title: Characterization of acute somatosensory pain transmission in P/Q-type Ca(2+) channel mutant mice, leaner.
abstract: To study the role of the Ca(v)2.1/alpha(1A) (P/Q-type) Ca(2+) channel in somatosensory pain processing, behavioral and electrophysiological studies were conducted using the leaner (tg(la)/tg(la)) mouse. Behavioral analyses in tg(la)/tg(la) revealed reduced responses to mechanical stimuli, and enhanced responses to heat stimuli. Electrophysiological analyses showed that tg(la)/tg(la) had a significantly reduced ability to evoke dorsal root potentials, suggesting a functional deficit in the spinal dorsal horn local circuitry responsible for presynaptic inhibition of primary sensory fibers. These results suggest the critical importance of the P/Q-type channel in modulation of acute somatosensory pain transmission in spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, CREST, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogasawara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanabe
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005073:Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory / Q000187:drug effects; D006358:Hot Temperature; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010146:Pain / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000699:Pain Insensitivity, Congenital / Q000235:genetics; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism; D018039:Receptors, Tachykinin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type; D002211:Capsaicin; D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D018039:Receptors, Tachykinin