Unraveling the PVTGlu-mPFCGlu circuit: A new frontier in chronic pain management for bone cancer pain

Bibliographic Details
Title: Unraveling the PVTGlu-mPFCGlu circuit: A new frontier in chronic pain management for bone cancer pain
Authors: Liqun Duan, Qianliang Wang, Jianpeng Chen, Zelin Fan, Wenzhi Zhang, Jun Yan
Source: Brain Research Bulletin, Vol 222, Iss , Pp 111235- (2025)
Publisher Information: Elsevier, 2025.
Publication Year: 2025
Collection: LCC:Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Subject Terms: Bone cancer pain, Paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, Prelimbic cortex, Glutamatergic neuron, Neural circuit, Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry, RC321-571
More Details: Bone cancer pain (BCP) is a type of ongoing or breakthrough pain caused by a primary bone tumor or bone metastasis. BCP impairs patients’ quality of life. Depending upon clinical observations, the administration of centrally acting analgesic has been associated with the alleviation of pain symptoms BCP patients. Central nervous system sensitization performs a crucial role in pain-regulating perception in BCP. Nevertheless, the precise neural circuitry and mechanism of action remain enigmatic. In the present study, we observed the activation of glutamatergic neurons in the Prelimbic cortex (mPFC) and paraventricular thalamus (PVT) in BCP mice. Experimental validation using viral tracers confirmed the existence of a projection pathway between the PVT and mPFC. Inhibition of the input from PVT glutamatergic neurons to mPFC glutamatergic neurons alleviates chronic pain in BCP, whereas activation of the PVTGlu-mPFCGlu projection induces chronic pain in mice. These findings imply a pivotal role for the PVTGlu-mPFCGlu circuit in the regulation of chronic pain in BCP.
Document Type: article
File Description: electronic resource
Language: English
ISSN: 1873-2747
Relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361923025000474; https://doaj.org/toc/1873-2747
DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111235
Access URL: https://doaj.org/article/f68ca90b64f4449ba10d809f72dfa41d
Accession Number: edsdoj.f68ca90b64f4449ba10d809f72dfa41d
Database: Directory of Open Access Journals
More Details
ISSN:18732747
DOI:10.1016/j.brainresbull.2025.111235
Published in:Brain Research Bulletin
Language:English