Fig. 1

Neurons encoding pain and sexual attraction information were co-labeled in the ACC of mice. a Stimulation patterns to induce the expression of the IEGs Arc and Homer1a. 5% formalin for 5 μl was injected into the left hind paw of the mice. Then the behaviors of the mice in the open field with a cage in the center were recorded. A female (Left) or male (Right) mouse was put into the central cage for 30 min, and the mice were sacrificed at 35 min. b The tracks of the “pain + female mouse” group (left) and the “pain + male mouse” group (right) in 0~5 min and 30~35 min in the open field. c Neuronal staining profiles in the ACC of mice in the two groups. Arc (green) and Homer1a (red) foci were detected in nuclei (DAPI-labeled, blue). Scale bar, 30 μm. d Sample pie figures of the percentages of double-labeling, Arc/Homer1a single-labeling neurons in DAPI⁺ neurons in ACC of the two groups. e Statistic result of the percentages of double-labeling, total Arc/Homer1a-labeling neurons in DAPI⁺ neurons in ACC of the two groups. n = 5 for “pain + female mouse” group; n = 3 for “pain + male mouse” group. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, n.s. not significant