Showing posts with label Nociception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nociception. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Dopamine and Morphine Tolerance

Dopamine Identified as Key Player

Our Mu Opioid Receptor antibody is used to show that blocking dopamine decreases morphine tolerance: Wen-Ling Dai, Feng Xiong, Bing Yan, Zheng-Yu Cao, Wen-Tao Liu, Ji-Hua Liu1, Bo-Yang Yu. Blockade of neuronal dopamine D2 receptor attenuates morphine tolerance in mice spinal cord. Scientific Reports 6, Article number: 38746 (2016). doi:10.1038/srep38746.

Images: (A) Double immunofluorescence staining showed that MOR (green) and D2DR (red) were co-localized in the mice spinal cord (20X magnification). Chronic morphine treatment increased the co-localization of MOR and D2DR in the spinal cord, and D2DR antagonist sulpiride (8 μg/10 μl, i.t.) reduced the increased co-expression of D2DR with MOR (n = 4). (B) Co-IP experiments showed that D2DR could interact with MOR, and the MOR/D2DR interactions were increased in the spinal dorsal horn after chronic morphine treatment for 7 days while D2DR antagonist sulpiride (8 μg/10 μl, i.t.) disrupted the interactions of the MOR/D2DR (n = 3).

Blockade of D2DR in spinal cord can disrupt the interactions between MOR and D2DR to attenuate morphine tolerance. These findings highlight the possibility of a new clinical strategy to prevent morphine antinociceptive tolerance.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Small Molecules/Peptides for Pain Researchers

Agonists, Antagonists, Inhibitors and Ligands

The roots of Neuromics is providing solutions for the study of nociceptive and neuropathic pain. Our tools are widely used and frequently published. We are pleased to bring you these small molecules designed to help you better understand the roots of pain and potential therapies.

Figure: Infarct volume after 3 days of reperfusion in the ipsilateral cortex and CP complex in male rats treated with vehicle saline (n=15) or 1 mg/kg per hour BRL 52537 (n=15) started at onset of reperfusion and continued for 22 hours (male-vehicle n=15; male-BRL n=15; mean±SEM). P<.0.05. Related Pub.

Name
Catalog #
Type
Size
Price
187-10
Agonist
10 mg
50 mg
$165
$665
323-10
Antagonist
10 mg
50 mg
$319
$1,319
1224-10
Modulator
10 mg
50 mg
$99
$299
1062-10
Agonist
10 mg
$299
1116-10
Modulator
10 mg
50 mg
$119
$449
3661-10
Antagonist
10 mg
50 mg
$183
$795
699-10
Ligand
10 mg
1 mg
$159
$609
1560-1
Antagonist
1 mg
$135
898-2
Antagonist
2 mg
$179
1055-5
Agonist
5 mg
$139
1056-5
Agonist
5 mg
$139
1480-10
Agonist
10 mg
10 mg
$229
$929
0754-10
Agonist
10 mg
10 mg
$199
$809
910-1
Inhibitor
1 mg
$179
1198-1
Inhibitor
1 mg
$195


Questions? Do not hesitate to contact me @ pshuster@neuromics.com or 612-801-1007. Thank you! Pete Shuster, CEO and Owner, Neuromics.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Voices of our Customers

Your Feedback Matters-A lot

Our follow up processes include actively engaging users of our solutions for feedback and input. This includes Rose Ludescher, Manager of Customer Satisfaction, calling or sending e-mails to each user within 3 weeks of shipment. At the core is our product rating website. If users identify products related issues, we replace them or refund their purchases.

We want to hear from you...the good, the bad and the ugly. We welcome opportunities to fix issues.

We are always pleased when customers share data with us. Here's a recent example.
Image: Mouse striatum stained with D2 cell marker Enkephalin (RA14124) in green and with neuronal marker NeuN in red courtesy of Dr Heike Rebholz of City College of New York.

We are always delighted when we discover our solutions reference in Customer Publications. We try and post all of these to our website. We also post many here in recognition of our customers' research.

For all customers that share data or testimonials, we provide gift cards. It our way of saying thank you, because your feedback matters!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

More Gains on Pain Research

Discovering the Related Pathways

There are multiple descriptions for chronic and acute pain: stabbing, burning, cutting, itching, numbing, crushing and more. Understanding the pathways are important to optimizing the therapies and treatments for the many different forms of pain.

The foundation of Neuromics is providing top notch pain research markers, gene expression analysis tools and cell based assays. Here I share recent publications from customers using these:
Inflammatory Joint Pain: Fiona B Carr, Sandrine M Géranton and Stephen P Hunt. Descending controls modulate inflammatory joint pain and regulate CXC chemokine and iNOS expression in the dorsal horn. Molecular Pain 2014, 10:39 doi:10.1186/1744-8069-10-39...mu opioid receptor, 1:10,000, Neuromics (RA10104)...

Images: Representative single plane confocal images of MOR immunohistochemistry in the 1.5pmole dermorphin-saporin group and saline control. Double labelling with NeuN indicated that although many MOR+ neurons are depleted at this dose, some surviving MOR- neurons remain in the region, indicated by white arrows. Scale bars indicate 25 µm

Temperature Sensation: Marics I, Malapert P, Reynders A, Gaillard S, Moqrich A (2014) Acute Heat-Evoked Temperature Sensation Is Impaired but Not Abolished in Mice Lacking TRPV1 and TRPV3 Channels. PLoS ONE 9(6): e99828. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0099828. ...TRPV1 antibody (1/1000 dilution, Neuromics)...

Acute PainPaulino Barragán-Iglesias, Hector I. Rocha-González, Jorge Baruch Pineda-Farias, Janet Murbartián, Beatriz Godínez-Chaparro, Peter S. Reinach, Thiago M. Cunha, Fernando Q. Cunha, Vinicio Granados-Soto, Inhibition of peripheral anion exchanger 3 decreases formalin-induced pain, European Journal of Pharmacology, Available online 27 May 2014, ISSN 0014-2999, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2014.05.029. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299914003914). ...substance P (guinea pig; 1:200; Cat # GP14110; Neuromics, Edina, MN), and purinergic P2×3 receptor (guinea pig: 1:1000; Cat # GP10108 ...

We are pleased with the many publications and customer provided data proving the quality of our many pain research tools. I am always available to serve you, Pete Shuster (pshuster@neuromics.com) or direct phone: 612-801-1007.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

More MOR Publications

Latest Mu Opioid Publications

Our Mu Opioid Receptor Antibodies have set the standard for the study of Pain Mechanisms. We have posted >40 publications referencing use of these antibodies.

Here's several published in 2014:

Charlie H.T. Kwok, Ian M. Devonshire, Andrew J. Bennett, Gareth J. Hathway. Postnatal maturation of endogenous opioid systems within the periaqueductal grey and spinal dorsal horn of the rat. PAIN - January 2014 (Vol. 155, Issue 1, Pages 168-178, DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.09.0220. ...rabbit anti-MOR (Neuromics, Edina, MN, USA; 1:1000 with tyramide signal amplification protocol)...


Images: Immunohistochemical expression of opioid peptides and receptors in the DH (spinal cord dorsal horn) during postnatal development. (A) POMC (pro-opiomelanocortin) immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn in postnatal day (P)10, P21, and adult rats. White arrows depict where cell staining was found. Interestingly, fibre staining was also observed in the superficial dorsal horn (lamina I) of adult rats, but not in the younger ages. (B) Since both cell and fibre staining were observed, staining intensity was used to quantify the immunoreactivity of POMC in the DH. Quantified staining intensity for POMC in the DH significantly decreased as the animals aged, with highest immunoreactivity found at P10. (C) Enkephalin immunoreactivity in the DH was restricted to the superficial laminae and only fibre staining was observed. (D) Quantified staining intensity for enkephalin illustrate an age-dependent increase in immunoreactivity, which was highest at adult P10.(C) Enkephalin immunoreactivity in the DH was restricted to the superficial laminae and only fibre staining was observed. (D) Quantified staining intensity for enkephalin illustrate an age-dependent increase in immunoreactivity, which was highest at adult. (E) MOR (μ-opioid receptor) immunoreactivity in the DH, cell staining was found throughout the superficial and deeper laminae in all ages. (F) Cell count of MOR staining in the DH, which showed a significant increase as the animals aged (∗∗P<0 .01="" adult="" i="" p21="" vs="">


J. Desroches, J.-F. Bouchard, L. Gendron, P. Beaulieu. Involvement of cannabinoid receptors in peripheral and spinal morphine analgesia ☆ Neuroscience, Volume 261, 7 March 2014, Pages 23–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.12.030. ...The floating sections were then incubated in 1% sodium borohydride in PBS for 30 min, rinsed twice with PBS, and incubated for 30 min at room temperature in a blocking solution containing 3% normal goat serum (NGS) and 0.3% Triton X-100 in PBS. The sections were then incubated overnight at 4 °C with the guinea pig anti-MOP primary antibody (cat# GP10106; Neuromics, Minneapolis, MN, USA) diluted 1:1000 in the blocking solution. The floating sections were then washed in PBS and incubated with a goat anti-guinea pig secondary antibody conjugated with Alexa Fluor 488 (Molecular Probes, Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA, USA) at a concentration of 1:1000 in PBS for 2 h at room temperature...

We will continue posting customer data and publications that give new insights into the mechanisms of pain.

Monday, January 13, 2014

TRPV1 and Osteoarthritis Related Pain

Our TRPV Antibodies are widely used and frequently published. Many of these feature TRPVs' role in nociceptive pain. Specifically they play important roles in the detection of noxious stimuli and inflammatory hyperalgesia.

TRPV1 has been implicated in OA pain, both in animal models and by the finding that TRPV1 genetic variants are associated with the risk of symptomatic knee OA in humans: S Kelly, R J Chapman, S Woodhams, D R Sagar, J Turner, J J Burston, C Bullock, K Paton, J Huang, A Wong, D F McWilliams, B N Okine, D A Barrett, G J Hathway, D A Walsh, V Chapman. Increased function of pronociceptive TRPV1 at the level of the joint in a rat model of osteoarthritis pain. Ann Rheum Dis doi:10.1136/annrheumdis-2013-203413.
Methods: Rat spinal cord sections from MIA- and saline-treated rats (n=5/group) (see online supplemental methods) were incubated with a polyclonal guinea pig anti-TRPV1 antibody (1 : 500, Neuromics, Edina, Minnesota, USA catalogue number GP14100) and then with Alexa 568-conjugated goat anti-guinea pig secondary antibody (1:300, Molecular Probes). TRPV1 immunostaining was visualised with a Leica DMRB/DM4000 B fluorescence microscope and images were acquired using Openlab software (PerkinElmer)...




Images: Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) immunoreactivity in the spinal cord. TRPV1 immunofluorescence detected in superficial dorsal horn (10× magnification) in rat lumbar (L3–L5) spinal cord at day 28 post-intra-articular injection of saline (A) or mono-iodoacetate (MIA) (B). Minimum and maximum brightness values were altered (32.01 min and 90.14 max) using Image J so as to highlight the area of TRPV1 positive staining. (C) Quantification of TRPV1 immunofluorescence in superficial dorsal horn of spinal cord taken from rats at 14 or 28 days following intra-articular injection of MIA and at day 28 following intra-articular injection of saline. Data are expressed as mean and SEM (n=5 per group).

Clinical trials of oral TRPV1 antagonists have been limited by on-target-induced hyperthermia. Here experimental evidence for increased functional role of TRPV1 at the level of the joint in a model of OA pain and the demonstration that blockade of joint TRPV1 ablates sensory afferent sensitization and pain behaviour support future targeted site-specific investigations of the therapeutic potential of TRPV1 for OA pain associated with synovitis. This could be good news for OA sufferers.

Saturday, October 12, 2013

P2X3 Receptor and Inflammatory Nociception

P2X3 Activates TRPA1, 5-HT3 and 5-HT1A Receptors

Endogenous ATP via activation of P2X3 Receptors contributes to inflammatory nociception in different models, including the formalin injected in subcutaneous tissue of the rat's hind paw. In this study, researchers evaluated whether TRPA1, 5-HT3 and 5-HT1A receptors, whose activation is essential to formalin-induced inflammatory nociception, are involved in the nociception induced by activation of P2X3 receptors on subcutaneous tissue of the rat's hind paw: Suzy Krimon, Dionéia Araldi, Filipe César do Prado, Cláudia Herrera Tambeli, Maria Cláudia G. Oliveira-Fusaro, Carlos Amílcar Parada. P2X3 receptors induced inflammatory nociception modulated by TRPA1, 5-HT3 and 5-HT1A receptors. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, Available online 8 October 2013. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pbb.2013.09.017. Our widely used and frequently published P2X3 R Antibody places a central role in measuring the expression of the protein...containing 5% non-fat dry milk at room temperature, followed by incubation with P2X3 rabbit polyclonal antibody (1:500; Neuromics) overnight at 4 °C, rinsed six times with TBST, and then incubated for 40 minutes in goat anti-rabbit IgG peroxidase...
Image: Neuromics' P2X3 R WB Example: Sequence‐specific siRNA‐mediated repression of P2X3. (A) P2X3 mRNA inhibition by 200 nM siRNA duplexes. Twenty‐four hours after transfection of CHO‐rP2X3 cells, P2X3‐specific mRNA was measured with Q‐PCR and plotted as percentage of mRNA detected in the control treated with Oligofectamine alone. Sequences and modifications are shown in Figure 1B and Table 1. (B) P2X3 protein reduction by 200 nM siRNA‐8646/8647, but not by its mismatch analogue siRNA‐MM‐7558/7559 or the unrelated siRNA‐7126/7127. Twenty‐four hours after transfection, protein was extracted and analysed by western blotting. P2X3‐specific immunodetection reveals expression levels as shown below (an average value from two experiments). Time points as indicated at the top. Molecular weights of two glycosylated forms of P2X3 are shown on the left. 

Conclusions: Nociceptive response intensity was measured by observing the rat's behavior and considering the number of times the animal reflexively raised its hind paw (flinches) in 60 min. Local subcutaneous administration of the selective TRPA1, 5-HT3 or 5-HT1A receptor antagonists HC 030031, tropisetron and WAY 100,135, respectively, prevented the nociceptive responses induced by the administration in the same site of the non-selective P2X3 receptor agonist αβmeATP. Administration of the selective P2X3 and P2X2/3 receptor antagonist A-317491 or pretreatment with oligonucleotides antisense against P2X3 receptor prevented the formalin-induced behavioral nociceptive responses during the first and second phases. Also, the co-administration of a subthreshold dose of αβmeATP with a subthreshold dose of formalin induced nociceptive behavior, which was prevented by local administration of tropisetron, HC 030031 or WAY 100, 135. These findings have demonstrated that the activation of P2X3 receptors induces inflammatory nociception modulated by TRPA1, 5-HT3 and 5-HT1A receptors. Also, they suggest that inflammatory nociception is modulated by the release of endogenous ATP and P2X3 receptor activation, which in turn, increases primary afferent nociceptor susceptibility to the action of inflammatory mediators via interaction with TRPA1, 5-HT3 and 5-HT1A receptors in the peripheral tissue.

I will continue to post pain and inflammation related studies that reference the use of our antibodies.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Small Molecules-Peptides for Neuroscience Research

Agonists, Antagonists, Inhibitors and Ligands for Studying Neuromodulation

Our friends at R and D Systems/Tocris Bioscience have made available to us select Small Molecules/Peptides. Our focus will be on providing agonists, antagonists, inhibitors and ligands that complement our Neuroscience and Pain Research products and expertise.



We will be adding about 10 new molecules/peptides per month. Here's a sampling our our most recent additions:
NameTypeBioactivity
(±)-trans-ACPDAgonistPotent NMDA agonist. Also group II mGluR agonist
(S)-(-)-5-FluorowillardiineAgonistVery potent AMPA agonist
(S)-4-CarboxyphenylglycineAntagonistCompetitive group I mGluR antagonist/weak group II agonist
2-APBModulatorTRP channel modulator. Also IP3 receptor antagonist
2-Methylthioadenosine triphosphate tetrasodium saltAgonistP2 purinergic agonist
AM 404ModulatorVanilloid receptor agonist. Also anandamide transport inhibitor
BRL 52537 hydrochlorideLigandPotent and selective κ opioid receptor agonist
CNQXAntagonistPotent AMPA/kainate antagonist
Clocinnamox mesylateAntagonistIrreversible μ-opioid receptor antagonist
Endomorphin-1AgonistPotent and selective μ opioid receptor agonist
Endomorphin-2AgonistPotent and selective μ opioid receptor agonist
FITAgonistIrreversible δ opioid receptor agonist
GBR 13069 dihydrochlorideAgonistPotent dopamine uptake inhibitor
L-NIO dihydrochlorideInhibitorPotent eNOS inhibitor
L-Quisqualic acidAgonistVery potent group I mGluR agonist
N-Benzylnaltrindole hydrochlorideAgonistOpioid receptor selective non-peptide antagonist
NociceptinInhibitorEndogenous NOP agonist
O-Phospho-L-serineAntagonistGroup III mGluR agonist; enhances neuronal differentiation
Ro 51AntagonistPotent P2X3, P2X2/3 antagonist
cis-ACPDAgonistPotent NMDA agonist. Also group II mGluR agonist
We will be posting new additions and related data and publications

Sunday, April 14, 2013

P2X3 Receptors and Migraine

P2X3 Receptors of Trigeminal Sensory Neurons and Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Type 1 (FHM-1).

Our P2X Receptor Markers continue to be used in interesting and novel ways. Here researchers use our P2X3 Receptor Antibody to study expression using primary rat ganlia cultures: Swathi K. Hullugundi,Michel D. Ferrari, Arn M. J. M. van den Maagdenberg, Andrea Nistri. Andrea Nistri. The Mechanism of Functional Up-Regulation of P2X3 Receptors of Trigeminal Sensory Neurons in a Genetic Mouse Model of Familial Hemiplegic Migraine Type 1 (FHM-1). PLoS ONE 8(4): e60677. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060677

Abstract: A knock-in (KI) mouse model of FHM-1 expressing the R192Q missense mutation of the Cacna1a gene coding for the α1 subunit of CaV2.1 channels shows, at the level of the trigeminal ganglion, selective functional up-regulation of ATP -gated P2X3 receptors of sensory neurons that convey nociceptive signals to the brainstem. Why P2X3 receptors are constitutively more responsive, however, remains unclear as their membrane expression and TRPV1 nociceptor activity are the same as in wildtype (WT) neurons. Using primary cultures of WT or KI trigeminal ganglia, we investigated whether soluble compounds that may contribute to initiating (or maintaining) migraine attacks, such as TNFα, CGRP, and BDNF, might be responsible for increasing P2X3 receptor responses. Exogenous application of TNFα potentiated P2X3 receptor-mediated currents of WT but not of KI neurons, most of which expressed both the P2X3 receptor and the TNFα receptor TNFR2. However, sustained TNFα neutralization failed to change WT or KI P2X3 receptor currents. This suggests that endogenous TNFα does not regulate P2X3 receptor responses. Nonetheless, on cultures made from both genotypes, exogenous TNFα enhanced TRPV1 receptor-mediated currents expressed by a few neurons, suggesting transient amplification of TRPV1 nociceptor responses. CGRP increased P2X3 receptor currents only in WT cultures, although prolonged CGRP receptor antagonism or BDNF neutralization reduced KI currents to WT levels. Our data suggest that, in KI trigeminal ganglion cultures, constitutive up-regulation of P2X3 receptors probably is already maximal and is apparently contributed by basal CGRP and BDNF levels, thereby rendering these neurons more responsive to extracellular ATP.

Images: Examples of TNFR2 and P2X3 co-exexpression in (wildtype) WT and R192Q (knockin) KI neurons. Left panel shows P2X3 expression (green), and right panel shows TNFR2 staining (red). B, Histograms quantifying % of cells co-expressing TNFR2 and P2X3: both WT and KI cultures show similar TNFR2 and P2X3 co-expression. N = 3 independent experiments (6 mice). C, Representative traces of currents induced by application of α,β-meATP (10 µM, 2 s) to WT or R192Q KI neurons in control conditions or after 4 h TNFα application. D, Histograms show average peak amplitudes of P2X3 receptor-mediated currents: WT control (open bar), n = 30; WT TNFα (stippled bar), n = 38; KI control (grey bar), n = 34; KI TNFα (stippled gray bar), n = 34; ** = p<0 .006="" i="" nbsp="" p="">doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0060677.g001.

Understanding the interplay between TNFR2 and P2X3 could lead to a better understanding of the root causes of migraines. This could open up yet more potential drug targets for this insidious condition.

Check out these related reagent categories:
All Purinergic Receptor Antibodies
Pain and Inflammation Research Antibodies 
Neurotransmission Research Antibodies
Primary Neurons and Astrocytes-Primary human, rat and mouse neurons and astrocytes

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Converting Human Pluripotent Stem Cells into Nociceptors

Methods for differentiating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into specific cell types are a requirement for converting the "promise of iPSCs" into reality. The knowledge derived from this research can be leveraged for high throughput  Drug Discovery and ultimately the development of therapies. I am excited to highlight results recently published by Dr. Lorenz Studer and his team at Memorial Sloan-Ketterling: Stuart M Chambers, Yuchen Qi, Yvonne Mica, Gabsang Lee, Xin-Jun Zhang, Lei Niu, James Bilsland, Lishuang Cao, Edward Stevens, Paul Whiting, Song-Hai Shi, Lorenz Studer. Combined small-molecule inhibition accelerates developmental timing and converts human pluripotent stem cells into nociceptors. Nature Biotechnology 30, 715–720 (2012) doi:10.1038/nbt.2249.

Abstract: Considerable progress has been made in identifying signaling pathways that direct the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) into specialized cell types, including neurons. However, differentiation of hPSCs with extrinsic factors is a slow, step-wise process, mimicking the protracted timing of human development. Using a small-molecule screen, we identified a combination of five small-molecule pathway inhibitors that yield hPSC-derived neurons at >75% efficiency within 10 d of differentiation. The resulting neurons express canonical markers and functional properties of human nociceptors, including tetrodotoxin (TTX)-resistant, SCN10A-dependent sodium currents and response to nociceptive stimuli such as ATP and capsaicin. Neuronal fate acquisition occurs about threefold faster than during in vivo development(1), suggesting that use of small-molecule pathway inhibitors could become a general strategy for accelerating developmental timing in vitro. The quick and high-efficiency derivation of nociceptors offers unprecedented access to this medically relevant cell type for studies of human pain

Figure – LSB3i Differentiation model. Early LSB inhibits trophectoderm, mesendoderm, and non-neural ectoderm cell fates yielding neuroectoderm. CHIR99021, SU5402 and DAPT induce and accelerate neural crest stem cell identity by day 8 and promote rapid differentiation of the neural crest stem cells to nociceptors expressing peptidergic markers by day 10.
Note: Neuromics' TRPV1 Antibody was used as a marker for mature nociceptors.

Check out Supplementary Data for more. I will continue to post links to methods here and @ Neuromics' Stem Cell Research Reagents.

Wednesday, July 04, 2012

TLR3s and the Synaptic Transmission of Itch

Synaptic Transmission Markers Trifecta

Itch, also known as pruritus, is a common, intractable symptom of several skin diseases, such as atopic dermatitis and xerosis. This chronic condition erodes quality of life.

The authors of this publication have made an important discovery that could prove a target for treating chronic itch. They also used 3 of our markers to confirm this discovery-guinea pig anti-TRPV1, guinea pig anti-SP antibody and rabbit anti-CGRP antibodies: Tong Liu, Temugin Berta, Zhen-Zhong Xu,Chul-Kyu and Ru-Rong Ji. TLR3 deficiency impairs spinal cord synaptic transmission, central sensitization, and pruritus in mice. J Clin Invest. 2012 June 1; 122(6): 2195–2207. Published online 2012 May 8. doi:10.1172/JCI45414.

Highlights: Scratching behaviors induced by histamine-dependent and -independent pruritogens are markedly reduced in mice lacking the Tlr3 gene. TLR3 is expressed mainly by small-sized primary sensory neurons in dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) that coexpress the itch signaling pathway components transient receptor potential subtype V1 and gastrin-releasing peptide. Ttreatment with a TLR3 agonist induces inward currents and action potentials in DRG neurons and elicited scratching in WT mice but not Tlr3–/– mice. Furthermore, excitatory synaptic transmission in spinal cord slices and long-term potentiation in the intact spinal cord were impaired in Tlr3–/– mice but not Tlr7–/– mice. Consequently, central sensitization–driven pain hypersensitivity, but not acute pain, was impaired in Tlr3–/– mice. In addition, TLR3 knockdown in DRGs also attenuated pruritus in WT mice. Finally, chronic itch in a dry skin condition was substantially reduced in Tlr3–/– mice. This demonstrates a critical role of TLR3 in regulating sensory neuronal excitability, spinal cord synaptic transmission, and central sensitization.
Images: Impaired scratching behaviors and reduced c-Fos expression in the spinal cords in Tlr3–/– mice. (A and B) Scratches in every 5 minutes (left) and 0–30 minutes (right) induced by intradermal injection of 50 μl compound 48/80 (100 μg) and CQ (200 μg). Note a reduction of both histaminergic (compound 48/80) and nonhistaminergic (CQ) itch in Tlr3–/– mice. *P < 0.05, Student’s t test; n = 11–13 mice for each group. Mean ± SEM. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA analysis also shows a significant difference in the time course of compound 48/80– and CQ-induced scratching between the 2 groups (P < 0.05). (C) c-Fos–like immunoreactivity in the dorsal horn of the cervical spinal cord in WT and Tlr3–/– mice 2 hours after intradermal injection of compound 48/80 (48/80) or CQ. Right panels show the number of c-Fos–positive neurons in the dorsal horn. Scale bars, 100 μm. *P < 0.05, Student’s t test; n = 4–6 mice. All the data are mean ± SEM.


Images: Expression of TLR3 in a subset of small-sized DRG neurons. (A) Single-cell RT-PCR analysis from dissociated small-sized DRG neurons showing the distinct and overlapped distribution patterns of TLR3 and TLR7 in DRG neurons. The lanes were run on the same gel but were noncontiguous. M, marker; NC, negative control. (B) Single-cell RT-PCR analysis from dissociated small-sized DRG neurons showing colocalization of TLR3 with TPRV1 and GRP. Similar results were obtained from 3 independent experiments in 30 cells collected from different animals. (C) Double immunostaining in DRGs showing co-colocalization of TLR3 and GRP. Red and yellow arrows indicate GRP+ only and double-labeled neurons, respectively. Scale bars: 50 μm. (D) Cell size distribution frequency of TLR3+ and GRP+ neurons. (E) Double immunostaining in cultured DRG neurons showing co-colocalization of TLR3 with TRPV1 but not with NF200. Green arrows indicate NF200+ or TRPV1+ neurons, red arrows indicate TLR3+ neurons, and yellow allows indicate double-labeled neurons. Scale bars: 50 μm. (F) A Venn diagram showing the relationship of TLR3+, GRP+, and TRPV1+ populations in a DRG. Note that all TLR3+ cells also express GRP and TRPV1.

Nociceptive DRG neurons are involved in itch. TRPV1 and CGRP are indispensible for itch sensation. Given that all TRL3+ cells express these proteins, TRL3 could be a viable target for treating itch. 


Wednesday, June 20, 2012

TRPA1 and Tooth Pain

Our TRPV (Vanilloid); TRPM; TRPA and TRPCs have proven excellent for studying

Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) is activated by noxious cold (<17°C) and contributes to cold and mechanical hypersensitivity after inflammation and nerve injury: Yun Sook Kim, PhD, Hoon Kap Jung, DDS, Tae Kyung Kwon, DDS, Chin Soo Kim, DDS, PhD, Jin Hyun Cho, DDS, PhD, Dong Kuk Ahn, DDS, PhD, Yong Chul Bae, DDS, PhD.Expression of Transient Receptor Potential Ankyrin in Human Dental Pulp. Journal of Endodontics. Available online 8 June 2012. doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2012.04.024.


Highlights: TRPA1 was expressed in a large number of axons branching extensively in the peripheral pulp and in a few axons within the nerve bundles in the core of the coronal pulp and in the radicular pulp. Under electron microscopy, TRPA1 immunoreactivity was typically localized near the plasma membrane of unmyelinated axons in the peripheral pulp, suggesting that in these axons it may act as a functional receptor. The proportion of axons expressing TRPA1 in neurofilament 200–positive axons significantly increased in the painful pulp compared with the normal pulp. TRPA1 was also densely expressed in the processes and the cell body of odontoblasts. A large number of axons coexpressed TRPA1 and Nav1.8.


TRPA1
Images: Immunofluorescent staining for (A) TRPA1 in the human normal dental pulp is completely abolished by (B) preadsorption with a control peptide, proving the specificity of the TRPA1 antiserum (×200, scale bars = 50 µm). doi.org/10.1016/j.joen.2012.04.024.
Related Reagents:
All TRP Antibodies                       
Pain and Inflammation Research Antibodies                     
Neurotransmission -Neurotransmission Research Antibody Categories
Primary Neurons and Astrocytes-Primary human, rat and mouse neurons and astrocytes

Monday, March 26, 2012

Pain Research-Pubs Update

I am pleased to update you in recent publications and videos referencing use of our reagents for pain research. Check them out.
Andrew C. Eschenroeder, Allison A. Vestal-Laborde, Emilse S. Sanchez, Susan E. Robinson, Carmen Sato-Bigbee. Oligodendrocyte responses to buprenorphine uncover novel and opposing roles of μ-opioid- and nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptors in cell development: Implications for drug addiction treatment during pregnancy. Glia Volume 60, Issue 1, pages 125–136, January 2012....The MOR and NOP receptor antibodies were from Neuromics (Edina, MN) and used for immunocytochemistry (1:100)and western blotting (1:500)...
TRPV1s

FiFigure. Sensory axons, but not soma, from Type III Nrg1+/− mice show reduced capsaicin responsiveness compared to axons from WT mice. (A) Representative traces of intracellular calcium along sensory axons in response to 1 µM capsaicin or 56 mM KCl. The change in intracellular calcium from baseline over time ([(F−F0)/F0]*100) is shown for WT (left) and Type III Nrg1+/− (right) axons. Hatched diagonal lines indicate where the time course was non-continuous. (B) Quantification of the maximum change in intracellular calcium in response to application of 1 µM capsaicin or 56 mM KCl by genotype. Averages of 5 animals per genotype were compared using a Student's t-test. Type III Nrg1+/− axons showed a significantly decreased response to capsaicin (p<0.05), but not to KCl, relative to WTs. Graph shows mean±SEM. (C) Type III Nrg1+/− sensory soma show normal response to capsaicin. Quantification of maximal change in fluorescence from baseline ([(F−F0)/F0]*100) in WT or Type III Nrg1+/− sensory neuron soma in response to 1 µM capsaicin or 56 mM KCl. Average responses from 4 WT and 4 Type III Nrg1+/− animals to application of capsaicin or KCl were compared by genotype using a Student's t-test. There was no statistically significant difference between genotypes. Graphs show mean±SEM. (D) Type III Nrg1 (green) and TRPV1 (red) are co-expressed along P21 WT cultured sensory neuron axons identified with a pan-axonal (PA) marker (blue). White arrows indicate examples where Type III Nrg1 and TRPV1 are in close proximity. Scale bar equals 10 µm. (E) P21 WT and Type III Nrg1+/− sensory neuron cultures have equivalent levels of total TRPV1 protein. Total TRPV1 protein measurement by immunoblot. The 95 kD TRPV1 band and the 35 kD GAPDH band are shown from a representative experiment comparing protein from P21 WT and Type III Nrg1+/− cultures. Quantification of fold change in intensity of TRPV1:GAPDH normalized to WT average. There was no statistically significant change in the ratio of TRPV1 to GAPDH between genotypes (WT, Type III Nrg1+/−, n = 3 animals). Genotype comparisons were made using a Student's t-test. Graph shows mean±SEM. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025108.g004
In this study, researchers successfully transfect DRG cultures with IKAP-shRNA using our pn-Fect kit. The own regulation of IKAP in these cultures support findings that helped explain the potential pathology of Familial Dysautonomia (FD; Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy; HSAN III): Hunnicutt BJ , Chaverra M , George L , Lefcort F , 2012 IKAP/Elp1 Is Required In Vivo for Neurogenesis and Neuronal Survival, but Not for Neural Crest Migration. PLoS ONE 7(2): e32050. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0032050.

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I will continue to post updates related to this important research area.

Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Guinea Pig P2X3 Update-Good News

I have had to say to many customers, "our guinea pig P2x3 is on backorder". The increasing number of pubs referencing this antibody only amped demand.

We tried and tried to re-make it. The result was none of the bleeds we tested had a signal strong enough to release the antibody. We had a customer suggest re-testing several of the more promising bleeds. Thank you! We have good news on results and we are offering for 50% off. This is to acknowledge the investment required for TSA and Guinea Pig Biotinylated Antibody.


Here're the recent pubs I referenced:

Gabriela Castañeda-Corral, Héctor I. Rocha-González, Beatriz Godínez-Chaparro, Juan Miguel Jiménez-Andrade and Vinicio Granados-Soto. Role of the spinal Na+/H+ exchanger in formalin-induced nociception. Neuroscience Letters. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2011.06.048....SP (guinea pig; 1:500; Cat# GP14110; Neuromics), CGRP (goat, 1:500; Cat# Ab36001; Abcam) and P2X3 receptor (guinea pig: 1:10,000; Cat# GP10108; Neuromics)...
Anna M.W. Taylora and Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva. GDNF levels in the lower lip skin in a rat model of trigeminal neuropathic pain: Implications for nonpeptidergic fiber reinnervation and parasympathetic sprouting. PAIN Volume 152, Issue 7, July 2011, Pages 1502-1510. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2011.02.035.
...Sections were then incubated for 48h at 4°C with a guinea pig polyclonal anti-P2X3 (1:25,000; Neuromics, Edina, MN)...