Figure 3

Western blotting showed TRPV1, TRPV4, and ASIC3 were abundantly expressed at ST36. Tissues were sampled from nerve (Ner), muscle (Mus), epimysium (Epi), and subcutaneous loose connective tissue (ScLCT) of ST36. Only muscle and ScLCT were obtained from the sham point because of technical issues and were both used as control (Con) in separate comparison groups. (A, B, C, and D) TRPV1, TRPV4, ASIC3, and PGP 9.5 (a pan-neural marker) were expressed in nerve, muscle, and connective tissue. (A) TRPV1 was abundantly expressed at ST36 muscle (P < 0.05) compared with sham, and ST36 epimysium exhibited higher expression compared with ST36 ScLCT (P < 0.05) and sham ScLCT (P < 0.05). (B) TRPV4 was abundantly expressed at ST36 ScLCT compared with ST36 epimysium (P < 0.01) and sham ScLCT (P < 0.01). (C) ASIC 3 exhibited higher expression at ST36 muscle compared with the sham (P < 0.05), and at ST36 epimysium compared with ST36 ScLCT (P < 0.05) and sham ScLCT (P < 0.01). (D) PGP 9.5 was not significantly expressed at ST36 or the sham point, which indicated an absence of differences in nerve distribution in these two points. The relative level of target proteins was calculated by dividing the ratio of targeted proteins (targeted protein/α-tubulin) by the ratio of control in the comparison group. ST36 epimysium, ST36 ScLCT, and sham ScLCT were placed in the same comparison group because their cellular components were similar (mostly fibroblasts), even though their cell densities were different (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01; Mann–Whitney rank sum test; TRPV1, n = 6; TRPV4, n = 7; ASIC3, n = 7–10; PGP 9.5, n = 9). Data are means ± S.E.M.