Open AccessChanges of parvalbumin expression in the spinal cord after peripheral inflammation
Author(s) -
Gisela Zachařová,
Dorothy K. Sojka,
J. Paleček
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
physiological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.647
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1802-9973
pISSN - 0862-8408
DOI - 10.33549/physiolres.931513
Subject(s) - parvalbumin , spinal cord , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , gabaergic , lumbar spinal cord , nociception , central nervous system , neurotransmission , neuroscience , anatomy , biology , medicine , receptor
Parvalbumin (PV) is a calcium-binding protein that is expressedby numerous neuronal subpopulations in the central nervoussystem. Staining for PV was often used in neuroanatomicalstudies in the past. Recently, several studies have suggested thatPV acts in neurons as a mobile endogenous calcium buffer thataffects temporo-spatial characteristics of calcium transients andis involved in modulation of synaptic transmission. In ourexperiments, expression of PV in the lumbar dorsal horn spinalcord was evaluated using densitometric analysis ofimmunohistological sections and Western-blot techniques incontrol and arthritic rats. There was a significant reduction of PVimmunoreactivity in the superficial dorsal horn region ipsilateralto the arthritis after induction of the peripheral inflammation. Theipsilateral area and intensity of PV staining in this area werereduced to 38 % and 37 %, respectively, out of the total PVstaining on both sides. It is suggested that this reduction mayreflect decreased expression of PV in GABAergic inhibitoryneurons. Reduction of PV concentration in the presynapticGABAergic terminals could lead to potentiation of inhibitorytransmission in the spinal cord. Our results suggest that changesin expression of calcium-binding proteins in spinal cord dorsalhorn neurons may modulate nociceptive transmission.