1. Significant up-regulation of nestin protein in the neostriatum of MPTP-treated mice
- Author
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Zhi-Ren Rao, Li-Chun Wei, YS Chan, Y Qiu, Liang-Wei Chen, Gong Ju, and H.-L Liu
- Subjects
Pathology ,medicine.medical_specialty ,education.field_of_study ,General Neuroscience ,MPTP ,Population ,Substantia nigra ,macromolecular substances ,Biology ,Nestin ,GFAP stain ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Globus pallidus ,nervous system ,chemistry ,medicine ,Neuroglia ,Neurology (clinical) ,education ,Molecular Biology ,Developmental Biology ,Astrocyte - Abstract
We are interested in the possible role of central glial cells in pathogenesis of Parkinson’s disease of mammals. Parkinsonism model was induced by systemic 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) administration, and the reactive glial cells were examined by immunocytochemical visualization of nestin protein in the brains and spinal cords of C57 mice. Abundant nestin-like immunoreactivity was predominately found in the caudate putamen of MPTP-treated mice and about 481-fold of nestin-like immunoreactive cells increased compared with that of control animals, indicating that significant up-regulation of nestin protein occurred in these regions. Majority of nestin-like immunoreactive cells characterized with astrocytic profiles of multiple, radical and hypotrophic processes, and showed a distribution and dynamic patterns similar to that of glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP)-immunoreactive cells in the caudate putamen. Double immunofluorescence confirmed that 100% of nestin-like immunoreactive cells exhibited GFAP-immunoreactivity while nestin/GFAP double-labeled cells constituted about 84% of total GFAP-immunoreactive cells in the caudate putamen, indicating these nestin-like immunoreactive cells belong to a reactive population of the astrocytes. On the other hand, no obvious changes of nestin- or GFAP-like immunoreactivities were detected in the globus pallidus, the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area after MPTP-treatment. The results have provided morphological evidence for the regional activation of astrocytic glial cells following systemic MPTP administration, suggesting that a large population of reactive striatal astrocytes might play an important role in initial pathogenesis or acute stage of Parkinson’s disease in mammals.
- Published
- 2002