Expression of receptors for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family ligands in sacral spinal cord reveals separate targets of pelvic afferent fibers.

ABSTRACT: Nerve growth factor has been proposed to mediate many structural and chemical changes in bladder sensory neurons after injury or inflammation. We have examined the expression of receptors for the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family within sensory terminals located in the sacral spinal cord and in bladder-projecting sacral dorsal root ganglion neurons of adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. Nerve fibers immunolabelled for GFRalpha1 (GDNF receptor), GFRalpha2 (neurturin receptor), or GFRalpha3 (artemin receptor) showed distinct distribution patterns in the spinal cord, suggesting separate populations of sensory fibers with different functions: GFRalpha1-labeled fibers were in outer lamina II and the lateral-collateral pathway and associated with autonomic interneurons and

SUBMITTER: Forrest SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3049865 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature