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Bilateral Changes in IL-6 Protein, but not in its Receptor gp130, in Rat Dorsal Root Ganglia Following Sciatic Nerve Ligature

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Abstract

Local intracellular signaling cascades following peripheral nerve injury lead to robust axon regeneration and neuropathic pain induction. Cytokines are classic injury-induced mediators. We used sciatic nerve ligature (ScNL) to investigate temporal changes in IL-6 and its receptor gp130 in both ipsilateral and contralateral lumbal (L4-L5) dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Rats were operated aseptically on unilateral ScNL and allowed to survive for 1, 3, 7, and 14 days. Immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were used to determine levels of IL-6 and gp130 in DRG. A distinct increase in immunostaining for IL-6 was found in the neuronal cell bodies of sections through both ipsilateral and contralateral DRG at 1 and 3 days after operation. After 7 and 14 days, the DRG sections displayed only a moderate elevation in immunostaining when compared with sections of naïve DRG. The levels of IL-6 protein increased in both ipsilateral and contralateral lumbal DRG following peripheral nerve injury. The elevation of IL-6 protein was significant in both ipsilateral and contralateral DRG 1, 3, 7, and 14 days after operation. On the other hand, the levels of gp130 receptor did not change significantly. The data provide evidence for changes in IL-6 levels not only in the DRG associated with the damaged nerve but also in those unassociated with nerve injury during the experimental neuropathic pain model.

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Abbreviations

DRG:

Dorsal root ganglia

C-DRG:

Cervical DRG

PBST:

PBS containing 0.05% Tween 20

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

PBS:

Phosphate buffered saline

IF:

Immunofluorescence

ScNL:

Sciatic nerve ligature

SGC:

Satellite glial cells

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Acknowledgments

We thank Ms. Dana Kutějová, Ms. Marta Lněníčková, and Mr. Lumír Trenčanský for their skillful technical assistance. This work was supported through grants from the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic (GAČR 309/07/0121 and MSM0021622404), and from the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (AV0Z50040507 and AV0Z50040702).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Division of Neuroanatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic

    Václav Brázda, Ilona Klusáková, Ivana Svíženská, Zuzana Veselková & Petr Dubový

  2. Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Královopolská 135, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic

    Václav Brázda

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  1. Václav Brázda
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  2. Ilona Klusáková
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  3. Ivana Svíženská
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  4. Zuzana Veselková
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  5. Petr Dubový
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Correspondence to Václav Brázda.

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V. Brázda, I. Klusáková and I. Svíženská contributed equally to this paper.

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Brázda, V., Klusáková, I., Svíženská, I. et al. Bilateral Changes in IL-6 Protein, but not in its Receptor gp130, in Rat Dorsal Root Ganglia Following Sciatic Nerve Ligature. Cell Mol Neurobiol 29, 1053–1062 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-009-9396-0

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