Substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide and neuropeptide Y are the major peptides involved both in the generation of pain as well as reducing pain post-joint trauma.
By investigating the intersection between hunger and pain, we have identified a neural circuit that mediates competing survival needs and uncovered NPY Y1 receptor signaling in the PBN as a target for pain suppression.
We show that selective activation of neuropeptide Y receptor-2-expressing (Npy2r) myelinated A-fiber nociceptors evokes abnormally exacerbated pain, which is alleviated by concurrent activation of LTMRs in a frequency-dependent manner.
Several reports have demonstrated that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is involved in food intake, epilepsy, circadian rhythms, drug seeking, pain and anxiety, and other physiological or pathological conditions.
These findings confirm the analgesic properties of acupuncture as a complementary treatment in FM, and indicate that NPY could play a role in pain modulation.