Immunostaining for the α3 isoform of the Na+/K+-ATPase is selective for functionally identified muscle spindle afferents in vivo.

ABSTRACT: Muscle spindle afferent (MSA) neurons can show rapid and sustained firing. Immunostaining for the α3 isoform of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase (α3) in some large dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons and large intrafusal fibres suggested α3 expression in MSAs (Dobretsov et al. 2003), but not whether α3-immunoreactive DRG neuronal somata were exclusively MSAs. We found that neuronal somata with high α3 immunointensity were neurofilament-rich, suggesting they have A-fibres; we therefore focussed on A-fibre neurons to determine the sensory properties of α3-immunoreactive neurons. We examined α3 immunointensity in 78 dye-injected DRG neurons whose conduction velocities and hindlimb sensory receptive fields were determined in vivo. A dense perimeter or ring of staining in a subpopulation of neurons was cle

SUBMITTER: Parekh A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3002446 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature