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Expression of ATP receptors in the rat dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord

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Abstract

Extracellular purine nucleotides and nucleosides play important roles in the nervous system, e.g., neurotransmission, neuromodulation, chemoattraction and acute inflammation. Extracellular nucleotides act through ATP receptors (P2 receptors). P2 receptors are classified into two families: the P2X receptors are ionotropic ligand-gated ion channels and the P2Y receptors are metabotropic G-protein-coupled receptors. Currently, seven P2X receptors (P2X1–7) and eight P2Y receptors (P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, P2Y6, P2Y11, P2Y12, P2Y13 and P2Y14) are recognized. In the sensory nervous system, ATP is suggested to be one of first mediators of tissue damage, which activates primary afferents. Nerve injury often leads to neuropathic pain, such as mechanical allodynia and painful responses to normally innocuous stimuli. Peripheral nerve injury induces the upregulation of molecules in activated microglia in the spinal cord. Microglia in the spinal cord may play an important role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. A prominent signaling pathway in the development of neuropathic pain involves ATP acting on microglial purinergic receptors. This review focuses on the expression of P2X and P2Y receptors mRNAs in the pain transmission pathway, i.e., in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and spinal cord. Furthermore, we suggest that the multiple microglial P2Y receptors activated by peripheral nerve injury may play a key role in the development of neuropathic pain.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported in part by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research and the Research Basis Formation Supporting Project for Private University, both from the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science, and Grants-in-Aid for Researchers Hyogo College of Medicine 2009. We thank D.A. Thomas for correcting the English usage.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.

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  1. Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan

    Kimiko Kobayashi, Hiroki Yamanaka & Koichi Noguchi

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  1. Kimiko Kobayashi
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  2. Hiroki Yamanaka
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  3. Koichi Noguchi
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Correspondence to Kimiko Kobayashi.

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Kobayashi, K., Yamanaka, H. & Noguchi, K. Expression of ATP receptors in the rat dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord. Anat Sci Int 88, 10–16 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-012-0163-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12565-012-0163-9

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