AIMTo observe the distribution and expression of p-p38MAPK in the distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons in brain of rat by noise stress.

METHODSBy a double-labelled method combing the tracing of CB-HRP and the immunohistochemical technique p-p38MAPK, the distribution and expression of p-p38MAPK in the distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons(csf cn) were observed following noise stress. Expression of p-p38MAPK and double-labelled of CB-HRP/p-p38MAPK were also observed in rat brain after noise stress.

RESULTSTwo groups of CB-HRP labeled neuron clusters consistently appeared in certain regions of the brainstem but none in other regions of the brain. Without noise stress exposure, only a few neurons were found double-labeled by CB-HRP/p-p38MAPK. After 1 day noise stress exposure, only few neurons double-labeled by CB-HRP/p-p38MAPK were observed in the above-mentioned regions. After 5 days, the number of neurons double-labeled by CB-HRP/p-p38MAPK increased significantly compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After 10 days, the number of neurons double-labeled by CB-HRP/p-p38MAPK increased significantly compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After 20 days, both of the numbers of neurons double-labeled by CB-HRP/p-p38MAPK increased significantly compared with that of the control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTwo groups of distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neuron clusters consistently existed in certain regions of the brain parenchyma, and in these clusters only a few neurons con rained p-p38MAPK. After noise stress exposure of different durations (days 1, 5, 10, 20), the number of distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons with p-p38MAPK increased significantly with increasing days. The results indicate that distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons are special neurons existing consistently in brain, including distal cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons with p-p38MAPK which may participate in the whole procedure of signal transduction or central modulation in noise stress response and play greater roles with increasing days.