title: Lymphocytes upregulate signal sequence-encoding proopiomelanocortin mRNA and beta-endorphin during painful inflammation in vivo.
abstract: Proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived beta-endorphin1-31 (END) released from immune cells inhibits inflammatory pain. We examined the expression of END and POMC mRNA encoding the signal sequence required for entry of the nascent polypeptide into the regulated secretory pathway in lymphocytes of rats with inflamed hindpaws. Within 12 h of inflammation, END increased in popliteal lymph nodes and at 96 h the intraplantar neutralization of END exacerbated pain. Lymphocytes expressed POMC, END, and full-length POMC mRNA. Semi-nested PCR revealed 8-fold increased exon 2-3 spanning POMC mRNA. Thus, painful inflammation enhances signal sequence-encoding lymphocytic POMC mRNA needed for regulated secretion of functionally active END.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Charité University Berlin, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Hindenburgdamm 30, 12200 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicolle
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sitte
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Busch
authors.forename: Shaaban A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.forename: Dominika
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labuz
authors.forename: Heike
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rittner
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schäfer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007249:Inflammation / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D001615:beta-Endorphin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D021382:Protein Sorting Signals; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D011333:Pro-Opiomelanocortin; D005620:Freund's Adjuvant