title: Substance P and neurotensin are up-regulated in the lumbar spinal cord of animals with neuropathic pain.
abstract: Many neuropeptides have been shown to be up-regulated in response to pain. The purpose of this study was to identify pain-related peptides in a rat model of neuropathic pain induced by sciatic nerve cuff implantation. Rats were tested for touch sensitivity prior to and 7 days following cuff implantation or sham surgeries. The lumbar spinal cord was removed on the 8th day post-surgery and the lumbar enlargement was processed for the detection of selected peptides using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Only substance P (MW 1346.74) and neurotensin (MW 1673.0) were detected in the lumbar spinal cord of animals with mechanical allodynia (P < 0.01) following innocuous tactile stimulation of the affected hind paw. Therefore, substance P and neurotensin may be target candidates for the understanding and treatment of neuropathic pain.
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Médecine Vétérinaire, Département de Biomédicine Vétérinaire, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. pascal.vachon@umontreal.ca
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vachon
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Massé
authors.forename: Bernard F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Gibbs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003250:Constriction; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000503:physiopathology; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D009496:Neurotensin / Q000378:metabolism*; D010146:Pain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000601:surgery*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D009496:Neurotensin