Glucocorticoid-regulated circadian expression genes in spinal cord of nerve-injured mice

We prepared adrenalectomized (ADX) and sham-operated (sham) mice kept under a light-controlled room (ZT, zeitgeber time; ZT0, light on; ZT12, light off), and thereafter their sciatic nerve was partially ligated; mice undergone partial sciatic nerve ligation (PSL) was used as an animal model of neuropathic pain. To screen pain-related genes whose spinal expression exhibits circadian oscillation in a glucocorticoid-dependent manner, we performed oligonucleotide microarray analyses using RNA isolated from the spinal cords of sham-PSL mice or ADX-PSL mice at ZT10 and ZT22 when circulating glucocorticoid levels in sham-PSL mice peaked and declined, respectively Samples were corrected from spinal cords of sham-PSL mice or ADX-PSL mice at ZT10 and ZT22 when circulating glucocorticoid levels in sham-PSL mice peaked and declined, respectively