Abstract
Optogenetic manipulation is uniquely useful in unraveling the functional organization of neuronal circuits in the central nervous system by enabling reversible gain- or loss-of-function of discrete populations of neurons within restricted brain regions. This state-of-the-art technology can produce circuit-specific neuromodulation by overexpressing light-sensitive proteins (opsins) in particular cell types of interest. Here, we discuss the principle of optogenetic manipulation and its application in pain research using animal models, and we also discuss how to potentially use optogenetic stimulation in the treatment of migraine headache in the future.
Highlights
Migraine headache is a common neurovascular disorder [1]
Because depolarizing opsin ChR2, a light-gated cation channel, allows positively charged ions to flow into intracellular space to induce neuronal excitation when stimulated by blue light and the hyperpolarizing opsin eNpHR3.0, a chloride pump activated by yellow light, allows Cl- to flow into neurons to produce neuronal inhibition, it is possible to study the behavioral consequences of activating or inhibiting the same ensembles of neurons by expressing the two light-sensitive proteins on the same neurons [14]
We reported that optogenetic manipulation of dopamine receptors D1 and D2 in the Sp5C produces opposite effects on nerve injury-induced head withdrawal threshold reduction whereas specific optogenetic excitation of dopaminergic neurons in the hypothalamic A11 nucleus attenuates this response via the activation of D2 receptors in the Cortical spreading depression (CSD) has been demonstrated to be an important mechanism by which migraine headache occurs with an aura [39]
Summary
Sufang Liu 1,2 , Yuanyuan Tang 1,3 , Ying Xing 2 , Phillip Kramer 1 , Larry Bellinger 1 and. Received: 15 December 2018; Accepted: 22 January 2019; Published: 29 January 2019
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