Effects of nerve growth factor neutralization on TRP channel expression in laser-captured bladder afferent neurons in mice with spinal cord injury

Nerve growth factor (NGF) is reportedly involved in the changes in C-fiber bladder afferent pathways that induce detrusor overactivity (DO) following spinal cord injury (SCI). This study examined the roles of NGF in TRP channel expression in bladder afferent neurons in mice with SCI using laser-capture microdissection (LCM) methods. Spinal intact (SI) and SCI mice were divided into 3 groups: (1) SI with vehicle treatment; (2) SCI with vehicle treatment; and (3) SCI with anti-NGF antibody. Two weeks after SCI, an osmotic pump was placed subcutaneously into the back of the mice and vehicle or anti-NGF antibody was administered at a rate of 10 μg/kg per hour for two weeks. Four weeks after SCI, the L6 dorsal root ganglia (DRG) were removed. Expression of the TRPV1, TRPC1, TRPC3, and TRPC6 genes was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) following LCM of the bladder afferent neurons, which were labeled by Fast Blue injected into the bladder wall 1 week prior to tissue removal. The mRNA expression of TRPV1 was found to be higher in vehicle-treated SCI mice than in SI mice. The expression level of TRPC3 and TRPC6 in vehicle-treated SCI mice was lower than in SI mice. However, in SCI mice treated with anti-NGF antibody, the mRNA expression of TRPV1 was lower, and the mRNA levels of TRPC3 and TRPC6 were higher than in vehicle-SCI mice. These results suggest that the NGF-dependent changes in specific TRP channel genes, such as TRPV1, TRPC3, and TRPC6, could be involved in SCI-induced afferent hyperexcitability and DO.