Spinal cord injury induced c-fos expression is reduced by p-CPA, a serotonin synthesis inhibitor. An experimental study using immunohistochemistry in the rat.

Abstract

Influence of serotonin on upregulation of cellular-fos (c-fos) following a focal spinal cord injury was examined using immunohistochemistry in a rat model. Spinal cord injury was produced by making a unilateral longitudinal incision of the dorsal horn of the T10-11 segments. A focal lesion to the cord markedly upregulated c-fos immunohistochemistry at 5 h which was mainly located in the edematous regions of the cord in the injured as well as in the perifocal T9 and T12 segments. Pretreatment with p-CPA, a serotonin synthesis inhibitor, significantly attenuated the c-fos upregulation along with the edematous expansion of the cord. These results for the first time suggest that trauma induced release of serotonin and edema formation are important biological signals inducing c-fos expression.