The spinal dorsal horn is the primary integration center for somatosensory information. However, the specific neuronal populations responsible for encoding distinct modalities, including pain, remain poorly defined. Here, we performed a deep functional and neurochemical characterisation of a genetically-defined neuronal population in the superficial dorsal horn that expresses the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit Chrna3 (Chrna3+), using Chrna3-eGFP transgenic mice. Our data suggest that spinal Chrna3+ neurons are selectively tuned to acute noxious inputs from A\u03b4 and C-fiber afferents. Remarkably, this population showed profound functional stability. Neither peripheral inflammation nor pharmacological disinhibition significantly altered their synaptic input profile, failing to unmask A\u03b2-fiber inputs or their intrinsic excitability. This stands in stark contrast to neighbouring Chrna3- neurons, which showed robust plasticity. Our findings define the Chrna3+ population as a highly specialized and functionally insulated circuit. Instead of participating in plastic changes associated with chronic pain states, these neurons appear to function as a robust \u201ebinary switch\u201c for relaying acute nociceptive information from A\u03b4 and C-fibers. This functional stability identifies the Chrna3+ neurons as a potential target for modulating acute pain, distinct from the mechanisms of pain chronification.<\/p>\n
Biography:\u00a0<\/strong>Dr. Pavel Ad\u00e1mek is a neuroscientist who has recently joined the Laboratory of Pain Research at BIOCEV, supported by a Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie COFUND MERIT fellowship. He returns to Prague following his postdoc at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) in laboratory of Prof. Stefan G. Lechner. His research focuses on the cellular mechanisms of pain. His previous work, conducted during his Ph.D. in the lab of Dr. Ji\u0159\u00ed Pale\u010dek, identified key mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain. Later on, during his post-doc in Hamburg, he focused on the functional organization of spinal cord circuits involved in nociceptive processing.\u00a0In his talk, Dr. Ad\u00e1mek will present the primary findings from his postdoctoral project: a multidisciplinary characterization of the Chrna3+ neuronal population in the dorsal horn. Combining quantitative immunohistochemistry, neuronal reconstruction and\u00a0ex vivo<\/em>\u00a0electrophysiology, the study reveals that spinal Chrna3+ neurons serve as a highly specialized circuit for acute nociceptive signaling.<\/p>\n