title: Glial reaction to volkensin-induced selective degeneration of central neurons.
abstract: Volkensin, a highly toxic protein retrogradely transported through axons, was used to target primary neuronal death in brainstem precerebellar relays after injection in the cerebellar cortex of rats. The reaction of astrocytes and microglia was studied with immunohistochemistry in the inferior olivary and pontine nuclei from 6 h to 14 days. Neurodegenerative features were evident since the first hours, especially in the pontine nuclei, and neuronal loss reached a plateau at 7 days in the inferior olive and at 10 days in the pons. Astrocytic activation, revealed by glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity, was concomitant with early signs of neuronal death and gradually increased. Microglia activation, revealed by OX-42 immunoreactivity, was evident at 2 days and became rapidly intense in precerebellar relays. At 1 week, marked ED-1 immunoreactivity also revealed phagocytic features of microglia, which persisted during the second week. In addition, major histocompatibility complex antigens (MHC) class I and II were induced in cells exhibiting microglial features. In the inferior olive, MHC I immunoreactivity was evident since 4 days and persisted at 14 days, whereas MHC II induction was intense at 7 days and subsided at 2 weeks. In the pontine nuclei high expression of both MHC antigens persisted instead at 14 days, probably reflecting the progression of neuronal death. Thus, targeted lethal injury of central neurons elicited prompt activation of both astrocytes and microglia; the marked microglia activation resulted in phagocytic features and immunophenotypic changes, with a temporal regulation that paralleled the evolution of neurodegenerative phenomena.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Cevolani
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Bentivoglio
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Strocchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D030161:Avian Proteins; D051926:Basigin; D001798:Blood Proteins; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017628:Microglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D009498:Neurotoxins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D009847:Olivary Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity; D011149:Pons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054790:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 2; D012276:Ricin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D030161:Avian Proteins; D001798:Blood Proteins; C102624:Bsg protein, Gallus gallus; C079432:Bsg protein, rat; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006183:H-2 Antigens; C024755:H-2K(K) antigen; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D009498:Neurotoxins; D037121:Plant Lectins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054790:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 2; D051926:Basigin; D012276:Ricin; C049134:volkensin; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases