title: Heme oxygenase in the experimental ALS mouse.
abstract: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a stress protein inducible in some cells by oxidative stress. The status of heme oxygenase was investigated in a transgenic mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) since oxidative mechanisms are postulated in neuronal injury. Three ALS mice [(SOD1-G93A)1Gur] and three controls [(SOD-1)2Gur] were obtained from The Jackson Laboratory. Behavioral differences suggestive of neurodegeneration in ALS mice developed at 4-5 months of age. All mice were killed at 7-8 months of age. Tissue vacuolation, cell loss, and the presence of GFAP+ cells were noted in the spinal cords of ALS mice. Spinal cord motor neurons in both control and ALS mice stained positive for heme oxygenase-2 (HO-2). While not precluding the presence of low levels of HO-1 neither immunohistochemical staining nor Western blot analysis provided evidence for significant HO-1 induction in degenerating spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory (151), The Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, White River Junction, Vermont 05009-0001, USA.
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: R N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Nishimura
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017354:Point Mutation; D012016:Reference Values; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C496541:HMOX1 protein, human; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C496542:Hmox1 protein, mouse; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase