Investigation of pain receptor mechanism and development of pain control system by optogenetic approach

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24592289
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Orthopaedic surgery
• Research Institution: University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan
• Principal Investigator: OHNISHI Hideo 産業医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤医師 (20279342)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): UETA Yoichi 産業医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (10232745)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): NAKAMURA Toshitaka 国立国際医療研究センター病院, 院長 (50082235) ; MORI Toshiharu 産業医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (80525444)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 疼痛 / c-fos遺伝子 / トランスジェニック動物 / 光遺伝学 / 蛍光タンパク

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have generated a novel transgenic rat system that enables the visualization of c-fos expression, using an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) tag (c-fos-eGFP transgenic rat). Furthermore, we have generated rats bearing an c-fos-channelrhodopsin 2 (ChR2) -eGFP fusion transgene (c-fos-ChR2-eGFP transgenic rat). The purposes of the study were to visualize the mechanism of acceptance against nociceptive stress and to try operating the neural activities of Fos-ChR2 expressing neurons by light irradiation, using these transgenic rats. We succeeded in visualizing the c-fos-eGFP expression in the hypothalamus, spinal cord, anterior pituitary, and adrenal cortex after nociceptive stress in in vitro or ex vivo in c-fos-eGFP transgenic rats. In addition, ChR2-eGFP expression on the cell menbrance in the hypothalamus and the spinal cord was observed after nociceptive stress in c-fos-ChR2-eGFP transgenic rats.

Free Research Field

医歯薬学