Objective To examine the effect of acute incisional pain on the expression of connexin 43 in rat spinal cord dorsal horn. Methods Eighty rats were assigned into control group without any treatment and incisional pain group with incision surgery. For paw incisions, a 1-cm longitudinal incision was made through the skin and fascia of the plantar aspect of the right hind paw. After surgery, the 50% paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) was assessed in response to a tactile stimulus with calibrated von Frey monofilaments at 1, 2, 4 and 24 h, respectively. The spinal cord dorsal horn of rats was isolated at 1, 2, and 4 h after the surgery to assess the expression of connexin 43 using Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay. Results The 50%PWT of the rats was significantly decreased after the incision surgery, and this decrement was the most obvious at 2 and 4 h. Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay showed that the expression of connexin 43 in the spinal cord dorsal horn was significantly increased in rats receiving the surgery especially at 2 and 4 h after the surgery. Conclusion Incision surgery induces an significant increase in connexin 43 expression in rat spinal cord dorsal horn, suggestting an potential role of connexin43 in postoperative incisional pain.%目的：观察急性切口痛对大鼠脊髓背角缝隙连接蛋白Connexin43（Cx43）表达的影响。方法雄性SD大鼠80只，随机分为对照组和急性切口痛模型组，切口痛模型组所有大鼠于左后爪作一纵形切口制备切口痛模型，于术前和术后1、2、4、6、24 h时采用von frey细丝法测定大鼠左后足机械回缩阈值的改变。于术前和术后2、4 h取大鼠左侧脊髓背角组织，分别采用Western blot法和免疫荧光标记法检测脊髓背角Cx43蛋白表达的变化。结果急性切口痛组大鼠50%机械性回缩阈值在术后24 h内显著降低，并于2，4 h最为显著，与对照组比较差异均有统计学意义（P<0.01）；Western blot结果显示，急性切口痛组脊髓背角Cx43的表达于术后2和4 h明显升高，与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.01）；免疫荧光结果显示，急性切口痛组脊髓背角Cx43的免疫荧光强度于术后2、4、24 h明显升高，与对照组比较差异有统计学意义（P<0.01）。结论急性切口痛能够引起脊髓背角缝隙连接蛋白Cx43的表达明显升高，缝隙连接蛋白Cx43可能参与急性切口痛的产生。
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