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Figure 5 | Molecular Pain

Figure 5

From: Types of skin afferent fibers and spinal opioid receptors that contribute to touch-induced inhibition of heart rate changes evoked by noxious cutaneous heat stimulation

Figure 5

A hypothesized mechanism of touch-induced inhibitory effect on spinal nociceptive transmission into somatocardiac reflex pathways. Noxious heat-evoked sensory inputs were conveyed by nociceptive C afferent fibers and transmitted to the secondary neurons in the spinal cord. Low-threshold mechanoreceptive Aδ and C afferent units were excited by touch. Touch-induced sensory afferent excitation enhances the release of endogenous opioids from opioid-containing interneurons (in light blue) and/or primary afferents (not shown) in the superficial layers of the dorsal horn. Subsequently, μ-opioid receptors (MORs) are activated, resulting in an inhibition of nociceptive transmission into somatocardiac reflex pathways.

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Molecular Pain

ISSN: 1744-8069

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