Transcriptional changes in sensory ganglion associated with primary afferent collateral sprouting in spared dermatome model

In this study, we sought to identify gene expression changes in PACS using 20 Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2.0 microarrays. The experiments were designed to discover global gene expression changes in non-injured DRG neurons undergoing PACS. T11 DRG neurons remained intact and undergo PACS after the cutaneous nerves of the adjacent segments (T9, T10, T12, and T13) were injured and regeneration of those injured nerves prevented by ligation. Thus, the T9, T10, T12, and T13 dermatomes were denervated, but the T11 dermatome remained intact. Axons of the T11dermatome (and thus housed in the T11 dorsal root ganglion (DRG)), extended new branches to innervate the T9, T10, T12, and T13 dermatomes. N.B.: This is NOT a spared root experiment. ALL spinal roots were non-injured. Peripheral nerves were used.本研究采用20套Affymetrix大鼠基因组230 2.0微阵列（Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2.0 microarrays），旨在明确外周轴突侧支发芽（PACS）过程中的基因表达变化。本实验旨在揭示发生PACS的未损伤背根神经节（Dorsal Root Ganglion, DRG）神经元的全局基因表达变化。当相邻节段（T9、T10、T12及T13）的皮神经受损后，通过结扎阻断该受损神经的再生，此时T11节段的DRG神经元保持未损伤状态并发生PACS。由此，T9、T10、T12及T13皮节均发生去神经支配，而T11皮节则保持完整。T11皮节的轴突（即胞体位于T11背根神经节（DRG）内的轴突）可长出新的侧支，以支配T9、T10、T12及T13皮节。注意：本实验并非保留根（spared root）实验。所有脊髓神经根均未受损，本实验使用外周神经。