Karhunen T, Ulmanen I, Panula P
Department of Biology, Abo Akademi University, Turku, Finland.
Neuroscience. 1996 Jul;73(1):267-76. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(96)00016-4.
The localization of catechol-O-methyltransferase immunoreactivity in rat dorsal root ganglia and in the spinal cord and its co-existence with substance P, calcitonin gene-related peptide and fluoride-resistant acid phosphatase in dorsal root ganglion cells was examined with immunohistochemical and histochemical double-staining methods. Analysis of dorsal of dorsal root ganglia at both cervical and lumbar levels revealed catechol-O-methyltransferase immunoreactivity in numerous dorsal root ganglion cells. Double-staining studies showed that catechol-O-methyltransferase and substance P immunoreactivities were located in different cells with a few exceptions, whereas both catechol-O-methyltransferase and calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivities were detected in about 10% of all labeled cells positive for one of the two markers at both levels studied. The great majority of fluoride-resistant alkaline phosphatase-positive cells were also immunoreactive for catechol-O-methyltransferase. Again, no difference was found between cervical and lumbar levels. Catechol-O-methyltransferase immunoreactivity was also found in the neuropil of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The staining was most intense in the superficial laminae (I-III) and overlapped partly with substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide immunoreactivity. Western blotting analysis revealed that soluble catechol-O-methyltransferase was the clearly dominating form of the enzyme in dorsal root ganglia. The distribution pattern of catechol-O-methyltransferase in dorsal horn and sensory neurons suggests that the enzyme may modulate sensory neurotransmission.
采用免疫组织化学和组织化学双重染色方法，研究了大鼠背根神经节和脊髓中儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶免疫反应性的定位，以及背根神经节细胞中儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶与P物质、降钙素基因相关肽和耐氟酸性磷酸酶的共存情况。对颈段和腰段背根神经节的分析显示，许多背根神经节细胞中有儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶免疫反应性。双重染色研究表明，除少数例外，儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶和P物质免疫反应性位于不同细胞中，而在研究的两个水平上，约10%的两种标记物之一呈阳性的所有标记细胞中都检测到了儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶和降钙素基因相关肽免疫反应性。绝大多数耐氟碱性磷酸酶阳性细胞也对儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶呈免疫反应性。同样，颈段和腰段之间未发现差异。在脊髓背角的神经毡中也发现了儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶免疫反应性。染色在浅层（I-III层）最强烈，部分与P物质和降钙素基因相关肽免疫反应性重叠。蛋白质印迹分析显示，可溶性儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶是背根神经节中该酶的明显主导形式。儿茶酚-O-甲基转移酶在背角和感觉神经元中的分布模式表明，该酶可能调节感觉神经传递。
