title: The involvement of glia in long-term plasticity in the spinal dorsal horn of the rat.
abstract: We have examined the potential role of spinal glial cells in the induction of C fiber-evoked long-term potentiation (LTP) in the spinal cord. Tetanic stimulation of the sciatic nerve induced longterm potentiation of C-fiber-evoked field potentials in the spinal dorsal horn in all rats. Following intrathecal fluorocitrate (1 nmol), a glial metabolic inhibitor, tetanic stimulation induced longterm depression (LTD) but not LTP. The effects of fluorocitrate were abolished by kynurenic acid or 2-amino-5-phosphonovaleric acid (AP-5), but not by 6,7-dinitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX), picrotoxin or strychnine. These data suggest that spinal glial cells may modulate the central sensitization of nociceptive neurons via NMDA receptors.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Jun-Yi
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zhi-Qi
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D002951:Citrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D036881:Long-Term Synaptic Depression / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; C007744:fluorocitrate