title: Release, spread and persistence of immunoreactive neurokinin A in the dorsal horn of the cat following noxious cutaneous stimulation. Studies with antibody microprobes.
abstract: In barbiturate anaesthetized spinal cats antibody microprobes were used to examine release of immunoreactive neurokinin A following cutaneous thermal and mechanical stimulation. In the absence of peripheral stimuli, microprobes detected a diffuse basal presence of immunoreactive neurokinin A. Noxious mechanical and to a lesser extent noxious thermal stimuli increased the levels of immunoreactive neurokinin A diffusely throughout the dorsal horn which, in many cases, spread into the adjacent white matter. These diffuse stimulus-evoked increases contrast with previous experiments where the same stimuli produced discrete focal increases in levels of immunoreactive substance P. Evidence was obtained that released immunoreactive neurokinin A persisted in the spinal cord for at least 30 min beyond the period of stimulation. Neurokinin A needs consideration as the agent responsible for the long-lasting increases in excitability of some spinal neurons found by several laboratories to follow a brief input from unmyelinated primary afferents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preclinical Veterinary Sciences, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, U.K.
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Duggan
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hope
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jarrott
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Schaible
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Fleetwood-Walker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015288:Neurokinin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism*; D012867:Skin / Q000294:innervation*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015288:Neurokinin A