The Journal of Neuroscience, January 28, 2004, 24(4):836-842; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.4221-03.2004
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Cellular/Molecular
Morphological and Physiological Features of a Set of Spinal Substantia Gelatinosa Neurons Defined by Green Fluorescent Protein Expression
Adam W. Hantman,1
Anthony N. van den Pol,2 and
Edward R. Perl1
1Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, and 2Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520
The spinal substantia gelatinosa (SG) is known to be involved in the manipulation of nociceptive and thermal primary afferent input; however, the interrelationships of its neuronal components are poorly understood. As a step toward expanding understanding, we took a relatively unique approach by concentrating on a set of SG neurons selectively labeled by green fluorescent protein (GFP) in a transgenic mouse. These GFP-expressing SG neurons prove to have homogenous morphological and electrophysiological properties, are systematically spaced in the SG, contain GABA, receive C-fiber primary afferent input, and upregulate c-Fos protein in response to noxious stimuli. Together, the properties established for these GFP-labeled neurons are consistent with a modular SG organization in which afferent activity related to nociception or other C-fiber signaling are subject to integration/modulation by repeating, similar circuits of neurons.
Key words: C-fiber; dorsal horn; GABA; nociception; spinal; substantia gelatinosa; pain
Received Sep 15, 2003;
revised November 7, 2003;
accepted November 7, 2003.