Figure 1.

Acute pain occurs in a first step as a result of peripheral injury and/or inflammation. Chronic pain appears as a delayed event associated with permeabilization or brain/spinal cord capillary endothelium disruption. Different processes, such as inflammatory mediator release, changes in TJs protein and ABC transporters expression, activation of microglia and/or astrocytes, immune cells and albumin extravasation, may occur independently or in an “orchestrated” manner, and might contribute to the process of BBB/BSCB permeabilization or disruption.