Spinal Neurons Exhibiting a Specific Nociceptive Response Receive Abundant Substance P-containing Synaptic Contacts

Overview

Journal Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

Specialty Science

Date 1992 Jun 1

PMID 1375757

Citations 22

Authors

Y De Koninck

A Ribeiro-da-Silva

J L Henry

A C Cuello

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Substance P has been implicated in nociceptive transmission in the spinal cord. However, evidence for a direct correlation between a specific nociceptive response in spinal dorsal horn neurons and substance P input is lacking. In this study, we combine intracellular recording from dorsal horn neurons in vivo, characterization of their nociceptive responses, intracellular labeling by injection of horseradish peroxidase, and immunocytochemical demonstration of substance P at the electron microscopic level. The results reveal that dorsal horn neurons that respond to noxious cutaneous stimulation with a slow, prolonged excitatory postsynaptic potential receive a preferentially high number of substance P fibers compared with nonnociceptive neurons, which scarcely receive any substance P input. Therefore, this study provides direct evidence of a structural-functional link for a substance P-mediated nociceptive response.

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