Different immune cells mediate mechanical pain hypersensitivity in male and female mice

Nat Neurosci. 2015 Aug;18(8):1081-3. doi: 10.1038/nn.4053. Epub 2015 Jun 29.

Abstract

A large and rapidly increasing body of evidence indicates that microglia-to-neuron signaling is essential for chronic pain hypersensitivity. Using multiple approaches, we found that microglia are not required for mechanical pain hypersensitivity in female mice; female mice achieved similar levels of pain hypersensitivity using adaptive immune cells, likely T lymphocytes. This sexual dimorphism suggests that male mice cannot be used as proxies for females in pain research.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Female
  • Hyperalgesia / immunology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Microglia / metabolism*
  • Neuralgia / immunology*
  • Sex Characteristics*
  • Sex Factors
  • Signal Transduction / physiology*
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism*