The role of type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors in the generation of dorsal root reflexes induced by acute arthritis or the spinal infusion of 4-aminopyridine in the anesthetized rat
Lp. Zhang et al., The role of type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptors in the generation of dorsal root reflexes induced by acute arthritis or the spinal infusion of 4-aminopyridine in the anesthetized rat, J PAIN, 1(2), 2000, pp. 151-161
Antidromically propagated action potentials can be recorded in the proximal
end of the severed medial articular nerve (MAN) on mechanical stimulation
of an inflamed knee in rats and are referred to as dorsal root reflex (DRR)
activity. The absence of DRR activity in normal vats suggests that the act
ivity could be the result of hyperexcitability of spinal neurons induced by
inflammation. In this study, the role of spinal type 1 metabotropic glutam
ate (mGlu(1)) receptors in the generation of DRR activity in the MAN during
acute knee inflammation was investigated. Four hours after an injection of
a mixture of kaolin and carrageenan (k/c) into a knee joint, DRR activity
could be evoked in the ipsilateral MAN by mechanical stimulation of the inf
lamed limb. Spinal application of a selective mGlu(1) receptor antagonist,
[RS]-1-Aminoindan-1,5-dicarboxylic acid/UPF 523 (AIDA), or a potent, but le
ss specific mGlu(1) receptor antagonist, LY393053, both depressed the DRR a
ctivity significantly. AIDA and LY39053 had no effect on recordings in the
MAN from noninflamed control animals. However, spinal administration of AID
A did suppress DRR activity generated by infusion of 4-aminopyridine (4-AP)
, a K+ channel blocker, into the dorsal horn of noninflamed animals. These
observations suggest that mGlu(1) receptors support the generation of DRR a
ctivity in the MAN following sensitization of spinal cord neurons.