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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Pain. 2017 Oct;158(10):1938–1950. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000993

Figure 8. Model of α7 nAChR-mediated analgesia in the vlPAG.

Figure 8

Our experiments show that vlPAG α7 activation produces robust antinociception principally through the activation of somatic receptors on a subset of neurons within that nucleus. Our behavioral data support the idea that pain inhibitory neurons in the vlPAG suppress ascending nociceptive signaling through connections in the RVM to modulate excitability in the spinal cord dorsal horn. MOR agonist application inhibits a separate group of vlPAG projection neurons that facilitate nociceptive signaling.