Loss of muscarinic M4 receptors in spinal cord of arthritic rats: Implications for a role of M4 receptors in pain response

Ezra Mulugeta, Nahid El-Bakri, Evert Karlsson, Adlan Elhassan, Abdu Adem

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Scopus citations

Abstract

Changes in the levels of muscarinic M4 receptors in spinal cord of acute and chronic arthritic rats (animal models of pain) were studied by receptor autoradiography using muscarinic M4 receptor subtype selective ligand. Arthritis was induced in female Lewis rats by single intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium butyricum and sacrificed 12 days (acute group) and 30 days (chronic and control groups) after induction of arthritis. Our results demonstrate significant reduction in the level of M 4 receptors in the spinal cord (Rexed laminae I-X) of acute and chronic arthritic rats compared to controls. These findings suggest that the muscarinic M4 receptor subtype may be involved in cholinergic mechanisms of analgesia.

Original languageBritish English
Pages (from-to)284-287
Number of pages4
JournalBrain Research
Volume982
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 29 Aug 2003

Keywords

  • Acetylcholine
  • Analgesia
  • Antinociception
  • Arthritis
  • Inflammatory pain
  • Muscarinic receptor subtype

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