Spinal cord functions

Peripheral nervous system Nerve tissues lying outside the brain and spinal cord, functions include the transmittal of sensory information such as touch, heat, cold, and pain, and the motor impulses for limb movement. 

Mass spectrometry has been applied mainly in proteome research, but also in discovery and quantitation of neuropeptides that are involved in pain mechanisms, such as nocistatin, substance P, or verification of, for example, the structure of endogenous morphine in the central nervous system. Some proteomics studies of pain are aimed at the search for pain markers in cerebrospinal fluid, as it may reflect changes in brain and spinal cord functioning. Another research area concerns proteome analysis in cancer pain using spinal cord tissue and animal models. 

Many different types of lesions have been observed (very often at autopsy) in animals suffering from severe pantothenic acid deficiency. These may involve the skin, the adrenals, the entire gastrointestinal tract, nerves, and spinal cord. Functionally, in chickens fertility may be reduced by pantothenic acid deficiency to practically zero64 without any outward signs being shown by the fowls. Recently, pantothenic acid deficiency has been found to produce duodenal ulcers in about 60 per cent of the rats tested.65 It is required for bone development66 and is implicated in antibody responses.67... 

Many of the principles that govern inQux by transmembrane diffusion are also important in efQux. The dramatic role that efQux by transmembrane diffusion can play can be illustrated by comparing the fate of small, lipid soluble molecules to that of a protein after intrathecal administration. Intrathecal application of small, lipid soluble molecules, such as anesthetics, can have a local effect on spinal cord function but have little or no effect on the brain (Bernards, 1999). These substances readily cross the brain endothelial cell by transmembrane diffusion and do this as easily in the brain-to-blood direction as in the blood-to-brain direction. Therefore, they are cleared from the CSF before they are able to reach the brain (McQuay et al., 1989). In contrast, proteins such as leptin are too large and water soluble to undergo much transmembrane diffusion (LeBel, 1999 McCarthy et al., 2002). Leptin can reach the brain after intrathecal administration in amounts sufficient to produce effects on feeding through the hypothalamus (McCarthy et al., 2002 Shyng et al., 1993). 

Permanent or temporary deficits of spinal cord function are caused either by cord ischemia after arterial hypotension, or by cord compression due to an epidural or subdural hematoma or infection, or injury to the spinal cord and nerve roots as a consequence of needle puncture, introduction of a catheter, or chemical irritation. 

Mouse ES cells have been shown to become glial cells producing the protective myelin sheath in vitro and when irrjected into tire brains of myelin-deficient mice. Spinal cord function could be partially restored by implarrtirrg immature nerve cells in rats. ... 

Ingrid Wickelgren, Rat Spinal Cord Function Partially Restored, Science, 286 (1999), 1826-1827. 

Clinical trials began in 2010 on a stem cell therapy to restore spinal cord function. Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells derived from human stem cells were to be injected direcdy into the patient s damaged spine. 

Steroid Hormones and Neurosteroids. Steroids (qv) can affect neuroendocrine function, stress responses, and behavioral sexual dimorphism (78,79) (see Steroids). Mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid, androgen, estrogen, and progesterone receptors are localized in the brain and spinal cord. In addition to genomic actions, the neurosteroid can act more acutely to modulate the actions of other receptors or ion channels (80). Pregnenolone [145-13-17, ( ) dehydroepiandosterone [53-43-0] C H2 02 (319) are excitatory neurosteroids found in rat brain, independent of adrenal... 

Central chambered system A combination of components in a dedicated chamber. Central nervous system (CNS) The system of the body composed of the brain and spinal cord, which controls important body functions. 

A high concentration of DOPs is found in the olfactory bulb, the neocortex, caudate putamen, and in the spinal cord, but they are also present in the gastrointestinal tract and other peripheral tissues. The functional roles of DOP are less clearly established than for MOP they may have a role in analgesia, gastrointestinal motility, mood and behaviour as well as in cardiovascular regulation [2]. 

According to the NC-IUPHAR Subcommittee on Opioid Receptois it was proposed to term ORL-1 recqrtor as NOP receptor [1]. The human NOP receptor gene encodes a protein of370 amino acids. Splice valiants have been found in the human and mouse NOP recqrtor with no known functional significance. NOP receptors are widely distributed throughout the brain and in the spinal cord. They are also present in immune cells. A functional role for N/OFQ has been proposed in nociception, locomotoric activity, reward, stress, and immunomodulation. 

P2X6 CNS, motor neurons in spinal cord - (does not function as homomulti-mer) Intrinsic ion channel... 

The so-called inferior group (B1-B4) projects mainly to brainstem nuclei, the head nuclei of some cranial nerves and the spinal cord. This means that these neurons are well placed for serving a key role in regulation of motor activity, autonomic function and nociception. In addition, there are numerous interconnections between the different... 

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