Figure 2
Expression of PAP-II in small DRG neurons after peripheral inflammation. (A) RT-PCR shows the increased level of PAP-II mRNA in L4 and L5 DRGs after intraplantar CFA injection. (B) In situ hybridization shows that PAP-II mRNA is not found in DRG neurons of the normal rat. Two days after CFA-induced inflammation, PAP-II mRNA is present in many DRG neurons. Scale bar = 200 μm. (C) The increase in number of PAP-II mRNA-containing DRG neurons reaches the peak level 2 days after CFA injection, and remains at a lower level 7 days after inflammation. Quantification is performed on 2~3 sections for each DRG from at least three animals at each time point. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 versus control. (D) These PAP-II mRNA-containing neurons are mostly small DRG neurons (neuronal cross-section area < 900 μm2, n = 450).