Structural and Functional Characteristics of Nociceptive Pathways and Their Alterations under Conditions of Neuropathy

The most important recent results of experimental studies of the structural and functional characteristics of the nociceptive pathways and alterations of these characteristics under pathological conditions, in particular diabetic neuropathy, nerve injury, and inflammation, are discussed in the review. The data demonstrate the extreme specificity of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for transmission of the nociceptive signals. This specificity underlies quite unique features of the mechanisms of synaptic transmission acting between the primary and secondary nociceptive neurons. Since the nociceptive signalling system plays a crucial role for survival of the individual, clarifying the molecular and cellular organization of the nociceptive pathways is obviously extremely important.