Differential expression of GABA(B(1b)) receptor mRNA in the thalamus of normal and monoarthritic animals

GABA_B receptors have been implicated in the plastic changes occurring in the spinal cord during the development of chronic inflammatory pain. In this study, we evaluated whether the expression of GABA_B(1b) receptor mRNA is regulated supraspinally, namely in the thalamus, as part of the response to chronically enhanced noxious input arising from experimental monoarthritis (MA).In situ hybridization with [³⁵S]-labelled oligonucleotide probes was performed in sections of control, 2, 4, 7 and 14 days MA rats’ brains (n = 6/group). The distribution of GABA_B(1b) mRNA was determined bilaterally in the ventrobasal complex (VB), posterior (Po), centromedial/centrolateral (CM/CL) and reticular (Rt) thalamic nuclei. The amount of GABA_B(1b) mRNA was expressed as times fold of background values.In normal animals, values of mRNA expression were very similar in VB, Po and CM/CL, ranging from 2.2 ± 0.2 to 2.7 ± 0.4 (mean ± S.E.M.) times higher than background levels. No expression of GABA_B(1b) mRNA was found in the Rt of control or MA animals. A significant decrease of 26% at 4 days, and 37% at 7 days of MA, was observed in the VB contralateral to the affected joint. On the contrary, in the Po there was a significant bilateral increase at 2 days (38% contralaterally, 25% ipsilaterally), returning to basal levels at 4 days MA. No significant changes were observed in CM/CL.These results suggest that the expression of GABA_B(1b) in the VB and Po is regulated by noxious input, and might contribute to the functional changes that occur in the thalamus during chronic inflammatory pain.