ACLS
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ma, Z.-L.
Right arrow Articles by Zeng, Y.-M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ma, Z.-L.
Right arrow Articles by Zeng, Y.-M.
Annals of Clinical & Laboratory Science 37:349-355 (2007)
© 2007 Association of Clinical Scientists

Effects of Intrathecal Injection of Prednisolone Acetate on Expression of NR2B Subunit and nNOS in Spinal Cord of Rats after Chronic Compression of Dorsal Root Ganglia

Zheng-Liang Ma1, Wei Zhang1, Xiao-Ping Gu1, Wen-Sheng Yang2 and Yin-Ming Zeng2
1 Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China; 2 Jiangsu Institute of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou, China

Address correspondence to Dr Zheng-Liang Ma, Department of Anesthesiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical Dept. of Nanjing University, Nanjing 210008, Jiangsu Province, China; tel 86 25 8330 4616; fax 86 25 8331 7016; e-mail mazhengliang1964{at}yahoo.com.cn.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor subunit 2B (NR2B) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) play important roles in the mechanism of neuropathic pain. To elucidate how glucocorticoids affect this mechanism, we studied the effects of intrathecal (it) injection of prednisolone acetate (PA) on a nociceptive stimulus and the changes of nNOS and NR2B subunit expression in the spinal dorsal horn of Sprague Dawley rats following chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglia (CCD). Paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT) and paw withdrawal thermal latency (PWTL) were measured for 15 days postoperatively. An it injection of PA (2.0 mg/kg) every 3 days for postoperative days 1 to 15 inhibited the thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia of CCD rats. Chronic compression of the dorsal root ganglia induced time-dependent upregulation of nNOS and NR2B subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor within the spinal cord dorsal horn ipsilateral to CCD. Both upregulations were significantly diminished by it administration of PA (2.0 mg/kg), but not by lower doses of PA (0.5 or 1.0 mg/kg). The results suggest that PA upregulation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and NR2B subunit expression in the spinal dorsal horn contributes to PA inhibition of hyperalgesia induced by chronic compression of dorsal root ganglia.

Keywords: spinal dorsal horn, prednisolone, nNOS, NR2B, neuropathic pain, spinal cord compression






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2007 by the Association of Clinical Scientists.