Expression of androgen receptors in the spinal dorsal horn neurons of mice

Abstract

Despite substantial evidence for sex differences in pain, the role of sex hormones in nociceptive transmission remains unclear. In this study, we characterized sex– and androgen–dependent expression of androgen receptor (AR) in the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) neurons. AR protein was abundantly detected in the superficial SDH of normal male mice compared with gonadectomized males or normal females. Nuclear localization of AR in both excitatory and inhibitory SDH neurons suggests that androgens modulate nociceptive processing at the spinal level. These findings indicate that AR broadly influences distinct neuronal populations and may play a key role in regulating pain and itch processing.

Androgen receptors in the spinal dorsal horn neurons