Qiuying Zhao

Abstract Prenatal stress is a well-established risk factor for offspring neurodevelopmental, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease, yet prevailing models largely have assumed fetal programming occurs primarily through direct maternal glucocorticoid transfer. However, key regulatory steps governing placental glucocorticoid handling remain poorly defined.

Abstract As aversive sensations, visceral pain and itch are highly refractory to conventional treatments. Accumulating evidence suggests that the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is involved in pain and itch; however, how the BLA segregates visceral pain and itch remains unclear. Here, we identify two distinct neuronal populations within the BLA that selectively respond to visceral pain and itch in mice.