High impact information on COX2

• The content of the mitochondrially-encoded COXII subunit was reduced by ethanol exposure, while that of the nuclear-encoded COXIV subunit was unchanged [1].
• Furthermore, using fluorescent double-labeling for COX-2 and SP, an increase in the number of small COX-2-containing neurons in contact with SP-containing elements was observed ipsilaterally (1.4-1.6-fold compared with the contralateral side) in lamina II [2].
• Using electron microscopy, two types of SP-containing axon terminals were found to form synapses with COX-2-containing neurons in lamina II [2].
• Fluorescence triple-labeling of COX-2, SP and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) confirmed that the majority of these SP-containing elements coexisted with CGRP, indicating that these elements originated from primary afferent neurons [2].

Associations of COX2 with chemical compounds

• These results indicate that the number of COX-2-containing neurons increases concomitantly with an increase in the number of contacts of these neurons with SP-containing primary afferent fibers and suggest that this phenomenon is associated with PG production and the persistence of inflammatory pain [2].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of COX2

• Immunohistochemistry using antibodies for COX-1 and COX-2 was used to localize protein expression of each isoform in a subset of tumor (n = 5) and normal samples (n = 6) [3].
• Quantitative real-time PCR with Sybr Green was used to quantify the mRNA expression of COX-1 and COX-2, using 18S expression as an internal control for COX normalization [3].
• The levels of nuclear-encoded (COXIV) and mitochondrial-encoded (COXII) subunit proteins were measured by Western blotting [1].

References