title: Interferon-alpha enhances excitatory transmission in substantia gelatinosa neurons of rat spinal cord.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It has been shown that interferon-α (IFN-α) is synthesized and secreted by macrophages, monocytes, T lymphocytes, glial cells and neurons. IFN-α has been shown to have an antinociceptive effect at the supraspinal level in the nerve system. However, it is unclear how IFN-α is involved in the modulation of nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, IFN-α was used to test the potential functional roles in the nociceptive transmission. Using the whole-cell patch-clamp technique, we examined the effects of IFN-α on substantia gelatinosa (SG) neurons in the dorsal root-attached spinal cord slice prepared from adult rats.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that IFN-α increased glutamatergic excitatory postsynaptic currents evoked by the stimulation of either Aδ or C afferent fibers. Further studies showed that IFN-α treatment dose-dependently increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current frequency in SG neurons, while not affecting the amplitude. Moreover, intrathecal antibody of IFN-α could reduce nociceptive responses in formalin test.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that IFN-α presynaptically facilitates the excitatory synaptic transmission to SG neurons. The nociceptive responses could be inhibited by IFN-α antibody in the formalin test. Thus, IFN-α enhances the nociceptive transmission, which contributes to the behavioral nociceptive responses.
authors.affiliation: School of Aeronautic Science and Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Feng
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Deng-Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Yi-Qun
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Hua-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Kai-Cheng
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000502:physiology; D036421:Nerve Fibers, Unmyelinated / Q000502:physiology; D059225:Nociception / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013376:Substantia Gelatinosa / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D016898:Interferon-alpha; D018698:Glutamic Acid