title: Effects of tenascin-C in cultured hippocampal astrocytes: NCAM and fibronectin immunoreactivity changes.
abstract: Tenascin-C is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with trophic and repulsive properties on neuronal cells, involved in migratory processes of immature neurons. Previous reports demonstrated that this molecule is produced and secreted by astrocytes, in vitro after activation by bFGF or in vivo after CNS lesion. In injured brain the expression of tenascin-C has been correlated with the glial reaction since it was observed in regions suffering a dramatic glial proliferation and hypertrophy. In this report we show that the treatment of cultured hippocampal astrocytes with tenascin-C results in an increased fibronectin and NCAM immunoreactivities. In addition, treated astrocytes form longer extensions than control ones. The number of cells as well as the levels of GFAP mRNA and protein immunoreactivity are not modified after tenascin-C treatment. The present changes may, therefore, be related to the modification of the adhesive properties of astrocytes to the substrate. These observations are compatible with the hypothesis that tenascin-C may contribute to the glial scarring process.
authors.affiliation: Universite René Descartes (Paris V), France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mahler
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferhat
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ben-Ari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Represa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D019063:Tenascin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005353:Fibronectins; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019063:Tenascin