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Expression of A‐type K + channel α subunits Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 in rat spinal lamina II excitatory interneurons and colocalization with pain‐modulating molecules
Author(s) -
Huang HsinYi,
Cheng JenKun,
Shih YangHsin,
Chen PeiHsuan,
Wang ChinLin,
Tsaur MeeiLing
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2005.04283.x
Subject(s) - neuroscience , colocalization , calretinin , excitatory postsynaptic potential , biology , cellular neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , nociception , calbindin , receptor , immunohistochemistry , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , immunology , biochemistry
Voltage‐gated K + channel α subunits Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 are the major contributors of somatodendritic A‐type K + currents in many CNS neurons. A recent hypothesis suggests that Kv4 subunits may be involved in pain modulation in dorsal horn neurons. However, whether Kv4 subunits are expressed in dorsal horn neurons remains unknown. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 immunoreactivity was concentrated in the superficial dorsal horn, mainly in lamina II. Both Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 appeared on many rostrocaudally orientated dendrites, whereas Kv4.3 could be also detected from certain neuronal somata. Kv4.3(+) neurons were a subset of excitatory inerneurons with calretinin(+)/calbindin(–)/PKCγ(–) markers, and a fraction of them expressed µ‐opioid receptors. Kv4.3(+) neurons also expressed ERK2 and mGluR5, which are molecules related to the induction of central sensitization, a mechanism mediating nociceptive plasticity. Together with the expression of Kv4.3 in VR1(+) DRG neurons, our data suggest that Kv4 subunits could be involved in pain modulation.