机构：[1]Medical Association of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430060, China[2]Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China华中科技大学同济医学院附属同济医院[3]Department of Dermatology, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510120, China大德路总院皮肤科大德路总院皮肤科广东省中医院
The rostral ventromedial medulla (RVM) is a prominent component of the descending modulatory system involved in the control of spinal nociceptive transmission. In the current study, we investigated melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) expression in the RVM, where the neurons involved in modulation of nociception reside. Using a line of mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the control of the MC4R promoter, we found a large number of GFP-positive neurons in the RVM [nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) and nucleus gigantocellularis pars alpha (NGC alpha)]. Fluorescence immunohistochemistry revealed that approximately 10% of MC4R-GFP-positive neurons coexpressed tyrosine hydroxylase, indicating that they were catecholaminergic, whereas 50%-75% of those coexpressed tryptophan hydroxylase, indicating that they were serotonergic. Our findings support the hypothesis that MC4R signaling in RVM may modulate the activity of serotonergic sympathetic outflow sensitive to nociceptive signals, and that MC4R signaling in RVM may contribute to the descending modulation of nociceptive transmission.
基金：
This project was supported by grants from National Natural
Science Foundation of China (No. 81071307, No. 81271766,
and No. 81673964) and Special Fund of Fundamental Scientific
Research Business Expense for Higher School of Central Government
(No. 2012TS060).
第一作者机构：[1]Medical Association of Hubei Province, Wuhan 430060, China
通讯作者：
推荐引用方式(GB/T 7714)：
Xu-chu PAN,Yong-tang SONG,Cheng LIU,et al.Melanocortin-4 Receptor Expression in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla Involved in Modulation of Nociception in Transgenic Mice[J].JOURNAL OF HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-MEDICAL SCIENCES.2013,33(2):195-198.doi:10.1007/s11596-013-1096-9.
APA：
Xu-chu PAN,Yong-tang SONG,Cheng LIU,Hong-bing XIANG&Chuan-jian LU.(2013).Melanocortin-4 Receptor Expression in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla Involved in Modulation of Nociception in Transgenic Mice.JOURNAL OF HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-MEDICAL SCIENCES,33,(2)
MLA：
Xu-chu PAN,et al."Melanocortin-4 Receptor Expression in the Rostral Ventromedial Medulla Involved in Modulation of Nociception in Transgenic Mice".JOURNAL OF HUAZHONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY-MEDICAL SCIENCES 33..2(2013):195-198
