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Neuroreceptors and Neuromediators

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Pruritus

Abstract

The skin has the important sensory function of reacting to external stimuli such as cold, warmth, touch, destruction (pain) and tickling (itch). The modalityspecific communication is transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS) by specialized nerve fibers. Dermal myelinated nerve fibers such as Aβ- and Aδ-fibers transmit touch and other mechanical stimuli (e.g., stretching the skin) and fast-conducting pain.46 Unmyelinated C-fibers in the papillary dermis and epidermis are specialized to stimuli such as cold, warmth, burning or slow conducting pain and itch.13,14,41,84 In the epidermis, two major classes of sensory nerve fibers can be distinguished (Table 2.1) by their conduction velocity, reaction to trophic stimuli (e.g., nerve growth factor, glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor), and expression of neuropeptides and neuroreceptors.3,115,116 This complex system enables the CNS to clearly distinguish between incoming signals from different neurons in quality and localization.33,77 Moreover, C-fibers have contacts and maintain cross-talk with other skin cells such as keratinocytes, Langerhans cells, mast cells and inflammatory cells.5,12,31,34,36,37,82,109 This enables sensory nerves, not only to function as an afferent system, which conducts stimuli from the skin to the CNS, but also as an efferent system, which stimulates cutaneous cells by secreting several kinds of neuropeptides.24,73,105 In addition, sensory sensations can be modified in intensity and quality by this interaction. In this chapter, an overview of the neuroreceptors and mediators of C-fibers involved in the sensory system of the skin and their communication with other skin cells is given.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Competence Center Pruritus, Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Sonja Ständer

  2. Department of Dermatology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Thomas A. Luger

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  1. Sonja Ständer
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  2. Thomas A. Luger
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Dermatologie, CHU Brest, Brest, 29200, France

    Laurent Misery

  2. Medizinische Einrichtungen, Klinik und Poliklinik für, Universitätsklinikum Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 56, Münster, 48149, Germany

    Sonja Ständer

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© 2010 Springer-Verlag London Limited

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Ständer, S., Luger, T.A. (2010). Neuroreceptors and Neuromediators. In: Misery, L., Ständer, S. (eds) Pruritus. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-84882-322-8_2

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