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Descending serotonergic facilitation of spinal ERK activation and pain behavior
Author(s) -
Svensson Camilla I.,
Tran Thao K.,
Fitzsimmons Bethany,
Yaksh Tony L.,
Hua Xiao-Ying
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2006.11.012
Subject(s) - serotonergic , nociception , chemistry , mapk/erk pathway , spinal cord , serotonin , 5 ht receptor , neuroscience , antagonist , anesthesia , receptor , endocrinology , medicine , phosphorylation , biology , biochemistry
Serotonin (5‐HT) derived from bulbo‐spinal projection is released by nociceptive input into the spinal dorsal horn. Here we report that formalin injection in the paw produced pain behavior (flinching) and phosphorylation of spinal ERK1/2 (P‐ERK1/2, indicating activation) in rats. Depletion of spinal 5‐HT by intrathecal (IT) 5,7‐DHT, a serotonergic neurotoxin, profoundly reduced formalin evoked flinching and the increase in P‐ERK1/2. Ondansetron (a 5‐HT3 receptor antagonist) at IT doses that inhibited flinching also attenuated spinal ERK activation. These findings reveal that primary afferent‐evoked activation of spinal ERK requires the input from an excitatory 5‐HT descending pathway.