Psyconeurodermatology Flashcards
(143 cards)
Which growth factor is involved in supporting survival and outgrowth of sensory fibers?
Neurotrophin-4
There an increase in intraepidermal fibers in both atopic humans and dogs.
The skin is equipped with a dense network of highly specialized afferent ____ and efferent _____ nerve braches that can be found in all skin layers.
sensory
autonomic
What are the main functions of the cutaneous nervous system?
Sensory: touch, heat, cold, pressure, pain and itch
Motor: control vasomotor tonus, regulate the secretory activities of glands
What is the general anatomy of the cutaneous nervous system?
- Cutaneous nerve trunks carry myelinated postganglionic sympathetic fibers
- Stained by methylene blue staining, metallic impregnation
Dermatome
the area of skin supplied by the branches of one spinal nerve
Describe autonomic nervous innervation?
- Autonomic (sympathetic) nerves represent only a minority of cutaneous fibers innervating eccrine, apocrine, and sebaceous glands, hair follicles, hair erector muscles, and blood vessels.
- On activation, they release acethylocholine (Ach) and norepinephrine, which activate the target cells via muscarinic and catecholamine receptors.
Cutaneous sensation consists of?
Sensory nerves and receptors.
Sensory nerves surround hair follicles as well as encapsulated structures such as Pacini’s corpuscle, Meissners corpuscle, and Ruffinis corpuscle
Sensory nerves are derived from _____ and are present in all parts of the skin
dorsal root ganglion neurons
What are pencillate nerve endings?
Sensory nerves that end as free nerve endings
Arise from the terminal Schwann cell in the dermis as tuftlike structures and give rise to an arborizating network of fine nerves, and they terminate either subepidermnally or intraepidermally
• Unmyelinated
• Limited to the skin, mucous membranes, and cornea
On the basis of properties of afferent units, somatosensory activity can be subdivided into what three categories?
nociceptors, thermoreceptors, and mechanoreceptors:
Nociceptors:
involved in itch and pain; supplied by A, and C fibers
Mechanoreceptor units
4 types with A axons in most skin regions
Pacinian corpuscles
Rapidly adapting units
Within haired skin
Slowly adapting Type I endings
Neuropeptides
- Neuropeptides released by cutaneous nerves in response to a variety of noxious stimuli can activate a number of target cells such as keratinocytes, mast cells and endothelial cells (upregulating VCAM – 1, expression and causing secretion of IL-8).
- Synthesized and released predominantly by a subpopulation of small neurofilament-poor (unmyelinated) afferent neurons (C fibers) designated as C-polymodal nociceptors.
Mechanoreceptor units - within haired skin
many afferent units that are excited by hair movement and have both A and A axons.
• Units driven from large hairs: A β axons
• Units driven from down hairs have A δ units
• These axons provide the major tactile input from such regions
• Guard and down hairs receive many nerve terminations of the lanceolate types
Slowly adapting Type I endings
from Merkel’s cell complexes signal about steady pressure
Slowly adapting Type II units
Associated with Ruffini endings show directional sensitivity in response to skin stretch and may play a role in propioception
List 7 neuropeptides?
substance P*(more information in pruritus)
neurokinin A
calcitonin gene-related peptide
vasoactive intestinal peptide
neuropeptide Y
somatostatin
pituitary adenylate cyclase activity peptide
Neurohormones
such as alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) are capable of modulating a range of cellular activities; can be detected in peripheral nerves and are produced by different cell types in the skin
What is the general function of neutropeptides and neurohormones?
Function of both neuropeptides and neurohormones include: the modulation of cell proliferation, cytokine production, and cellular adhesion molecule expression
What are the 3 main neuropeptide receptors and their functions?
different types of neuropeptide receptors have been identified on the neuronal and non-neuronal cells in the skin
- NK (3 principal neurokinin receptors): bind with high affinity to substance P, NK A, and NK B; seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled peptides; detected keratinocytes and dermal endothelial cells
- CGRP (2 subtypes): Dermal microvascular endothelial cells and Langerhans cells have been reported to respond specifically to CGRP
- Melanocortin (MC) receptors: a group of 5 G protein-coupled receptors with 7 transmembrane domains; epidermal and dermal cells as well as inflammatory and immunocompetent cells exhibit high affinity for αMSH.
NK (3 principal neurokinin receptors)
bind with high affinity to substance P, NK A, and NK B; seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled peptides; detected keratinocytes and dermal endothelial cells
CGRP (2 subtypes)
Dermal microvascular endothelial cells and Langerhans cells have been reported to respond specifically to CGRP
Melanocortin (MC) receptors
a group of 5 G protein-coupled receptors with 7 transmembrane domains; epidermal and dermal cells as well as inflammatory and immunocompetent cells exhibit high affinity for αMSH.
What are two neuropeptide-degrading enzymes
Neutral endopeptidase (NEP, CD10) Carboxypeptidase angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE):