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Expression of c‐Fos in the parabrachial nucleus following peripheral nerve injury in rats
Author(s) -
Jergova Stanislava,
Kolesar Dalibor,
Cizkova Dasa
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
european journal of pain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.305
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1532-2149
pISSN - 1090-3801
DOI - 10.1016/j.ejpain.2007.04.003
Subject(s) - parabrachial nucleus , c fos , nociception , peripheral nerve injury , lateral parabrachial nucleus , spinal cord , allodynia , neuroscience , sciatic nerve , medicine , peripheral , anatomy , dorsum , anesthesia , hyperalgesia , biology , receptor , gene expression , biochemistry , gene
Chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve in rats evokes c‐Fos expression at spinal cord level. Using immunohistochemical methods we studied changes in c‐Fos expression in the brain stem area, which is suggested as one of the major targets of projection neurons in the superficial dorsal horn laminae, i.e., the parabrachial area. During the first week following injury, the animals developed tactile allodynia. At this time we found an increase of c‐Fos positive neurons in the parabrachial area, mainly in the pontine part where the group of c‐Fos immunoreactive neurons was present in the dorsal part of lateral parabrachial subnuclei. The number of c‐Fos positive neurons gradually decreased up to 14 days following CCI. The specific activation of brain stem neurons during onset of mechanical allodynia could underlie the changes in central nociceptive processing following peripheral nerve injury.