Abstract
Immunohistochemistry for substance P, somatostatin and vanilloid receptor subtype 1 as well as receptors for somatostatin and opioids was performed on the trigeminal ganglion in wild-type and Brn-3a knockout mice at postnatal day 0. In wild-type mice, the trigeminal ganglion contained abundant substance P-, vanilloid receptor subtype 1-, sst2A receptor- and delta-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons, while the ganglion had only a few mu-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons. The Brn-3a deficiency had an effect on the cell size but not the number of substance P-immunoreactive neurons. In knockout mice, the proportion of small immunoreactive neurons markedly increased and that of medium- to large-sized immunoreactive ones correspondingly decreased (mean ± S.D. = 54.7 ± 29.1 μm2, range = 10.9-220.8 μm2) compared to wild-type mice (mean ± S.D. = 116.6 ± 58.6 μm2, range = 27.3-400.7 μm2). As for vanilloid receptor subtype 1-immunoreactive neurons, the number and cell size was barely affected by the deficiency. On the other hand, the loss of Brn-3a caused a decrease in the number of sst2A receptor- or delta-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons (more than 95% reduction) and an increase in the number of mu-opioid receptor-immunoreactive neurons (9.3-fold increase). Somatostatin-immunoreactive neurons were not detected in the trigeminal ganglion of wild-type or mutant mice at postnatal day 0. The present study suggests that Brn-3a deficiency may have effects on the survival of trigeminal nociceptors and their expression of some neurochemical substances.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 445-451 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Neuroscience Research |
Volume | 51 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2005 Apr |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Capsaicin receptor
- Immunohistochemistry
- Knockout mouse
- Neuropeptides
- Transcription factor
- Trigeminal ganglion
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)