Inflammation and Pain

Acute as well as chronic pain leads to suffering and impaired quality of life. This project examined three different ways of pain modulation. In the first study, distinct profiles of pro-versus anti-inflammatory mediators were characterized for patients with various joint diseases. In the second study mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) as potential pain regulators were identified on peptidergic nociceptive neurons in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia as well as in peripheral nerve terminals penetrating the skin of naïve rats. In the third study pain relieving effects of opioids were impaired in painful diabetic neuropathy.