Recent studies have proposed that the chemokine CXCL14 not only has a chemotactic activity, but also functions as a neuromodulator and/or neurotransmitter. In this study, we investigated the distribution of CXCL14 immunoreactive structures in the rat spinal cord and clarified the association of these structures with somatostatin, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD; a marker for GABAergic neurons), and neuropeptide Y (NPY). CXCL14 immunoreactive fibers and puncta were observed in lamina II, which modulates somatosensation including nociception, and the lateral spinal nucleus of the spinal dorsal horn at cervical, thoracic, and lumber spinal cord levels. These CXCL14 immunoreactive structures were also immuno-positive for somatostatin, but were immuno-negative for GAD and NPY. In the cervical lateral spinal nucleus, CXCL14 immunoreactive puncta, which were also immuno-positive for somatostatin, existed along the proximal dendrites of some of GABAergic neurons. Together, these results suggest that CXCL14 contributes to the modulation of somatosensation in concert with somatostatin. Neurons targeted by the CXCL14 fiber system include GABAergic neurons located in the lateral spinal nucleus suggesting that CXCL14 with somatostatin can influence the GABAergic neuron function.

最近的研究提出趋化因子CXCL14不仅具有趋化活性，而且还充当神经调节剂和/或神经递质。在这项研究中，我们调查了CXCL14免疫反应性结构在大鼠脊髓中的分布，并阐明了这些结构与生长抑素，谷氨酸脱羧酶（GAD； GABA能神经元的标志物）和神经肽Y（NPY）的关联。在椎板II中观察到CXCL14免疫反应性纤维和泪点，该层在颈部，胸廓和木材脊髓水平上调节了包括痛觉感受在内的躯体感觉和脊髓背角的外侧脊髓核。这些CXCL14免疫反应性结构对生长抑素也呈免疫阳性，但对GAD和NPY呈免疫阴性。在颈椎外侧核中，CXCL14免疫反应性泪点 某些生长激素抑制素神经元的近端树突处也存在促生长素抑制素的免疫阳性。总之，这些结果表明，CXCL14与生长抑素协同作用有助于调节体感。CXCL14纤维系统靶向的神经元包括位于脊髓外侧核的GABA能神经元，这表明具有生长抑素的CXCL14可以影响GABA能神经元功能。