Gayle M. Passmore, Joanne M. Reilly, Matthew Thakur, Vanessa N. Keasberry, Stephen J. Marsh, Anthony H. Dickenson, David A. Brown
Abstract
M-channels carry slowly activating potassium currents that regulate excitability in a variety of central and peripheral neurons. Functional M-channels and their Kv7 channel correlates are expressed throughout the somatosensory nervous system where they may play an important role in controlling sensory nerve activity. Here we show that Kv7.2 immunoreactivity is expressed in the peripheral terminals of nociceptive primary afferents. Electrophysiological recordings from single afferents in vitro showed that block of M-channels by 3 μM XE991 sensitized Aδ- but not C-fibers to noxious heat stimulation and induced spontaneous, ongoing activity at 32°C in many Aδ-fibers. These observations were extended in vivo: intraplantar injection of XE991 selectively enhanced the response of deep dorsal horn (DH) neurons to peripheral mid-range mechanical and higher range thermal stimuli, consistent with a selective effect on Aδ-fiber peripheral terminals. These results demonstrate an important physiological role of M-channels in controlling nociceptive Aδ-fiber responses and provide a rationale for the nocifensive behaviors that arise following intraplantar injection of the M-channel blocker XE991.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science
5
8%
Unspecified
4
6%
Medicine and Dentistry
3
5%
Other
8
13%
Unknown
10
16%
Attention Score in Context
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 14 April 2016.
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#22,759,802
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Outputs from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
#2,849
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Outputs of similar age
#228,483
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Outputs of similar age from Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience
#40
of 51 outputs
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