Temporomandibular inflammation mobilizes parvalbumin and FosB/deltaFosB neurons of amygdala and dorsal raphe

Pathophysiological mechanisms involved in orofacial pain and their relationship with emotional disorders have emerged as an important research area for multidisciplinary studies. In particular, temporomandibular disorders (TMD) have been evaluated clinically from both physiological and psychological perspectives. We hypothesized that an altered neuronal activity occurs in the amygdala and the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), encephalic regions involved in the modulation of painful and emotional information. Adult male Wistar rats were used in an experimental complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced temporomandibular joint (TMJ) inflammation model. CFA was applied for 1 or 10 days, and the animals were euthanized for brain samples dissection for FosB/&Delta;FosB and parvalbumin (PV) immunostaining. Our results were consistent in showing that the amygdala and DR were activated in the persistent inflammatory phase (10 days) and that the expression of PV+ interneurons in the amygdala was decreased. In contrast, in the DR, the expression of PV+ interneurons was increased in persistent states of CFA-induced TMJ inflammation. Moreover, at 10 days of inflammation, there was an increased co-localization of PV+ and FosB/&Delta;FosB+ neurons in the basolateral and central nucleus of the amygdala. Different nuclei of the amygdala, as well as portions of the DR, were activated in the persistent phase (10 days) of TMJ inflammation. In conclusion, altered activity of the amygdala and DR was detected during persistent inflammatory nociception in the temporomandibular joint. These regions may be essential for both sensory and affective dimensions of orofacial pain. </div

Communication calls produced by electrical stimulation of four structures in the guinea pig brain

One of the main central processes affecting the cortical representation of conspecific vocalizations is the collateral output from the extended motor system for call generation. Before starting to study this interaction we sought to compare the characteristics of calls produced by stimulating four different parts of the brain in guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). By using anaesthetised animals we were able to reposition electrodes without distressing the animals. Trains of 100 electrical pulses were used to stimulate the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG), hypothalamus, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Each structure produced a similar range of calls, but in significantly different proportions. Two of the spontaneous calls (chirrup and purr) were never produced by electrical stimulation and although we identified versions of chutter, durr and tooth chatter, they differed significantly from our natural call templates. However, we were routinely able to elicit seven other identifiable calls. All seven calls were produced both during the 1.6 s period of stimulation and subsequently in a period which could last for more than a minute. A single stimulation site could produce four or five different calls, but the amygdala was much less likely to produce a scream, whistle or rising whistle than any of the other structures. These three high-frequency calls were more likely to be produced by females than males. There were also differences in the timing of the call production with the amygdala primarily producing calls during the electrical stimulation and the hypothalamus mainly producing calls after the electrical stimulation. For all four structures a significantly higher stimulation current was required in males than females. We conclude that all four structures can be stimulated to produce fictive vocalizations that should be useful in studying the relationship between the vocal motor system and cortical sensory representation