Regional distribution of a novel pituitary protein (7B2) in the rat spinal cord: effect of neonatal capsaicin treatment and thoracic cord transection.
Using a specific radioimmunoassay, a novel pituitary protein (7B2) was shown to be distributed throughout the rat spinal cord. The concentration of 7B2-like immunoreactivity (7B2-IR) was significantly higher in dorsal lumbar than in whole lumbar cord, and the highest level was found in the sacral region. On both gel and high-performance liquid chromatography, 7B2-IR in rat spinal cord eluted in the same position as 7B2-IR extracted from porcine pituitary gland. Neonatal capsaicin treatment did not change dorsal lumbar spinal cord 7B2-IR concentrations, suggesting that it is not predominantly present in unmyelinated primary afferent fibres. Thoracic cord transection, however, resulted in significant increases of 7B2-IR in lumbar and especially sacral regions, providing evidence of a 7B2-containing ascending pathway originating in the lumbosacral spinal cord.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002818:Cordotomy; D006801:Humans; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000032:analysis*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000032:analysis*; D013552:Swine
D011506:Proteins; D002211:Capsaicin