ERK1/2 Phosphorylation in the Rat Supraoptic Nucleus, Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, and Locus Coeruleus Neurons Following Noxious Stimulation to the Hind Paw.

Josef Donnerer, Ingrid Liebmann

Pharmacology 2016

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Phospho-ERK1/2 (pERK1/2) fluorescence-immunohistochemistry is specifically well suited to mirror neuronal activity in the pain pathway at the cellular level. This study employed this method to visualize neuronal activity in 3 rat CNS nuclei following an acute noxious stimulation. The rat hind paw was stimulated either by heat or by a sequence of mustard oil and heat. Two min after the thermal stimulation or after the combined mustard oil and thermal stimulation, there was a significant increase in cells showing pERK1/2 immunoreactivity in the supraoptic nucleus (SON), in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN), and in the locus coeruleus (LC). Pretreatment with the opioid analgesic morphine or the N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist MK-801 markedly attenuated ERK1/2 phosphorylation. These findings support the concept that the SON, the DRN, and the LC are integrated into pain processing at the hypothalamic and brain stem level. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Citation

Josef Donnerer, Ingrid Liebmann. ERK1/2 Phosphorylation in the Rat Supraoptic Nucleus, Dorsal Raphe Nucleus, and Locus Coeruleus Neurons Following Noxious Stimulation to the Hind Paw. Pharmacology. 2016;97(1-2):57-62