QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

The Journal of Neuroscience, August 22, 2007, 27(34):9068-9076; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2260-07.2007

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (10) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chiang, C.-Y. Articles by Sessle, B. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chiang, C.-Y. Articles by Sessle, B. J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Astroglial Glutamate–Glutamine Shuttle Is Involved in Central Sensitization of Nociceptive Neurons in Rat Medullary Dorsal Horn

Chen-Yu Chiang,^1 * Jing Wang,^1 * Yu-Feng Xie,¹ Sun Zhang,¹ James W. Hu,¹ Jonathan O. Dostrovsky,² and Barry J. Sessle^1,2

¹Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6, and ²Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 1A8

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Barry J. Sessle, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 124 Edward Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6. Email: barry.sessle{at}utoronto.ca

Growing evidence suggests that astroglia are involved in pain states, but no studies have tested their possible involvement in modulating the activity of nociceptive neurons per se. This study has demonstrated that the central sensitization induced in functionally identified nociceptive neurons in trigeminal subnucleus caudalis (the medullary dorsal horn) by application of an inflammatory irritant to the rat's tooth pulp can be significantly attenuated by continuous intrathecal superfusion of methionine sulfoximine (MSO; 0.1 mM), an inhibitor of the astroglial enzyme glutamine synthetase that is involved in the glutamate–glutamine shuttle. Simultaneous superfusion of MSO and glutamine (0.25 mM) restored the irritant-induced central sensitization. In control experiments, superfusion of either MSO or glutamine alone, or vehicle, did not produce any significant changes in neuronal properties. These findings suggest that the astroglial glutamate–glutamine shuttle is essential for the initiation of inflammation-induced central sensitization but that inhibition of astroglial function may not affect normal nociceptive processing.

Key words: glutamine synthetase; methionine sulfoximine; trigeminal subnucleus caudalis; mustard oil; tooth pulp; inflammatory pain

---

Received May 17, 2007; revised June 25, 2007; accepted July 7, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Barry J. Sessle, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, 124 Edward Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 1G6. Email: barry.sessle{at}utoronto.ca

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Okada-Ogawa, I. Suzuki, B. J. Sessle, C.-Y. Chiang, M. W. Salter, J. O. Dostrovsky, Y. Tsuboi, M. Kondo, J. Kitagawa, A. Kobayashi, et al. Astroglia in Medullary Dorsal Horn (Trigeminal Spinal Subnucleus Caudalis) Are Involved in Trigeminal Neuropathic Pain Mechanisms J. Neurosci., September 9, 2009; 29(36): 11161 - 11171. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help