title: Distribution of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNAs and proteins in human brain and peripheral organs.
abstract: We used the techniques of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 and -2 in brain and peripheral organs of Alzheimer disease (AD) and control cases. We found both COX-1 and COX-2 to be constitutively expressed in all organs tested, i.e., brain, heart, liver, kidney, spleen and intestine. COX-2 was substantially upregulated in affected areas of AD brain and in infarcted areas of human heart. COX-1 was only mildly upregulated in AD brain. Immunohistochemically, COX-2 was strongly expressed in the perinuclear, dendritic and axonal areas of pyramidal neurons, with enhanced staining in AD. These data suggest a special role for COX-2 in neuronal function.
authors.affiliation: Kinsmen Laboratory of Neurological Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yasojima
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwab
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: McGeer
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McGeer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000737:chemistry; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics*; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000235:genetics*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051545:Cyclooxygenase 1; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2; C496511:PTGS1 protein, human; C496540:PTGS2 protein, human; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases