Fig. 4
Inhibition of GABARVM neuron alleviates pain hypersensitivity induced by CFA and CCI. A The diagram illustrating the stereotaxic injection of AAV-DIO-hM4Di-mCherry or AAV-DIO-mCherry viruses into the RVM region of vgat-ires-cre mice. B The experimental design and timeline of the behavioral tests for inhibiting GABARVM neurons in the CFA model. C The representative fluorescence image shows the injection site of the virus. Scale bars = 500 μm. D-E The time course of changes in the tactile withdrawal thresholds (D) and the thermal withdrawal latency (E) in the vgat-cre::DIO-mCherry and vgat-cre::DIO-hM4Di mice after CFA treatment. F-G The time course of changes in the tactile withdrawal thresholds (F) and the thermal withdrawal latency (G) in CFA-treated vgat-cre::DIO-mCherry and vgat-cre::DIO-hM4Di mice after CNO injection. H The diagram illustrating the stereotaxic injection of AAV-DIO-hM4Di-mCherry or AAV-DIO-mCherry viruses into the RVM region of vgat-ires-cre mice. I The experimental design and timeline of the behavioral tests for inhibiting GABARVM neurons in the CCI mice. J The representative fluorescence image shows the injection site of the virus. Scale bars = 500 μm. K-L The time course of changes in the tactile withdrawal thresholds (K) and the thermal withdrawal latency (L) in the vgat-cre::DIO-mCherry and vgat-cre::DIO-hM4Di mice after CCI treatment. M–N The time course of changes in the tactile withdrawal thresholds (M) and the thermal withdrawal latency (N) in the CCI-treated vgat-cre::DIO-mCherry and vgat-cre::DIO-hM4Di mice after CNO injection. **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001 vs. Saline or Sham control group, ###p < 0.001 vs. CFA- or CCI-DIO-mCherry group, two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni post hoc tests, n = 6 mice per group. All data are shown as mean ± SEM