Evrard H, Baillien M, Foidart A, Absil P, Harada N, Balthazart J
Laboratory of Biochemistry, Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liège, Liège B-4020, Belgium.
J Comp Neurol. 2000 Aug 7;423(4):552-64. doi: 10.1002/1096-9861(20000807)423:4<552::aid-cne2>3.0.co;2-s.
In adult male and female Japanese quail, aromatase-immunoreactive cells were identified in the spinal dorsal horns from the upper cervical segments to the lower caudal area. These immunoreactive cells are located mostly in laminae I-III, with additional sparse cells being present in the medial part of lamina V and, at the cervical level exclusively, in lamina X around the central canal. Radioenzyme assays based on the measurement of tritiated water release confirmed the presence of substantial levels of aromatase activity throughout the rostrocaudal extent of the spinal cord. Contrary to what is observed in the brain, this enzyme activity and the number of aromatase-immunoreactive cells in five representative segments of the spinal cord are not different in sexually mature males or females and are not influenced in males by castration with or without testosterone treatment. The aromatase activity and the numbers of aromatase-immunoreactive cells per section are higher at the brachial and thoracic levels than in the cervical and lumbar segments. These experiments demonstrate for the first time the presence of local estrogen production in the spinal cord of a higher vertebrate. This production was localized in the sensory fields of the dorsal horn, where estrogen receptors have been identified previously in several avian and mammalian species, suggesting an implication of aromatase in the modulation of sensory (particularly nociceptive) processes.
在成年雄性和雌性日本鹌鹑中，从颈上段到尾下段的脊髓背角中均鉴定出芳香化酶免疫反应性细胞。这些免疫反应性细胞大多位于Ⅰ-Ⅲ层，Ⅴ层内侧也有少量稀疏细胞，仅在颈部水平，中央管周围的Ⅹ层有细胞。基于氚化水释放测量的放射酶测定证实，在脊髓的整个前后范围内都存在大量的芳香化酶活性。与在脑中观察到的情况相反，在脊髓的五个代表性节段中，这种酶活性和芳香化酶免疫反应性细胞的数量在性成熟的雄性和雌性中并无差异，并且在雄性中，无论是否进行睾酮治疗，去势都不会对其产生影响。臂部和胸部水平的芳香化酶活性以及每节段芳香化酶免疫反应性细胞的数量高于颈部和腰部节段。这些实验首次证明了高等脊椎动物脊髓中存在局部雌激素生成。这种生成定位于背角的感觉区域，此前在几种鸟类和哺乳动物物种中已鉴定出雌激素受体，这表明芳香化酶参与了感觉（特别是伤害性感受）过程的调节。
