Function of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor/channel rho 1 subunits in spinal cord.
gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor/channel rho 1 subunits are important components in inhibitory pathways in the central nervous system. However, the precise locations and roles of these receptors in the central nervous system are unknown. We studied the expression localization of GABA receptor/channel rho 1 subunit in mouse spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). The immunohistochemistry results indicated that GABA receptor/channel rho 1 subunits were expressed in mouse spinal cord superficial dorsal horn (lamina I and lamina II) and in DRG. To understand the functions of the GABA receptor/channel rho 1 subunit in these crucial sites of sensory transmission in vivo, we generated GABA receptor/channel rho 1 subunit mutant mice (rho 1-/-). GABA receptor/channel rho 1 subunit expression in the rho 1-/- mice was eliminated completely, whereas the gross neuroanatomical structures of the rho 1-/- mice spinal cord and DRG were unchanged. Electrophysiological recording showed that GABA-mediated spinal cord response was altered in the rho 1-/- mice. A decreased threshold for mechanical pain in the rho 1-/- mice compared with control mice was observed with the von Frey filament test. These findings indicate that the GABA receptor/channel rho 1 subunit plays an important role in modulating spinal cord pain transmission functions in vivo.
Zheng
Wei
W
Division of Molecular Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, The David Geffen School of Medicine University of California Los Angeles, Torrance, California 90502, USA.
Xie
Wenrui
W
Zhang
Jianhua
J
Strong
Judith A
JA
Wang
Ling
L
Yu
Lei
L
Xu
Ming
M
Lu
Luo
L
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005091:Exons; D005260:Female; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009154:Mutation; D010146:Pain; D018079:Receptors, GABA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D018079:Receptors, GABA; D011994:Recombinant Proteins