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PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2001-12-12
pubmed:abstractText
The isolectin I-B4 (IB4) binds specifically to a subset of small sensory neurons. We used a conjugate of IB4 and the toxin saporin to examine in vivo the contribution of IB4-binding sensory neurons to nociception. A single dose of the conjugate was injected unilaterally into the sciatic nerve of rats. The treatment resulted in a permanent selective loss of IB4-binding neurons as indicated by histological analysis of dorsal root ganglia, spinal cord, and skin from treated animals. Behavioral measurements showed that 7-10 days after the injection, conjugate-treated rats had elevated thermal and mechanical nociceptive thresholds. However, 21 days post-treatment the nociceptive thresholds returned to baseline levels. These results demonstrate the utility of the IB4-saporin conjugate as a tool for selective cytotoxic targeting and provide behavioral evidence for the role of IB4-binding neurons in nociception. The decreased sensitivity to noxious stimuli associated with the loss of IB4-binding neurons indicates that these sensory neurons are essential for the signaling of acute pain. Furthermore, the unexpected recovery of nociceptive thresholds suggests that the loss of IB4-binding neurons triggers changes in the processing of nociceptive information, which may represent a compensatory mechanism for the decreased sensitivity to acute pain.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:issn
0306-4522
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
108
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
143-55
pubmed:dateRevised
2009-11-3
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2001
pubmed:articleTitle
Cytotoxic targeting of isolectin IB4-binding sensory neurons.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.