A visual circuit related to the parabrachial nucleus for the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment

作者：Zhengfang Hu, Xiaodan Huang, Jianyu Liu, Ziyang Wang, Yue Xi, Yan Yang, Song Lin, Kwok‐Fai So, Lu Huang, Qian Tao, Chaoran Ren · 发表于：Cell Reports · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114356 · 被引用次数：8 · 研究领域：Dermatology and Skin Diseases、Circadian rhythm and melatonin、Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies

In addition to its role in vision, light also serves non-image-forming visual functions. Despite clinical evidence suggesting the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment, the circuit mechanisms underlying the effects of light on itch-related behaviors remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that bright light treatment reduces itch-related behaviors in mice through a visual circuit related to the lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPBN). Specifically, a subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) innervates GABAergic neurons in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus and intergeniculate leaflet (vLGN/IGL), which subsequently inhibit CaMKIIα + neurons in the LPBN. Activation of both the vLGN/IGL-projecting RGCs and the vLGN/IGL-to-LPBN projections is sufficient to reduce itch-related behaviors induced by various pruritogens. Importantly, we demonstrate that the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment rely on the activation of the retina-vLGN/IGL-LPBN pathway. Collectively, our findings elucidate a visual circuit related to the LPBN that underlies the antipruritic effects of bright light treatment.