Specific expression of spinal Fos after PAR-2 stimulation in mast cell-depleted rats.
Protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) in the sensory neurons may be involved in nociceptive processing. We attempted to detect and characterize specific expression of spinal Fos, a marker of nociception, in mast cell-depleted rats. Intraplantar (i.pl.) administration of not only the PAR-2 agonist SLIGRL-NH2, but also the control peptide LSIGRL-NH2, induced Fos expression in naive rats, whereas only the former specifically produced Fos expression in mast cell-depleted rats. This Fos expression was blocked by intrathecal DAMGO, a mu-opioid agonist, and, in part, by i.pl. calphostin C, a protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor. Thus, specific expression of spinal Fos following peripheral PAR-2 activation is detectable in mast cell-depleted rats, suggesting activation of spinal nociceptive neurons, which is partially mediated by activation of PKC.
Kawabata
Atsufumi
A
Department of Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kinki University, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka 577-8502, Japan.
Kawao
Naoyuki
N
Kuroda
Ryotaro
R
Itoh
Hideki
H
Nishikawa
Hiroyuki
H
D000818:Animals; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044464:Receptor, PAR-2; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000819:agonists; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D009842:Oligopeptides; D044464:Receptor, PAR-2; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D018179:Receptors, Thrombin; C112356:seryl-leucyl-isoleucyl-glycyl--arginyl-leucinamide; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-