMC), a GRPR agonist, resulted in dose-dependent excessive facial scratching behavior, despite the absence of an itch stimulus on the face. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that non-histaminergic itchy eyes were transmitted centrally via GRPR-expressing neurons in the trigeminal sensory system, and that NMC in the medulla oblongata evoked facial itching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Takanami
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Nara, Japan
| | - Masaya Kuroiwa
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Ren Ishikawa
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Yuji Imai
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Technical Section, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Akane Oishi
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Technical Section, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Midori Hashino
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women’s University, Nara, Japan
| | - Yasushi Shimoda
- Department of Materials Science and Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sakamoto
- Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science and Technology, Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Environmental, Life, Natural Science, and Technology, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Koide
- Mouse Genomics Resource Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics (NIG), Mishima, Japan
- Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Mishima, Japan
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Takanami K, Morishita M, Sakamoto T, Sakamoto H. Chronic corticosterone exposure evokes itch hypersensitivity and sexual dysfunction in male rats: relationship between the two distinct gastrin-releasing peptide systems in the spinal cord. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 339:114289. [PMID: 37094615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
In today's society, people are subjected to many social stressors, and excessive chronic stress causes functional disruption of the neuroendocrine system and many diseases. Although the exacerbation of atopic dermatitis with symptoms of itching and erectile dysfunction is induced by chronic stress, the details of the mechanisms are unknown. Here, we examined the effects of chronic stress on itch sensation and male sexual function at the behavioral and molecular levels, focusing on two distinct gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) systems that independently regulate itch transmission, i.e., the somatosensory GRP system, and male sexual function, i.e., the lumbosacral autonomic GRP system, in the spinal cord. In a rat model of chronic stress induced by chronic corticosterone (CORT) administration, we observed increased plasma CORT concentrations, decreased body weight, and increased anxiety-like behavior, similar to that observed in humans. Chronic CORT exposure induced hypersensitivity to itch and increased the Grp mRNA level in the spinal somatosensory system, but there was no change in pain or tactile sensitivity. Antagonists of the somatosensory GRP receptor, an itch-specific mediator, suppressed itch hypersensitivity induced by chronic CORT exposure. In contrast, chronic CORT exposure decreased male sexual behavior, ejaculated semen volume, vesicular gland weight, and plasma testosterone levels. However, there were no effects on the expression of Grp mRNA or protein in the lumbosacral autonomic GRP system, which regulates male sexual function. In summary, chronic stress model rats showed itch hypersensitivity and impaired sexual function in males, and the involvement of the spinal GRP systems was apparent in itch hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Takanami
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan; Mouse Genomics Resources Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan; Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women's University, Kitauoya Nishimachi, Nara 630-8506, Japan.
| | - Makoto Morishita
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
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Katayama Y, Miura A, Sakamoto T, Takanami K, Sakamoto H. Footedness for scratching itchy eyes in rodents. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221126. [PMID: 36259204 PMCID: PMC9579771 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The neural bases of itchy eye transmission remain unclear compared with those involved in body itch. Here, we show in rodents that the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) of the trigeminal sensory system is involved in the transmission of itchy eyes. Interestingly, we further demonstrate a difference in scratching behaviour between the left and right hindfeet in rodents; histamine instillation into the conjunctival sac of both eyes revealed right-foot biased laterality in the scratching movements. Unilateral histamine instillation specifically induced neural activation in the ipsilateral sensory pathway, with no significant difference between the activations following left- and right-eye instillations. Thus, the behavioural laterality is presumably due to right-foot preference in rodents. Genetically modified rats with specific depletion of Grpr-expressing neurons in the trigeminal sensory nucleus caudalis of the medulla oblongata exhibited fewer and shorter histamine-induced scratching movements than controls and eliminated the footedness. These results taken together indicate that the Grpr-expressing neurons are required for the transmission of itch sensation from the eyes, but that foot preference is generated centrally. These findings could open up a new field of research on the mechanisms of the laterality in vertebrates and also offer new potential therapeutic approaches to refractory pruritic eye disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukitoshi Katayama
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Ayane Miura
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Kita-ku, Tsushimanaka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Tatsuya Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
| | - Keiko Takanami
- Mouse Genomics Resources Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan
- Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environmental Sciences, Nara Women's University, Kitauoya Nishimachi, Nara 630-8506, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Sakamoto
- Ushimado Marine Institute (UMI), Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, Ushimado, Setouchi, Okayama 701-4303, Japan
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Gao F, Ma J, Yu YQ, Gao XF, Bai Y, Sun Y, Liu J, Liu X, Barry DM, Wilhelm S, Piccinni-Ash T, Wang N, Liu D, Ross RA, Hao Y, Huang X, Jia JJ, Yang Q, Zheng H, van Nispen J, Chen J, Li H, Zhang J, Li YQ, Chen ZF. A non-canonical retina-ipRGCs-SCN-PVT visual pathway for mediating contagious itch behavior. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111444. [PMID: 36198265 PMCID: PMC9595067 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Contagious itch behavior informs conspecifics of adverse environment and is crucial for the survival of social animals. Gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and its receptor (GRPR) in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus mediates contagious itch behavior in mice. Here, we show that intrinsically photosensitive retina ganglion cells (ipRGCs) convey visual itch information, independently of melanopsin, from the retina to GRP neurons via PACAP-PAC1R signaling. Moreover, GRPR neurons relay itch information to the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT). Surprisingly, neither the visual cortex nor superior colliculus is involved in contagious itch. In vivo calcium imaging and extracellular recordings reveal contagious itch-specific neural dynamics of GRPR neurons. Thus, we propose that the retina-ipRGC-SCN-PVT pathway constitutes a previously unknown visual pathway that probably evolved for motion vision that encodes salient environmental cues and enables animals to imitate behaviors of conspecifics as an anticipatory mechanism to cope with adverse conditions. It has been shown that GRP-GRPR neuropeptide signaling in the SCN is important for contagious itch behavior in mice. Gao et al. find that SCN-projecting ipRGCs are sufficient to relay itch information from the retina to the SCN by releasing neuropeptide PACAP to activate the GRP-GRPR pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Gao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jun Ma
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Yao-Qing Yu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710038, P. R. China
| | - Xiao-Fei Gao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200434, P. R. China
| | - Yang Bai
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China,Present address: Department of Neurosurgery, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, Shenyang 110016, P. R. China
| | - Yi Sun
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China,Present address: Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, P. R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Xianyu Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Devin M. Barry
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Steven Wilhelm
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Tyler Piccinni-Ash
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Na Wang
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Shandong Provincial Hospital for Skin Diseases & Shandong Provincial Institute of Dermatology and Venereology, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, P. R. China
| | - Dongyang Liu
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Department of Pain Management, the State Key Clinical Specialty in Pain Medicine, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 510260, P.R. China
| | - Rachel A. Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine Rose F. Kennedy Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Yan Hao
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, HuaZhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, P. R. China
| | - Xu Huang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science and Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Jin-Jing Jia
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, P. R. China
| | - Qianyi Yang
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Hao Zheng
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science and Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Johan van Nispen
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Present address: Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Jun Chen
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences of Pain, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710038, P. R. China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China
| | - Jiayi Zhang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science and Institute for Medical and Engineering Innovation, Eye & ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200031, P.R. China
| | - Yun-Qing Li
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology & K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, P. R. China
| | - Zhou-Feng Chen
- Center for the Study of Itch and Sensory Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Departments of Anesthesiology, Medicine, Psychiatry and Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA,Lead contact,Correspondence:
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