Nerves Behind Pain Relief Provided By Stressful Situations

June 17, 2008

The increased beating of the heart that one experiences when in a

stressful situation is just one part of the body's response to

stress, something often known as the " fight-or-flight response " .

Another component of the fight-or-flight response is the suppression

of pain, also known as stress-induced analgesia (SIA).

Some of the nerves and nerve-produced peptides that are responsible

for SIA have been identified, but much remains to be discovered. In a

new study, a team of researchers in California, from AfaSci, Inc.,

Burlingame, and SRI International, Menlo Park, has revealed that

nerves producing the peptide N/ORQ and nerves producing the peptide

Hcrt are key in regulating SIA in mice.

The research team, which was led by Xinmin Xie and Kilduff,

showed that in the brain of normal mice, Hcrt-producing nerve cells

(Hcrt neurons) and N/ORQ-producing nerve cells interacted. N/ORQ

affected the electrical current across Hcrt neurons and the release

of neurotransmitters by these cells.

Furthermore, administration of N/ORQ blocked SIA in normal mice, but

this was overcome by administration of Hcrt at the same time. The

authors therefore conclude that N/ORQ likely influences a variety of

Hcrt-mediated processes, in addition to SIA, and suggest that these

pathways might contribute to medical conditions caused by excessive

stress, such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.

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