Co-existence of calcium-binding proteins and gamma-aminobutyric acid or glycine in neurons of the rat medullary dorsal horn.
BACKGROUND
We investigated the co-expression of calbindin-D28k (CB), calretinin (CR) and parvalbumin (PV, a combination of the three is referred to as CaBPs) with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) or glycine in neurons of the rat medullary dorsal horn (MDH).


METHODS
Immunofluorescence histochemical double-staining for CaBPs and GABA or glycine was performed on the sections from rat MDH.


RESULTS
CB-, CR-, PV-, GABA- and glycine-like immunoreactive (LI) neurons were differentially observed in all layers of the MDH, but particularly in lamina II. Neurons that exhibited immunoreactivity for both CaBPs and GABA or glycine were also observed mainly in lamina II. A few of them were found in laminae I and III. The percentages of neurons which co-expressed CB/GABA or CB/glycine out of the total numbers of CB- and GABA-LI neurons or CB- and glycine-LI neurons were 5.3% and 12.1% or 4.1% and 10.0%, respectively. The ratios of CR/GABA or CR/glycine co-existing neurons out of the total numbers of CR- and GABA-LI neurons or CR- and glycine-LI neurons were 5.8% and 7.6% or 4.4% and 7.1%, respectively. The rates of PV/GABA or PV/glycine co-localized neurons out of the total numbers of PV- and GABA-LI neurons or PV- and glycine-LI neurons were 11.1% and 5.1% or 9.9% and 5.1%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that some neurons in the MDH contain both CaBPs and GABA or glycine.
Wang
Wen
W
Department of Anatomy and K.K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Wu
Sheng-xi
SX
Li
Yun-qing
YQ
D000818:Animals; D064092:Calbindin 1; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005998:Glycine / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology*; D010320:Parvalbumins / Q000032:analysis; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000032:analysis*
C576500:Calb1 protein, rat; C576512:Calb2 protein, rat; D064092:Calbindin 1; D064032:Calbindin 2; D064026:Calbindins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D010320:Parvalbumins; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005998:Glycine