GLUTAMATE AND ASPARTATE IN THE SPINAL TRIGEMINAL NUCLEUS

三叉神经脊束核，尤其是亚核 尾侧肌是口面神经传递的重要组成部分 伤害性信息传递到高级脑核团。 尽管许多 生理学研究表明了这一点的重要性 核口面伤害性感受，很少有解剖数据， 描述了两个广泛的关系。 分布假定的兴奋性神经递质，谷氨酸和 天冬氨酸和其他神经递质。 尤其未 电子显微镜免疫组织化学研究已经 做了检查的关系，无论是氨基酸， 投影或互连。 的理解 这两种氨基酸在大肠杆菌中的分布将提供 为今后的生物化学和药理学研究奠定了基础 并可能最终导致更好的治疗管理 口腔面部疼痛 该项目旨在实现3个长期目标， 是：1）超微结构分析谷氨酸和天冬氨酸- 包含大鼠每个亚核中的神经元和突起 通过使用对这两种抗体特异的单克隆抗体， 氨基酸; 2）阐明突触关系和可能的 谷氨酸和天冬氨酸与其他假定的 神经递质和神经调质，包括P物质， 胆囊收缩素、脑啡肽和FMRF-酰胺;以及3）使用 逆行道示踪剂，WGA-HRP，以确定是否 从丘脑到丘脑的投射起源细胞， 小脑和脊髓也含有谷氨酸， 谷氨酸参与了三叉神经-丘脑-皮质 通路 这些神经元将在超微结构上表征 以及它们参与了多巴胺能和P物质 Synapses描述 投影的末端分支 还将审查对上述地区的监测 超微结构，使用顺行束示踪剂，菜豆 寻常白细胞凝集素（PHA-L），结合电子 显微免疫组织化学技术， 谷氨酸盐。 通过实现这些目标，可以更好地了解 神经解剖学安排的延髓亚核和 兴奋性氨基酸在细胞结构中的重要性 我们会得到的。 这些信息对我们的 了解接力背后的生化机制 口面疼痛和触觉的神经元传递到其他脑核团。 这种理解最终可能会让新的、更好的 控制口面疼痛的治疗方法有待开发。

The spinal trigeminal nucleus (STN), especially subnucleus caudalis, is an important component in the relay of orofacial nociceptive information to higher brain nuclei. Although many physiological studies have indicated the importance of this nucleus in orofacial nociception, very little anatomical data is available describing the relationships between two widely distributed putative excitatory neurotransmitters, glutamate and aspartate, and other transmitters in the STN. In particular, no electron microscopic immunohistochemical studies have been done to examine the relationship of either amino acid to STN projections or interconnections. An understanding of the distribution of these two amino acids in the STN will provide a basis for future biochemical and pharmacological studies of this region and may ultimately lead to better therapeutic management of orofacial pain. This project is designed to fulfill 3 long term objectives, which are: 1) to ultranstructurally analyze glutamate- and aspartate- containing neurons and processes in each subnucleus of the rat STN by using monoclonal antibodies that are specific for these 2 amino acids; 2) to elucidate the synaptic relationships and possible co-localization of glutamate and aspartate with other putative neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, including substance P, cholecystokinin, enkephalin and FMRF-amide; and 3) to use a retrograde-tract tracer, WGA-HRP, to determine whether the cells of origin of projections from the STN to the thalamus, cerebellum and spinal cord also contain glutamate and whether glutamate is involved in the trigeminal-thalamic-cortical pathway. These neurons will be characterized ultrastructurally and their involvement in both glutamatergic and substance P synapses described. The terminal arborization of projections from the STN to the above regions will also be examined ultrastructurally by using an anterograde tract tracer, Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L), combined with electron microscopic immunohistochemical techniques to visualize glutamate. By achieving these objectives, a better understanding of both the neuroanatomical arrangement of the STN subnuclei and of the importance of excitatory amino acids in the cytoarchitecture of the STN will be gained. This information is essential to our understanding of the biochemical mechanisms underlying the relay of both orofacial pain and tactile sensations to other brain nuclei. This understanding may ultimately allow new and better treatments for the control of orofacial pain to be developed.