Decreased levels of an astrocytic marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein, in the visual cortex of dark-reared rats: measurement by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
An antibody to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (an immunocytochemical marker for astrocytes) has been used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the amount of GFAP in three visual regions, the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN), the superior colliculus (SC) and the visual cortex (VC) (area 17) of dark-reared (D), normal (N) and light-exposed (L) rats. In all experiments GFAP was also measured in a control non-visual region, the motor cortex (MC) (area 4). No significant differences were found in GFAP in dLGN, SC or MC between D, L or N rats. However, in the visual cortex, the amount of GFAP in N rats was significantly greater than that in D rats (by 32%).
D000818:Animals; D003624:Darkness; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000032:analysis; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013477:Superior Colliculi; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000032:analysis* / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein