LOCALIZATION OF CYCLOOXYGENASE-2 AND PROSTAGLANDIN E-2 RECEPTOR EP3 IN THE RAT LUMBAR SPINAL-CORD

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is now considered to be the major constitutiv ely expressed COX isozyme in the central nervous system. The present i mmunocytochemical study details localization of COX-2 immunoreactivity in rat spinal cord along with the expression of prostaglandin E-2 rec eptor subtype EP3. Prominent COX-2 staining was observed in the nuclea r envelope of neurons throughout the spinal cord, especially in the su perficial dorsal horn laminae and motoneurons of lamina IX, as well as in glial cells of the white matter. Expression of EP3 receptor was st rictly confined to afferent terminal areas in the superficial dorsal h orns. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.