The distribution of
dynorphin A in the spinal cord and brain of normal rats and of rats subjected to a focal injury of the spinal cord was examined in a rat model using a radioimmunoassay (RIA) technique. The validity of RIA was checked by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Furthermore, the possibility that the
peptide is somehow functionally related with endogenous
5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin), was also evaluated using a pharmacological approach. In normal animals, the
peptide content was very similar in the spinal cord segments (T9, T10-11, and T12) examined whereas, the
dynorphin content of the whole brain was about two-fold higher compared with that in the spinal cord. A focal injury to the spinal cord in the right dorsal horn (about 1.5 mm deep, 2.5 mm long and 1.5 mm to the right of the midline) of the lower thoracic cord (T10-11) in
urethane anaesthetised animals significantly altered the
peptide content in the whole brain as well as in the spinal cord. Thus, a decrease in the
peptide level in whole brain, T10-11 and in the T12 segments of the spinal cord was observed 1 and 2 h after
trauma. At 5 h, the
peptide had accumulated markedly in the T9 segment (about a two-fold increase) as compared with the controls. At this time, the
peptide content had been restored in the T10-11 and T12 segments. On the other hand, the whole brain
dynorphin level continued to remain low (by 55%) as compared to the control group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)