Anesth Pain Med.  2008 Apr;3(2):86-93.

Comparative Proteomic Study of Spinal Cord after Applying Pulsed Radiofrequency to Dorsal Root Ganglion in the Rat

• Kim D
• Lim YJ
• Kim YC
• Lee SC
• Lee J
• Kim SO

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pulsed radiofrequency treatment (pulsed RF) has recently been described as a non-neurodestructive or minimally neurodestructive alternative to radiofrequency heat lesions. However, there are few data to evaluate the mechanism of this therapy. The aim of this study is to explore the underlying mechanism of pulsed RF on spinal nervous system using comparative proteomic analysis.
METHODS
L5 dorsal root ganglion was exposed to pulsed RF and sham treatment. Protein extracts from the spinal cord of both groups were analyzed using comparative proteomics to identify differentially expressed proteins. To validate the differential expression of proteins, we utilized western blotting and immunohistochemistry.
RESULTS
The spinal cord taken from pulsed RF treated rats was found to underexpress 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, mitochondrial [Precursor]. Immunostaining density of gamma-aminobutyric acid measured from the spinal cord taken from pulsed RF treated rats was significantly increased compared with sham treated rats.
CONCLUSIONS
We demonstrated that the decreased expression of 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase, mitochondrial [Precursor] and increased expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the spinal cord after exposure of the lumbar dorsal root ganglion to pulsed RF. That might be the possible underlying mechanism of the analgesic effect of pulsed RF.

Keyword

gamma-aminobutyric acid; proteome; pulsed radiofrequency; spinal cord

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blotting, Western
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
Ganglia, Spinal
Hot Temperature
Immunohistochemistry
Nervous System
Placebos
Proteins
Proteome
Proteomics
Pulsed Radiofrequency Treatment
Rats
Salicylamides
Spinal Cord
Spinal Nerve Roots
Placebos
Proteins
Proteome
Salicylamides
gamma-Aminobutyric Acid