Melanocortin 4 receptor is expressed in the dorsal root ganglions and down-regulated in neuropathic rats
- 作者：Starowicz ; Katarzyna ; Bilecki ; Wiktor ; Sieja ; Agnieszka ; Przewlocka ; Barbara ; Przewlocki ; Ryszard
- 关键词：Melanocortins (MC) ; Neuropathic pain ; Melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4-R) ; Dorsal root ganglia (DRG) ; Chronic constriction injury (CCI) ; Real-time RT-PCR
- 刊名：Neuroscience Letters
- 出版年：2004
- 期刊代码：52_03043940
- 类别：neu
- 出版时间：March 25, 2004
- 卷：358
- 期：2
- 页码：79-82
- 文件大小：143 K
摘要
Recent reports have demonstrated effectiveness of melanocortin antagonists as potent analgesics, and have suggested that the spinal melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4-R) mediates their effects on pain transmission. These findings prompted us to investigate the changes in MC4-R mRNA level in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of neuropathic animals at different time points after sciatic nerve injury by quantitative real-time PCR. The spinal MC4-R mRNA level was not affected by sciatic nerve injury. In contrast, down-regulation of MC4-R mRNA in DRG developed 2 weeks after the injury and was parallel with the attenuated effectiveness of MC4-R ligands in neuropathic animals. The MC4-R adaptation in DRG observed in neuropathic rats indicates their important role in presynaptic modulation of activity of the primary afferents in neuropathic pain.