title: Schwann cells responding to primary demyelination in vivo express p75NTR and c-erbB receptors: a light and electron immunohistochemical study.
abstract: We have used quantitative and qualitative light microscope immunohistochemistry to examine the expression of p75NTR and c-erbB receptors in Schwann cells in a demyelinating lesion induced by the intraneural injection of lysophosphatidyl choline (LPC). We report that levels of p75NTR, c-erbB2 and c-erbB4, as assessed using image analysis of immuno-peroxidase labelled sections, and c-erbB3, as assessed by eye, increased within each lesion site soon after the initiation of myelinolysis, peaked between 5 and 8 days after induction of demyelination and fell to undetectable levels at the onset of remyelination. Pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy confirmed that Schwann cells ensheathing demyelinated axons were p75NTR positive. Immunolabel decorated overlapping processes of neighbouring Schwann cells, suggesting that in this context p75NTR could play a role in juxtacrine signalling between reacting cells. We conclude that upregulation of p75NTR and c-erbB receptors is a constitutive Schwann cell response to an acute disruption of the axon-Schwann cell relationship.
authors.affiliation: Division of Anatomy and Cell Biology, UMDS, London, UK.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kent
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; D051379:Mice; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D066246:ErbB Receptors; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D066247:Receptor, ErbB-4; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; C587690:Erbb4 protein, mouse; C587691:Erbb4 protein, rat