Department of Biology, Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology Division, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
Spinal Cord. 2011 Feb;49(2):280-4. doi: 10.1038/sc.2010.109. Epub 2010 Aug 24.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in alterations in the regulation of many genes that may influence neuronal death and the subsequent loss of motor function and neuropathic pain. The subtype expression mRNA levels of glycine receptors (GlyRs) after SCI are unknown.
Using real-time reverse transcription PCR, this study analyzed changes in the mRNA abundance of the four major GlyR subunits (α13 and β) at 6, 24 h and 3, 7 and 10 days after SCI in adult male rats. SCI was induced at the T9 level by transection.
Our results show a complicated temporal and spatial pattern of alteration in GlyR mRNA expression levels after SCI. Temporal and spatial variations with different degrees and direction (up or downregulation) of expression alteration were observed. The greatest variation was seen in GlyRα1, whereas GlyRα2 was downregulated in all regions following SCI.
This study shows that alteration in GlyR expression starts as early as 6 h after SCI. The most significant points of this research are temporal elevation of GlyRα1 and continuous reduction of GlyRα2. Alterations in GlyR expression within the spinal cord may have a key role in the development of pathological pain. Therefore, control of GlyR expression could represent a novel therapeutic avenue for the development of new painkiller agents in SCI.
脊髓损伤 (SCI) 会导致许多基因的调节发生改变，这些改变可能会影响神经元死亡以及随后的运动功能丧失和神经病理性疼痛。SCI 后甘氨酸受体 (GlyR) 的亚型表达 mRNA 水平尚不清楚。
本研究采用实时逆转录 PCR 技术，分析成年雄性大鼠 SCI 后 6、24 h 及 3、7 和 10 天，α1、β四个主要 GlyR 亚基的 mRNA 丰度变化。SCI 通过横切在 T9 水平诱导。
我们的结果显示，SCI 后 GlyR mRNA 表达水平的改变呈现出复杂的时空模式。观察到表达改变的程度和方向（上调或下调）存在不同程度和方向的时空变化。GlyRα1 的变化最大，而 GlyRα2 在 SCI 后所有区域均下调。
本研究表明，GlyR 表达的改变早在 SCI 后 6 h 就开始了。本研究的最重要的一点是 GlyRα1 的时间性升高和 GlyRα2 的持续降低。脊髓内 GlyR 表达的改变可能在病理性疼痛的发展中起关键作用。因此，控制 GlyR 的表达可能代表着 SCI 中新型止痛药开发的新治疗途径。
