Institution: | 1. Department of Physiology, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, Nippon Dental University, 1-9-20, Fujimi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8159, Japan;2. Research Center of Odontology, School of Life Dentistry at Tokyo, Nippon Dental University, 1-9-20, Fujimi-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8159, Japan;1. Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA;2. Surgical Oncology, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA;3. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, USA;4. Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;1. Department of Oral Physiology, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea;2. Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea;3. Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, Republic of Korea |
Abstract: | The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a GABAB receptor agonist could modulate ATP-activated neuronal excitability of nociceptive TRG neurons using perforated whole-cell patch-clamp and immunohistochemical techniques. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 86% of P2X3 receptor-immunoreactive, small-diameter TRG neurons co-expressed GABAB receptor. Under voltage-clamp conditions (Vh = ?60 mV), application of ATP activated the inward current in acutely isolated rat TRG neurons in a dose-dependent manner (10–50 μM) and this current could be blocked by pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-27,47-disulfonic acid (PPADS) (10 μM), a selective P2 purinoreceptor antagonist. The peak amplitude of ATP-activated currents was significantly inhibited after application of GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen (10–50 μM), in a concentration-dependent and reversible manner. The baclofen-induced inhibition of ATP-activated current was abolished by co-application of 3-amino-2 (4-chlorophenyl)-2hydroxypropysufonic acid) saclofen, a GABAB receptor antagonist (50 μM). Under current-clamp conditions, application of 20 μM ATP significantly depolarized the membrane potential resulting in increased mean action potential frequencies, and these ATP-induced effects were significantly inhibited by baclofen and these effects were antagonized by co-application of saclofen. Together, the results suggested that GABAB receptor activation could inhibit the ATP-induced excitability of small-diameter TRG neurons activated through the P2X3 receptor. Thus, the interaction between P2X3 and GABAB receptors of small-diameter TRG neuronal cell bodies is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of trigeminal nociception. |