Acta Pharmacologica Sinica 2008 June; 29 (6): 641-645; doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7254.2008.00801.x

Recent studies have indicated that trigeminal neurons exhibit central sensitization, an increase in the excitability of neurons within the central nervous system to the extent that a normally innocuous stimulus begins to produce pain after inflammation or injury, and that glial activities play a vital role in this central sensitization. The involvement of glial cells in trigeminal central sensitization contains multiple mechanisms, including interaction with glutamatergic and purinergic receptors. A better understanding of the trigeminal central sensitization mediated by glial cells will help to find potential therapeutic targets and lead to developing new analgesics for orofacial-specific pain with higher efficiency and fewer side-effects.

Keywords: glia; trigeminal; central sensitization