title: Postsynaptic potentiation of corticospinal projecting neurons in the anterior cingulate cortex after nerve injury.
abstract: Long-term potentiation (LTP) is the key cellular mechanism for physiological learning and pathological chronic pain. In the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), postsynaptic recruitment or modification of AMPA receptor (AMPAR) GluA1 contribute to the expression of LTP. Here we report that pyramidal cells in the deep layers of the ACC send direct descending projecting terminals to the dorsal horn of the spinal cord (lamina I-III). After peripheral nerve injury, these projection cells are activated, and postsynaptic excitatory responses of these descending projecting neurons were significantly enhanced. Newly recruited AMPARs contribute to the potentiated synaptic transmission of cingulate neurons. PKA-dependent phosphorylation of GluA1 is important, since enhanced synaptic transmission was abolished in GluA1 phosphorylation site serine-845 mutant mice. Our findings provide strong evidence that peripheral nerve injury induce long-term enhancement of cortical-spinal projecting cells in the ACC. Direct top-down projection system provides rapid and profound modulation of spinal sensory transmission, including painful information. Inhibiting cortical top-down descending facilitation may serve as a novel target for treating neuropathic pain.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koga
authors.forename: Giannina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Descalzi
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Le-Shi
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhi-Jian
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao-Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.forename: Fu-Qiang
authors.initials: FQ
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Huganir
authors.affiliation: Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China. deptanat@fmmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yun-Qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D020427:Peroneal Neuropathies / Q000473:pathology*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000473:pathology*; D018091:Receptors, AMPA / Q000235:genetics; D013266:Stilbamidines; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
chemical_list: D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D018091:Receptors, AMPA; D013266:Stilbamidines; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein; C049774:2-hydroxy-4,4'-diamidinostilbene, methanesulfonate salt; C100156:leukoagglutinins, plants