Kappa opioid receptor is expressed in the rat cerebellar cortex

Classically, the cerebellum has been shown to be involved in motor and visual functions, although recent evidence point to new roles of this organ. Pain processing is one of the recently described functions of the cerebellum. According to the importance of the opioid system in nociception, a detailed characterization of the expression pattern of opioid peptides in the cerebellum is the first step towards understanding the precise involvement of this organ in pain management. By using two different approaches (reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization), we have detected, for the first time, expression of the kappa opioid receptor (KOR) gene in the cerebellar cortex of the rat. Expression is found in the molecular and granular layers in all the lobules of the cerebellum. Approximately 34% of the cells present in the molecular layer express KOR mRNA. This work contributes to the deeper knowledge of the mechanisms that are involved in cerebellar function and may lead to a better understanding of the relationships between nociceptive activity and drug abuse potential.