[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

inhibition for both peptides) in NOP +/+ mice while being inactive in NOP -/- mice. In conclusion
the present results demonstrated that selective activation of NOP receptors produces
antinociceptive effects in the mouse writhing test and that endogenous N/OFQ - NOP receptor
signaling inhibits this animal behavior.
Disclosures: A. Rizzi , None; G. Marzola, None; R. Guerrini, None; S. Salvadori, None; D.
Regoli, None; G. Calo', None.
Poster
269. Pain: Visceral Pain II
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 269.16/GG31
Topic: D.08.n. Visceral pain
Support: IASP Early Career Research Grant
NS 19112
Title: Expression of vesicular glutamate transporters in neurons innervating the mouse colon
Authors: *G. F. GEBHART 1 , D. R. ROBINSON 2 , J. LA 2 , T. HÖKFELT 3 , M. WATANABE 4 ,
P. R. BRUMOVSKY 2 ;
1 Ctr. for Pain Resch, W1444 BST, Pittsburgh, PA; 2 Ctr. for Pain Res., Univ. of Pittsburgh,
Pittsburgh, PA; 3 Dept. of Neurosci., Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 4 Dept. of Anat.,
Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo, Japan
Abstract: Presence of vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) has been described in various
neuronal systems. In primary afferent neurons innervating the hindpaw and hairy skin of rodents
VGLUT1 and -2 are strongly expressed. In the present study, we analyzed these two transporters
in neurons innervating the mouse colon. The colonic wall of C57 BL/6 mice was injected with
the retrograde tracers Fast Blue or DiI. Two to three weeks later, animals were transcardially
perfused with a mixture of paraformaldehyde and picric acid, and the distal colon and
appropriate lumbosacral and thoracolumbar dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) were dissected and
processed for immunohistochemistry. In other mice injected with the dye, DRGs were fixed after
four days in culture, and processed for immunocytochemistry. Previously characterized
antibodies against VGLUT1 and -2 were used. In tissue sections, many Fast Blue- or DiI-positive
DRG neurons showed VGLUT2 -like immunoreactivity (-LI), while VGLUT1 -LI was virtually
absent in retrogradely labeled colonic neurons. Occasional retrogradely labeled colonic neurons
lacking VGLUT2-LI were also detected. VGLUT2-immunoreactive (IR) DRG neurons, both