Publications by authors named "H Moerz"

Non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a major global disease burden and childhood adversity predisposes to its development. The mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we investigated if adversity in young rats augments mechanical hyperalgesia and how spinal cord microglia contribute to this.

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The transient receptor potential ion channel TRPM3 is highly prevalent on nociceptive dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, but its functions in neuronal plasticity of chronic pain remain obscure. In an animal model of nonspecific low back pain (LBP), latent spinal sensitization known as nociceptive priming is induced by nerve growth factor (NGF) injection. Here, we address the TRPM3-associated molecular basis of NGF-induced latent spinal sensitization at presynaptic level by studying TRPM3-mediated calcium transients in DRG neurons.

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We studied the chemical entities within N-octanoyl dopamine (NOD) responsible for the activation of transient-receptor-potential channels of the vanilloid-receptor subtype 1 (TRPV1) and inhibition of inflammation. The potency of NOD in activating TRPV1 was significantly higher compared with those of variants in which the ortho-dihydroxy groups were acetylated, one of the hydroxy groups was omitted ( N-octanoyl tyramine), or the ester functionality consisted of a bulky fatty acid ( N-pivaloyl dopamine). Shortening of the amide linker (ΔNOD) slightly increased its potency, which was further increased when the carbonyl and amide groups (ΔNODR) were interchanged.

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