Premium
Herpes Simplex Virus 1‐Mediated Transfer of Preproenkephalin A in Rat Dorsal Root Ganglia
Author(s) -
Antunes Bras João Manuel,
Epstein Alberto L.,
Bourgoin Sylvie,
Hamon Michel,
Cesselin François,
Pohl Michel
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1046/j.1471-4159.1998.70031299.x
Subject(s) - herpes simplex virus , dorsum , enkephalin , dorsal root ganglion , biology , spinal cord , in situ hybridization , in vivo , recombinant dna , virus , messenger rna , anatomy , microbiology and biotechnology , virology , neuroscience , gene , opioid , biochemistry , receptor
Abstract: Recombinant herpes simplex virus‐1 encoding the rat preproenkephalin A (HSVLatEnk 1 ) was generated for driving the expression of preproenkephalin A‐derived peptides in dorsal root ganglia of rats in vivo. Three weeks after infection via the hind footpads, quantitative RT‐PCR and in situ hybridization experiments showed a strong expression of preproenkephalin A mRNA in lumbar dorsal root ganglia. In addition, a 40–160% increase in radioimmunoassayable Met‐enkephalin‐like material concentrations was found in the dorsal spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia, respectively, at the lumbar level in HSVLatEnk 1 ‐infected rats as compared with animals infected with β‐galactosidase‐encoding recombinant herpes simplex virus‐1 or control rats. These data demonstrate the efficacy of the preproenkephalin A encoding vector and suggest that it should help in elucidating the role of Met‐enkephalin‐containing primary afferent fibers in pain transmission and/or control.