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Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule is involved in excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in the rat

Eun-Sung Park1, Sang-Min Jeon2, Haein Weon3

  • 1Department of Oral Physiology, BioCure Laboratory, School of Dentistry, Kyungpook National University, 2177, Dalgubeol Blvd, Jung-gu, Daegu 41940, Republic of Korea; Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, 680, Gukchaebosang-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu 41944, Republic of Korea.

Neuroscience Letters
|July 20, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) modulates pain signals in the spinal cord. This study reveals ALCAM

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cell Biology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) is a cell adhesion molecule expressed on neurons.
  • The role of ALCAM in the spinal cord dorsal horn (DH), crucial for pain transmission, was previously unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the expression and synaptic function of ALCAM in the rat spinal DH.
  • To elucidate ALCAM's role in sensory and pain signal processing.

Main Methods:

  • Electrophysiological recordings in the spinal DH.
  • Application of recombinant ALCAM/Fc and CD6/Fc chimeric proteins.
  • Immunohistochemical analysis of ALCAM expression and co-localization with C-fiber markers.

Main Results:

  • ALCAM potentiated C-fiber-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission and glutamate release in the spinal DH.
  • ALCAM inhibited the development of long-term potentiation at excitatory synapses.
  • ALCAM was intensely expressed in laminae I/II of the DH and co-localized with C-fiber markers.

Conclusions:

  • ALCAM plays a modulatory role in excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity in the rat spinal DH.
  • These findings suggest ALCAM as a potential target for pain modulation therapies.

Keywords:
ALCAMLTPSpinal dorsal hornSynaptic transmission

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