Upregulation of the pro-opiomelanocortin gene in motoneurones after acrylamide administration in mice

• Published in: Neuroscience letters 2004-03, Vol.357 (3), p.232-234
• Main Authors: Hughes, Sharon, Child, Timothy, Simpson, Michael G., Smith, Margaret E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrylamide; Acrylamide - administration & dosage; Acrylamide - pharmacology; alpha-MSH - metabolism; Animals; beta-Endorphin - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Count - methods; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation - drug effects; Immunohistochemistry - methods; In Situ Hybridization - methods; Male; Mice; Motor Neurons - drug effects; Motor Neurons - metabolism; Pro-Opiomelanocortin - genetics; Pro-Opiomelanocortin - metabolism; Pro-opiomelanocortin neuropeptides; RNA, Messenger - drug effects; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Spinal cord; Spinal Cord - cytology; Spinal Cord - drug effects; Time Factors; Up-Regulation; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; α-MSH; β-Endorphin
• ISSN: 0304-3940; 1872-7972
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.076

Immunocytochemistry was used to demonstrate the presence of β-endorphin and α-MSH, and in situ hybridisation was used to study the presence of pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) mRNA, in spinal motoneurones, up to 8 days following the administration of a single dose of acrylamide in mice. The proportions of POMC-mRNA positive neurones, β-endorphin-immunoreactive neurones and α-MSH-immunoreactive neurones were significantly increased in the treated animals compared to controls. It seems likely that upregulation of the POMC gene precedes acrylamide-induced neuropathy.