New publications
A new difference between man and woman has been found
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
A group of neurophysiologists, during experiments with rodents, came to the conclusion that in the male and female organism, different groups of nerve cells are responsible for pain; if the discovery is confirmed, then the approach to developing drugs for chronic pain will need to be revised.
In other studies, experts have proven that men and women have different sensitivity to pain, and women's bodies are more susceptible to developing chronic pain; however, experts have always believed that the transmission of signals through neurons and the processing of information occurs regardless of gender.
Lead author of the study, Jeffrey Mogil of the University of Montreal, noted that his group has been studying gender differences in pain for several years. It is worth noting that last year, Mogil's team found that chronic pain is perceived differently by men and women. For example, this type of pain suppresses women's desire to have sex, while the same type of pain in men does not affect sexual desire.
A new study by a team of scientists aimed to uncover the mechanism that controls the transmission of pain signals. The specialists sought to understand why even a slight touch to inflamed areas causes a strong reaction in the body.
The researchers themselves explained that microglia cells are involved in this process. Scientists have suspected the involvement of these bodies in the intensity of pain for quite some time. Microglia are a kind of barrier to nervous tissue, and the scientists also noted that all previous studies in the field of microglia involved only male mice.
Taking into account all their previous work and findings, the team of scientists took an equal number of male and female rodents for experiments. All animals had their sciatic nerves intentionally damaged, which led to the development of constant (chronic) pain. Then, the specialists administered drugs that blocked microglia and monitored the behavior of the mice.
As a result, scientists noted clear differences in the behavior of males and females. After the administration of drugs, judging by the animals' movements, the pain in males was significantly reduced or completely gone, while the painkiller had no effect on females. But even after scientists genetically switched off microglia or removed these cells from the nervous tissue by influencing them with toxins, the females still continued to suffer from chronic pain.
This study confirms the fact that male and female organisms perceive pain with different groups of nerve cells. Painkillers, in the process of development of which only males participated, may not help the female organism at all, precisely because of differences in neural connections responsible for pain.
Mogil noted that biologists should review all their previous work in this area and develop drugs that take into account gender.
[ 1 ]