Intracellular mGluR5 plays a critical role in neuropathic pain

Spinal mGluR5 is a key mediator of neuroplasticity underlying persistent pain. Although brain mGluR5 is localized on cell surface and intracellular membranes, neither the presence nor physiological role of spinal intracellular mGluR5 is established. Here we show that in spinal dorsal horn neurons >80% of mGluR5 is intracellular, of which ∼60% is located on nuclear membranes, where activation leads to sustained Ca(2+) responses. Nerve injury inducing nociceptive hypersensitivity also increases the expression of nuclear mGluR5 and receptor-mediated phosphorylated-ERK1/2, Arc/Arg3.1 and c-fos. Spinal blockade of intracellular mGluR5 reduces neuropathic pain behaviours and signalling molecules, whereas blockade of cell-surface mGluR5 has little effect. Decreasing intracellular glutamate via blocking EAAT-3, mimics the effects of intracellular mGluR5 antagonism. These findings show a direct link between an intracellular GPCR and behavioural expression in vivo. Blockade of intracellular mGluR5 represents a new strategy for the development of effective therapies for persistent pain

TECHNIQUES FOR REARING AND RELEASING NONMIGRATORY CRANES: LESSONS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI SANDHILL CRANE PROGRAM

Captive-reared Mississippi sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pulla) reared at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (patuxent) have been released at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge (MSCNWR) since 1981. Of 131 birds released through December 1990, 103 were reared by foster parents. The remaining 28 were experimentally hand-reared in 1989 and 1990. After refining release procedures, parent-reared birds have integrated into the wild flock, many have survived, and some have bred. Releases of hand-reared cranes elsewhere in the 1970\u27s were largely unsuccessful. at least in part due to the lack of a lengthy acclimation period. A new hand-rearing protocol holds promise in producing release-worthy birds. The technique employs some features first used in the 1960\u27s (e.g., a costume for the human caretaker and model crane heads used to train chicks to feed). In the mid-1980\u27s, the following features were added: (1) the costumed caretaker was given a visor and feathers, (2) a taxidermic crane head or a hand puppet was held or suspended from the ceiling for use in stimulating chicks to feed, (3) a taxidermic mount of a brooding crane supplied warmth, (4) a full-sized live crane was maintained in an adjacent pen and in visual contact with neonatal young to provide an imprinting model, and (5) a small group of adult (or subadult) cranes was penned adjacent to the outdoor chick pens to provide socialization models. Recent releases of Mississippi sandhill cranes hand-reared according to this protocol and released in Mississippi have had high first-year survival rates. The now-operational technique holds promise for producing large numbers of release-worthy birds

TECHNIQUES FOR REARING AND RELEASING NONMIGRATORY CRANES: LESSONS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI SANDHILL CRANE PROGRAM

Captive-reared Mississippi sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis pulla) reared at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (patuxent) have been released at the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge (MSCNWR) since 1981. Of 131 birds released through December 1990, 103 were reared by foster parents. The remaining 28 were experimentally hand-reared in 1989 and 1990. After refining release procedures, parent-reared birds have integrated into the wild flock, many have survived, and some have bred. Releases of hand-reared cranes elsewhere in the 1970\u27s were largely unsuccessful. at least in part due to the lack of a lengthy acclimation period. A new hand-rearing protocol holds promise in producing release-worthy birds. The technique employs some features first used in the 1960\u27s (e.g., a costume for the human caretaker and model crane heads used to train chicks to feed). In the mid-1980\u27s, the following features were added: (1) the costumed caretaker was given a visor and feathers, (2) a taxidermic crane head or a hand puppet was held or suspended from the ceiling for use in stimulating chicks to feed, (3) a taxidermic mount of a brooding crane supplied warmth, (4) a full-sized live crane was maintained in an adjacent pen and in visual contact with neonatal young to provide an imprinting model, and (5) a small group of adult (or subadult) cranes was penned adjacent to the outdoor chick pens to provide socialization models. Recent releases of Mississippi sandhill cranes hand-reared according to this protocol and released in Mississippi have had high first-year survival rates. The now-operational technique holds promise for producing large numbers of release-worthy birds