Opioid peptide gene expression in rat trigeminal nucleus caudalis neurons: Normal distribution and effects of trigeminal deafferentation

T. Nishimori, M. A. Moskowitz, G. R. Uhl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

26 Scopus citations

Abstract

Preproenkephalin (preproenkephalin A) and preprodynorphin (preproenkephalin B) are the opioid peptide genes expressed in neurons of the nucleus caudalis of the trigeminal nuclear complex. We have used recently developed techniques for quantivative in situ hybridization to identify the neurons in laminae I and II of the nucleus caudalis that display the mRNA products of each of these genes. The specificity of these hybridization patterns is supported by several biochemical features, and by qualitative and quantitative parallels with previous immunohistochemical results. In animals killed 4 days after unilateral lesions of the trigeminal ganglion, neuronal expression of both preproenkephalin and preprodynorphin is altered in the nucleus caudalis. Decreases in preproenkephalin mRNA are due to a decline in the number of neurons that appear to express this gene. Conversely, preprodynorphin mRNA increases by adding a significant population of expressing neurons. These deafferentation-induced changes in gene expression may provide clues to the role of primary afferent information in modulating the functions of nucleus caudalis neurons containing opioid peptides.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)142-150
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Comparative Neurology
Volume274
Issue number1
StatePublished - 1988

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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