Je. Krause et al., ALTERATIONS IN NEUROKININ-1 RECEPTOR GENE-EXPRESSION IN MODELS OF PAIN AND INFLAMMATION, Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 73(7), 1995, pp. 854-859
Substance P and the related tachykinin peptides are involved in inflam
matory processes and in the transmission of sensory nociceptive inform
ation. In this article we review the evidence implicating substance P
and the neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor in arthritic disease. We also prov
ide preliminary evidence demonstrating that cultured synoviocytes from
a patient with rheumatoid arthritis express NK1 receptor mRNA that ca
n be downregulated by tumor necrosis factor alpha, whereas synoviocyte
s from a normal patient do not express detectable NK1 receptor mRNA or
protein. Data are also presented summarizing recent studies on nocice
ption-induced increases in sensory ganglia of levels of mRNA encoding
substance P and increases in dorsal horn NK1 receptor mRNA levels. Mor
phine pretreatment blocked the increases in dorsal horn NK1 receptor m
RNA levels but did not block the nociception-induced substance P encod
ing mRNA levels in sensory ganglia. These results are discussed with r
eference to mechanisms that may regulate substance P turnover and NK1
receptor sensitivity in models of pain and inflammation.