Qp. Ma et Rj. Hargreaves, Localization of N-methyl-D-aspartate NR2B subunits on primary sensory neurons that give rise to small-caliber sciatic nerve fibers in rats, NEUROSCIENC, 101(3), 2000, pp. 699-707
In the present study we have used immunohistochemical staining and retrogra
de tracing techniques to investigate the relationship between the N-methyl-
D-aspartate receptor NR2B subunits and small-diameter primary afferent dors
al root ganglion neurons that give rise to the sciatic nerve fibers. Three
days after an intra-sciatic nerve injection of tetramethyl rhodamine isothi
ocyanate-conjugated wheat germ agglutinin which labels small-diameter prima
ry afferents, many NR2B and wheat germ agglutinin-double-labeled cells (sim
ilar to 70% of wheat germ agglutinin-labeled neurons) were observed in the
L5 dorsal root ganglia. Three days after an intra-sciatic nerve injection o
f fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated Bandeiraea simplicifolia agglutinin
isolectin B4 which labels predominantly non-peptidergic C-fiber primary af
ferents, NR2B and Bandeiraea simplicifolia agglutinin isolectin B4 double-l
abeled neurons (similar to 90% of Bandeiraea simplicifolia agglutinin isole
ctin B4-labeled neurons) were also observed in the L5 dorsal root ganglion.
Three days after an intra-sciatic nerve injection of fluorescein isothiocy
anate-conjugated cholera toxin B subunit, only similar to 40% of cholera to
xin B subunit-labeled neurons were NR2B positive and those labeled neurons
tended to be small-sized. When calcitonin gene-related peptide and NR2B wer
e labeled by a double immunofluorescent staining technique, we found that t
he majority of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive neurons was NR2B im
munoreactive (>90% of calcitonin gene-related peptide-positive neurons, and
similar to 60% of NR2B-positive neurons) as well. Size frequency analysis
also demonstrated that NR2B subunits were predominantly localized on the sm
all and medium-sized neurons.
These results suggest that NR2B subunits are predominantly expressed on sma
ll diameter primary afferents, and these NR2B containing N-methyl-D-asparta
te receptors may play a role in the modulation of neurotransmitter release
from primary afferent terminals. (C) 2000 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Scien
ce Ltd. All rights reserved.