title: Glutamine uptake contributes to central sensitization in the medullary dorsal horn.
abstract: Mustard oil application to tooth pulp produces central sensitization in rat medullary dorsal horn (MDH) nociceptive neurons, which has been implicated in persistent pain mechanisms. We found that superfusion onto MDH of methylaminoisobutyric acid, a competitive inhibitor of the neuronal system A transporter for presynaptic uptake of glutamine (a glutamate precursor released from astroglia), significantly depressed development of mustard oil-induced central sensitization in rat MDH nociceptive neurons. This finding indicates that the system A transporter is required for the expression of central sensitization and confirms the important roles of astroglia, glutamine and presynaptic modulation of glutamate release in the development of central sensitization.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Oral Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Chen Yu
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jonathan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Dostrovsky
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Barry J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Sessle
mesh_terms: D026924:Amino Acid Transport System A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000818:Animals; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000294:innervation; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009149:Mustard Plant; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000494:pharmacology; D020671:Posterior Horn Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013997:Time Factors; D014275:Trigeminal Caudal Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D015091:beta-Alanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D026924:Amino Acid Transport System A; D010938:Plant Oils; D005973:Glutamine; D015091:beta-Alanine; C012924:2,2-dimethyl-beta-alanine; C027793:mustard oil