Induction of heme oxygenase-1 in the brains of scrapie-infected mice.
Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an inducible enzyme that catalyzes the rate-limiting step in the degradation of heme to biliverdin, carbon monoxide and iron, and its expression can be used as a marker for oxidative stress. Oxidative stress has been reported to be associated with neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. It is possible that oxidative stress is also involved in the disease process seen in scrapie, the archetype transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. In this study, we report that HO-1 is significantly increased in the scrapie-infected group compared to an age-matched control group. Immunohistochemistry showed a pronounced increase of immunostaining of this protein in the infected group compared to the minimal amount of staining in the control group. These results support that oxidative stress is closely associated with the pathogenesis of scrapie and that it might contribute to neurodegeneration in this disease.
Choi
Y G
YG
Institute of Environment and Life Science, Hallym Academy of Sciences, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Kangwon-Do, South Korea.
Kim
J I
JI
Lee
H P
HP
Jin
J K
JK
Choi
E K
EK
Carp
R I
RI
Kim
Y S
YS
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012608:Scrapie / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006419:Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing); D051547:Heme Oxygenase-1; C496542:Hmox1 protein, mouse