c-Fos expression in the spinal cord of female rats with artificial ureteric calculosis

Annamaria Aloisi; Ilaria Ceccarelli; Giannapia Affaitati; Rosanna Lerza; L Vecchiet; Domenico Larenna; Maria Adele Giamberardino

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.026

c-Fos expression in the spinal cord of female rats with artificial ureteric calculosis

Annamaria Aloisi, Ilaria Ceccarelli, Giannapia Affaitati, Rosanna Lerza, L Vecchiet, Domenico Larenna, Maria Adele Giamberardino

In: Neuroscience Letters · 2004 · vol. 361(1-3) , pp. 212–215 · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.026 · PMID:15135931 · W1974985040

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This study investigated c-Fos expression in the spinal cords of female rats experiencing artificial ureteric calculosis.

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Abstract

Rats with an artificial stone in the left ureter display spontaneous pain behavior (ureteral 'crises') and referred hyperalgesia/contraction in the ipsilateral oblique musculature. To evaluate neuronal activation in both sensitive and motor pathways in this model, c-Fos expression was studied in the spinal cord of calculosis rats vs. sham controls. Fos-labeled cells were never observed in sham controls. In stone rats, they were found in the T10-L2 segments, throughout the dorsal horn, significantly more on the left than the right side (P < 0.002). Fos-labeled cells were also found in lamina IX, containing motoneurons; at the T11-T12 level, these were significantly more on the left than the right side (P < 0.03). Nociceptive input from the ureter thus activates not only sensory but also efferent neurons in the spinal cord, suggesting the triggering of reflex arcs by the visceral focus.