Tetrodotoxin-resistant sodium channels Na(v)1.8/SNS and Na(v)1.9/NaN in afferent neurons innervating urinary bladder in control and spinal cord injured rats

Brain Res. 2003 Feb 14;963(1-2):132-8. doi: 10.1016/s0006-8993(02)03957-4.

Abstract

Tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) sodium channels Na(v)1.8/SNS and Na(v)1.9/NaN are preferentially expressed in small diameter dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons. The urinary bladder is innervated by small afferent neurons from L6/S1 DRG, of which approximately 75% exhibit high-threshold action potentials that are mediated by TTX-R sodium channels. Following transection of the spinal cord at T8, the bladder becomes areflexic and then gradually hyper-reflexic, and there is an attenuation of the TTX-R sodium currents in bladder afferent neurons. In the present study, we demonstrate that Na(v)1.8 is expressed in both bladder and non-bladder afferent neurons, while Na(v)1.9 is expressed in non-bladder afferent neurons but is rarely observed in bladder afferent neurons. In spinal cord transected rats 28-32 days following transection, there is a decreased expression of Na(v)1.8 sodium channels in bladder afferents, but no change in the expression of Na(v)1.8 in non-bladder afferent neurons. Both bladder and non-bladder afferent neurons exhibit limited increases in Na(v)1.9 expression following spinal cord transection. These results demonstrate that the expression of TTX-R channels in bladder afferent neurons changes after spinal cord transection, and these changes may contribute to the increased excitability of these neurons following spinal cord injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Female
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • NAV1.9 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • Neurons, Afferent / drug effects*
  • Neuropeptides / metabolism*
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Sodium Channel Blockers / pharmacology*
  • Sodium Channels / drug effects
  • Sodium Channels / metabolism*
  • Spinal Cord Injuries / pathology*
  • Tetrodotoxin / pharmacology*
  • Urinary Bladder / innervation*

Substances

  • NAV1.8 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • NAV1.9 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel
  • Neuropeptides
  • Scn10a protein, rat
  • Scn11a protein, rat
  • Sodium Channel Blockers
  • Sodium Channels
  • Tetrodotoxin