Rheb in central amygdala somatostatin neurons regulates chronic itch and anxiety-like behaviors.

Rheb activity in central amygdala somatostatin neurons is linked to DCP-induced chronic itch, driving both scratching and anxiety-like behaviors in mice.

• Why it matters: Chronic itch severely affects quality of life, but the responsible neural circuitry and molecular regulators in the brain are not well defined.
• What they did: In DCP-treated mice, CeA SST neurons were activated and functionally required; DCP-TRAP profiling showed Rheb upregulation, and manipulating Rheb (knockdown or overexpression) altered CeA SST neuron excitability and behavior.
• The result: Rheb knockdown suppressed CeA SST hyperexcitability and reduced chronic itch-related scratching and anxiety-like behaviors, while Rheb overexpression increased scratching and anxiety-like behaviors in naive mice.

AI summary of the abstract · may contain errors · not medical advice · read the paper.