Vanilloid receptor loss is independent of the messenger plasticity that follows systemic resiniferatoxin administration.

Publication/Presentation Date

5-6-1996

Abstract

Resiniferatoxin (RTX) depletes vanilloid (capsaicin) receptors from lumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of the rat. In addition, RTX causes changes in neuropeptide and nitric oxide synthase expression in lumbar DRG neurons, similar to those described following axotomy; this latter phenomenon is referred to as messenger plasticity. These findings suggested that vanilloid receptor loss may be part of the plasticity that follows RTX treatment. Here we show that vanilloid receptor expression, as detected by [3H]RTX autoradiography, is not changed in lumbar DRGs of axotomized rats, nor is it altered in a rat model (chronic constriction injury) of neuropathic pain. Thus, the in vivo expression of vanilloid receptors detected by specific [3H]RTX binding does not require the presence of intraaxonally transported trophic factors such as nerve growth factor. We conclude that messenger plasticity and vanilloid receptor loss are mediated by distinct mechanisms.

Volume

719

Issue

1-2

First Page

213

Last Page

218

ISSN

0006-8993

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

8782884

Department(s)

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Document Type

Article

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