title: Acidic fibroblast growth factor (FGF-1) in the anterior horn cells of ALS and control cases.
abstract: The expression and localization of acidic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF; FGF-1) were examined in the spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and controls by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method and immunohistochemistry. The RT-PCR experiments demonstrated that aFGF amplification products were clearly detected in all control cases but could be scarcely seen in ALS patients. aFGF immunoreactivity was detected in the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord. Double immunostaining for aFGF and choline acetyltransferase revealed that the majority (95.9%) of cholinergic neurons expressed aFGF. In ALS cases, the number and the staining intensity of aFGF-positive neurons were markedly decreased. These results suggest that aFGF is involved in ALS pathology.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kage
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaji
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akiguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tooyama
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000870:Anterior Horn Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016220:Fibroblast Growth Factor 1; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine