Influences of aberrant ionic channel expression in primary afferent Aβ fibers on neuropathic pain

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Kvl.1 and Kv1.2 are closely related pore-forming subunits of voltage-gated potassium (K+) channels, and are abundantly expressed in the peripheral nervous system. To clarify biological roles of these subunits in primary sensory afferentiation, we performed immunohistochemical analysis using specific polyclonal antidodies. In immunopeoxidase staining, dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia revealed that intense immunoreactivity (IR) for Kvl.1 and Kv1.2 was prediominant in medium to large cell bodies of primary sensory neurons. Double-immunofluorescence experiments revealed that the strongly immunoreactive neurons were most frequently RT97 (neurofilament)-positive; but rarely peripherin-or IB4-positive. In the spinad dorsal horn, both the anti-Kvl.1 and anti-Kv1.2 antibodies heavily stained the deeper laminae III-IV. These results suggest that voltage-gated channels composed of Kvl.1 and/or Kv1.2 subunits may play important roles in conducting mechanoceptive and proprioceptive sensation from … More skin and muscles. We also observed that, when sciatic nerve was ligated, Kv1.2-IR was reduced in DRG neurons. We now hypothesize that activities of particular subtypes of K+ channels are reduced after peripheral nerve injury, resulting in abnormal excitability of primary sensory neurons, (manuscript, in preparation) In pararell, we attempted to identify proteins unregulated after peripheral nerve perturbation. We demonstrated that sciatic nerve elongation induces production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in DRG neurons and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in Schwann cells. The induction was detected not only in the acutely elongated 20-mm/d group, in which nuclear eccentricity in the cell body and degenerated axons were observed, but also in the gradually elongated 1-and 2-mm/d groups, in which no degenerative change was detectable. These data indicate that the expression levels of IL-6 and TNF-α are regulated delicately in the peripheral nervous system. (Osamura, et al., Exp. Neurol. 191: 61-70, 2005; Hagiwara et al., J. Orthop. Sci.10: 614-621, 2005) In the future, we will examine whether or not IL-6 and TNF-α alter expression levels of Kvl.1 and Kv1.2 proteins in neuropathic pain models. Less