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Gut-Brain Crosstalk and the Central Mechanisms of Orofacial Pain

Ran Tao1, Sufang Liu1, Joshua Crawford1

  • 1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University School of Dentistry, 3302 Gaston Ave., Dallas, TX 75246, USA.

Brain Sciences
|October 28, 2023
PubMed

Insights

The gut microbiome influences pain perception via the microbiome-gut-brain axis. Gut metabolites modulate orofacial pain through direct and indirect pathways, offering potential for non-opioid therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Microbiology
  • Pain Research

Background:

  • The gut microbiome plays a role in pain modulation via the microbiome-gut-brain axis.
  • Microbiome metabolites are key regulators of pain signaling in the central nervous system.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advances in gut-brain interactions concerning microbiome metabolite-mediated pain modulation.
  • To focus on the role of gut-brain crosstalk in the central mechanisms of orofacial pain.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on gut-brain axis and pain signaling.
  • Analysis of direct (vagus nerve) and indirect (metabolites) pathways in orofacial pain modulation.
  • Examination of central nervous system structures and blood-brain barrier signaling.

Main Results:

  • Gut microbiome metabolites modulate orofacial pain through both direct and indirect pathways.
  • These pathways involve specific brain structures like the nucleus tractus solitarius and parabrachial nucleus.
  • Signaling across the blood-brain barrier is crucial for indirect pathway modulation.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding gut microbiome's role in pain regulation is vital for developing novel, non-opioid orofacial pain therapies.
  • Targeting the microbiome-gut-brain axis offers a promising strategy for pain management.
Keywords:
cytokinesgut microbiomeneurotransmittersorofacial painshort-chain fatty acidsvagus nerve

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