2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Characterization of enkephalin-containing neurons in the spinal dorsal horn visualized by expression of green fluorescent protein in BAC transgenic mice
| Project/Area Number |
23500468
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Neurophysiology and muscle physiology
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| Research Institution | Dokkyo Medical University |
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Principal Investigator |
HORI Yuuichi 獨協医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60190229)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2011 – 2013
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| Keywords | エンケファリン / NMDA受容体 / BKチャネル / 脊髄痛覚神経回路 / 脊髄後角表層ニューロン / 単一細胞遺伝子発現解析 / パッチクランプ記録 / 興奮性シナプス後電流 |
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| Research Abstract |
Using a bacterial artificial chromosome, we have generated a transgenic mouse which expresses GFP under the control of the preproenkephalin promoter. We observed as follows: 1) double immunostaining analysis using anti-enkephalin and anti-GFP antibodies showed that all GFP (+) neurons contained enkephalin; 2) forskolin increased the number of GFP (+) neurons in the superficial dorsal horn; 3) the partial ligation of unilateral sciatic nerve induced allodynia and increased the number of GFP (+) neurons in the ipsilateral side; and (4) Single-cell Real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that several GFP (+) neurons in the superficial dorsal horn expressed NMDA receptor subunits NR1, NR2A and NR2B mRNA and BK channel mRNA. The expression patterns of these genes were not significantly different between GFP (+) and (-) neurons. The Enk-GFP mouse is a useful model to study the cellular mechanisms underlying the synaptic transmission of nociceptive information in the central nervous system.
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