Regional expression of the anesthetic-activated potassium channel TRESK in the rat nervous system

The two-pore-domain potassium (K(2P)) channels contribute to background (leak) potassium currents maintaining the resting membrane potential to play an important role in regulating neuronal excitability. As such they may contribute to nociception and the mechanism of action of volatile anesthetics. In the present study, we examined the protein expression pattern of the K(2P) channel TRESK in the rat central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) by immunohistochemistry. The regional distribution expression pattern of TRESK has both similarities and significant differences from that of other K(2P) channels expressed in the CNS. TRESK expression is broadly found in the brain, spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG). TRESK expression is highest in important CNS structures, such as specific cortical layers, periaqueductal gray (PAG), granule cell layer of the cerebellum, and dorsal horn of the spinal cord. TRESK expression is also high in small and medium sized DRG neurons. These results provide an anatomic basis for identifying functional roles of TRESK in the rat nervous system.