GeneChip® analysis after acute spinal cord injury in rat

• Published in: Journal of neurochemistry 2001-11, Vol.79 (4), p.804-815
• Main Authors: Song, Guoqing, Cechvala, Cate, Resnick, Daniel K., Dempsey, Robert J., Rao, Vemuganti L. Raghavendra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cytoskeletal Proteins - genetics; Cytoskeletal Proteins - metabolism; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Down-Regulation; Female; gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; GeneChip; Genes, Immediate-Early - genetics; Heat-Shock Proteins - genetics; Heat-Shock Proteins - metabolism; inflammation; Inflammation - genetics; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Ion Channels - genetics; Ion Channels - metabolism; Medical sciences; microarray; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; Rats; real‐time PCR; Receptors, Neurotransmitter - genetics; Receptors, Neurotransmitter - metabolism; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Spinal Cord Injuries - genetics; Spinal Cord Injuries - metabolism; spinal cord injury; Time Factors; Transcription Factors - genetics; Transcription Factors - metabolism; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Up-Regulation
• ISSN: 0022-3042; 1471-4159
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1471-4159.2001.00626.x

Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to induction and/or suppression of several genes, the interplay of which governs the neuronal death and subsequent loss of motor function. Using GeneChip®, the present study analyzed changes in the mRNA abundance at 3 and 24 h after SCI in adult rats. SCI was induced at T9 level by the New York University impactor by dropping a 10‐g weight from a height of 25 mm. Several transcription factors, immediate early genes, heat‐shock proteins, pro‐inflammatory genes were up‐regulated by 3 h, and persisted at 24 h, after SCI. On the other hand, some neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, ion channels, kinases and structural proteins were down‐regulated by 3 h, and persisted at 24 h, after SCI. Several genes that play a role in growth/differentiation, survival and neuroprotection were up‐regulated at 24 h after SCI. Using real‐time quantitative PCR, the changes observed by GeneChip® were confirmed for seven up‐regulated (interleukin‐6, heat‐shock protein‐70, heme oxygenase‐1, suppressor of cytokine signaling 2, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3, interferon regulatory factor‐1, neuropeptide Y), two down‐regulated (vesicular GABA transporter and cholecystokinin precursor) and two unchanged (Cu/Zn‐superoxide dismutase and phosphatidyl inositol‐3‐kinase) genes. The present study shows that inflammation, neurotransmitter dysfunction, increased transcription, ionic imbalance and cytoskeletal damage starts as early as 3 h after SCI. In addition to these effects, 24 h after SCI the repair and regeneration process begins in an attempt to stabilize the injured spinal cord.