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Glial Activation and Segmental Upregulation of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the Rat Spinal Cord after Surgical Incision

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Abstract

The present study investigated the expression patterns of glial cells and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the rat spinal cord after a surgical incision, which is closely related with clinical postoperative pain. Microglia and astrocytes became activated in the spinal cord following incision. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemisty showed that IL-1β mRNA and protein level in the spinal cord was transiently upregulated after surgical incision. The increased IL-1β-immunoreactivity (IR) was mainly localized in neurons but not the activated microglia or astrocytes. Although obvious increase in IL-1β-IR could be observed in the lumbar segments of the spinal cord ipsilateral to a hind paw incision, significant upregulation of IL-1β was not detected in the lumbar segments following thoracic incision. The present study indicated that surgical incision could induce glial activation and segmental upregulation of IL-1β in the spinal cord. The activated glial cells and upregulated IL-1β, in turn, may be involved in the incision-induced pain hypersensitivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Xiang-Ya Hospital, Xiang-Ya College of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Di Fu, Qulian Guo, Yuhang Ai, Hongwei Cai, Jianqin Yan & Ruping Dai

  2. Gene Expression and Regulatory Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, Singapore

    Ruping Dai

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Xiang-Ya Hospital, Xiang-Ya College of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China

    Ruping Dai

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  1. Di Fu
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  2. Qulian Guo
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  3. Yuhang Ai
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  4. Hongwei Cai
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  5. Jianqin Yan
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  6. Ruping Dai
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Correspondence to Ruping Dai.

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Fu, D., Guo, Q., Ai, Y. et al. Glial Activation and Segmental Upregulation of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the Rat Spinal Cord after Surgical Incision. Neurochem Res 31, 333–340 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-005-9032-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11064-005-9032-4

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