visceral pain pathways

Visceral pain pathways" refer to the complex and distributed circuits by which noxious (painful) stimuli arising from the internal organs (viscera) are transduced, transmitted, and processed by the nervous system. These pathways involve a broad array of molecular mediators (e.g., cytokines, prostaglandins, neuropeptides), ion channels (including transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 [TRPV1] and acid-sensing ion channels [ASICs]), and neural circuits comprising afferent neurons, spinal and supraspinal processing centers, and regulatory feedback. Chronic dysregulation or sensitization of these pathways underpins visceral hypersensitivity and chronic pain conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, where altered pain signaling and neuroimmune interactions contribute to morbidity[1][3][4][5]. The terminology does not represent a single druggable target but rather encompasses multiple molecular interventions currently under exploration for the treatment of chronic visceral pain syndromes.

Other names

visceral afferent pathwaysvisceral nociceptive pathwaysgut–brain pain pathways