Meeting Abstract
Over 100 million Americans nationwide experience chronic pain resulting in over $600 billion spent on treatment each year. Due to this, it is vital to understand the pain signaling pathway and the inhibition of downstream signaling mechanisms with the aid of the insect model, Manduca sexta. M. sexta have been shown to undergo central sensitization after noxious stimuli, such as a pinch or extreme cold, both in vivo and in vitro. These noxious stimuli induce a state of sensitivity, which reduce the force required to elicit a strike, which can last up to 19 hr in M. sexta. In order to determine the role of protein synthesis in the maintenance of nociceptive sensitization in M. sexta, Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, was injected into M. sexta, and nociceptive sensitization was assessed with an in vivo assay. Animals injected with Cycloheximide no longer showed sensitization within 3 hr and up to 19 hr after a noxious pinch, while there was no effect 1 hr after the pinch. Control pinched animals remained sensitized at the 19 hr time frame. Between the first and third hour the greatest changes of sensitization were seen, suggesting full inhibition of protein synthesis taking a minimum of 3 hours post injection. This suggests that protein synthesis is not needed to induce sensitization but is required to maintain this heightened state. Exploration of these mechanisms will help better understand aspects of chronic pain signaling in humans, to aid in the synthesis of improved pharmaceuticals.
