Immunohistochemical studies on the effect of capsaicin on spinal and medullary peptide and monoamine neurons using antisera to substance P, gastrin/CCK, somatostatin, VIP, enkephalin, neurotensin and 5-hydroxytryptamine.

After neonatal treatment of rats with capsaicin, the spinal cord, the spinal trigeminal nucleus and spinal and trigeminal ganglia were analysed with immunohistochemistry using antisera to several peptides and 5-hydroxytryptamine. A marked decrease was observed in substance P-, cholecystokinin-, somatostatin- and VIP-like immunoreactivity present in the central branches of primary sensory neurons in the spinal cord and in substance P- and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in sensory ganglion cells. No definite depleting effect of capsaicin could be established on 5-hydroxytryptamine and peptides, such as enkephalin and neurotensin, present in centrally originating fibres in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord. The results demonstrate that the effects of capsaicin are not confined to substance P immunoreactive primary sensory neurons. The possibility is discussed that capsaicin effects specifically functioning rather than chemically specific primary sensory neurons.