痒觉信号通路与相关受体研究进展

痒是一种引起机体产生抓挠欲望的不愉快感觉．与疼痛一样，痒觉也是机体的一种自我防护反应，可以促使机体及时避免有害刺激，但持续较长时间的慢性痒往往是一种病理性特征，严重影响人的生活质量．目前已发现两条痒觉传导通路，组胺依赖的信号通路和组胺非依赖的信号通路．组胺、阿片类物质、大麻素、一些肽类物质及氯喹均可刺激相关受体诱导痒觉产生．痒觉产生的机制，有多种学说，比较有影响的是选择性学说和特异性学说．本文综述了近年来痒觉信号通路及其相关受体的研究进展．

Research Progress of Itch Signal Pathways and Related Receptors

Itch is an unpleasant sensory, that produces a desire to scratch. Comparable to pain, itch is a warning system against potential threats to the host. However, chronic itch is pathological feature, which has a dramatic impact on the life quality of the patient. At present, two pathways of itch have been discovered: one is histamine-dependent pathway, another is histamine-independent pathway. In these itch pathways, different transmitters and receptors play very important roles, such as histamine, cowhage and chloroquine. In many of hypothesis about the mechanism of itch formation, the selective hypothesis and the specificity hypothesis have major impacts. This review summarizes the research progress of itch signal pathways and related receptors in recent years.