Changes in neurocan expression in the distal spinal cord stump following complete cord transection: a comparison between infant and adult rats

The distal transected cords of infant rats are more permissive for axon extension than those of adults. To elucidate the biomolecular basis for this phenomenon, we examined the expression pattern of neurocan using semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neuroscience research 2003-02, Vol.45 (2), p.181-188
Main Authors: Qi, Mei-Ling, Wakabayashi, Yoshiaki, Enomoto, Mitsuhiro, Shinomiya, Kenichi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans - analysis
Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans - biosynthesis
Gene Expression Regulation - physiology
Lectins, C-Type
Nerve Tissue Proteins - analysis
Nerve Tissue Proteins - biosynthesis
Neurocan
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Regeneration
RNA, Messenger - analysis
RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis
Spinal Cord - chemistry
Spinal Cord - metabolism
Spinal Cord Injuries - metabolism
Spinal cord transection
Thoracic Vertebrae - chemistry
Thoracic Vertebrae - metabolism
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Summary:The distal transected cords of infant rats are more permissive for axon extension than those of adults. To elucidate the biomolecular basis for this phenomenon, we examined the expression pattern of neurocan using semi-quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunostaining in the distal cord of both adult and infant rats after transection. Neurocan is a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan with well-documented axon growth-inhibitory properties in the central nervous system. Neurocan mRNA was up-regulated in the distal cord of adult rats shortly after transection, followed by a longer wide distribution of neurocan immunoreactivity (IR) in both neurons and astrocytes; by contrast, upregulation of neurocan mRNA was not seen in infant rats, although transient expression of neurocan IR was seen in neurons. Combined with the different regenerative capacity of infant and adult rats, the present results suggest that neurocan inhibits spinal cord regeneration.
ISSN:0168-0102
1872-8111
DOI:10.1016/S0168-0102(02)00224-9