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Alice A. Larson, Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmacology and Neuroscience
larso011@umn.edu |
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Central Pain and Neuroimmunological Mechanisms.
Our research investigates pain, focusing on the painful condition
of fibromyalgia. We have found that the cerebrospinal fluid of patients
with this condition contain an increased concentration of nerve
growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophin that can increase pain perception.
It is not clear what stimulates this NGF synthesis as NGF is usually
synthesized in response to tissue damage.
Fibromyalgia is not associated with any signs of obvious tissue
damage, yet patients complain of widespread muscle pain in response
to touch and movement, an inability to sleep and sensitivity to
stress. The thalamus, which is involved in pain, sleep and stress,
is less responsive to pain in patients with fibromyalgia than in
normal individuals. This, together with the elevated NGF, suggest
that lesions in the thalamus may be responsible for the pain of
fibromyalgia.
But what precipitates this lesion? A unique characteristic of the
thalamus of some animals is its tendency to be invaded by mast cells
following stress. We are testing the hypothesis that in fibromyalgia,
degranulation of these immune cells lesions the thalamus and interferes
with the body’s ability to regulate pain.
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Selected Publications
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Fang M, Kovacs KJ, Fisher LL, Larson AA
Thrombin inhibits NMDA-mediated nociceptive activity in the mouse: possible mediation by endothelin.
J Physiol. 2003 Jun 15;549(Pt 3):903-17 |
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Tien D, Ohara PT, Larson AA, Jasmin L
Vagal afferents are necessary for the establishment but not the maintenance of kainic acid-induced hyperalgesia in mice.
Pain. 2003 Mar;102(1-2):39-49 |
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Velazquez RA, McCarson KE, Cai Y, Kovacs KJ, Shi Q, Evensjo M, Larson AA
Upregulation of neurokinin-1 receptor expression in rat spinal cord by an N-terminal metabolite of substance P.
Eur J Neurosci. 2002 Jul;16(2):229-41 |
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Laughlin TM, Larson AA, Wilcox GL
Mechanisms of induction of persistent nociception by dynorphin.
J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2001 Oct;299(1):6-11 |
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Kovacs KJ, Cai Y, Larson AA
Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) mRNA is down-regulated, and constitutive NOS enzymatic activity decreased, in thoracic dorsal root ganglia and spinal cord of the rat by a substance P N-terminal metabolite.
Eur J Neurosci. 2001 Aug;14(4):577-84 |
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Larson AA, Kovacs KJ
Nociceptive aspects of fibromyalgia.
Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2001 Aug;5(4):338-46 |
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