Parvalbumin and TRPV1 receptor expression in dorsal root ganglion neurons after acute peripheral inflammation

Expression of parvalbumin (PV) and transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV1) receptors in the lumbar dorsal root ganglion neurons (DRG) was evaluated in control animals and in rats after acute carageenan-induced knee joint inflammation. PV is a calcium binding protein that acts as a calcium buffer, affects intracellular calcium homeostasis and may thus influence signal transduction and synaptic transmission. TRPV1 receptors are viewed as molecular integrators of nociceptive stimuli and modulate spinal cord synaptic transmission beside their function in the peripheral nerve endings. In naive rats, 13 % of the L4 DRG neurons had PV immunopositivity (PV+) and 36 % expressed TRPV1 receptors (TRPV1+). The soma of the PV+ neurons was of medium to large size, while the TRPV1 receptors were expressed in small diameter neurons. The co-localization of the PV and TRPV1 immunoreactivity was minimal (0.2 %). There was no significant change in the PV+ (11 %), TRPV1+ (42 %) and PV+TRPV1+ (0.25 %) expression, or shift in the neuronal size distribution 28 h after the unilateral peripheral inflammation, both when compared to controls and when ipsilateral to contralateral sides were evaluated. Thus under the given experimental conditions, no change in somatic TRPV1 receptors and PV expression in L4 DRG neurons was found.