Identification and characterization of rostral ventromedial medulla neurons synaptically connected to the urinary bladder afferents in female rats with or without neonatal cystitis.

The neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) play a major role in pain modulation. We have previously shown that early-life noxious bladder stimuli in rats resulted in an overall spinal GABAergic disinhibition and a long-lasting bladder/colon sensitization when tested in adulthood. However, the neuromolecular alterations within RVM neurons in the pathophysiology of early life bladder inflammation have not been elucidated.