Increased expression of 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase mRNA in dorsal root ganglion neurons of adult rats following peripheral nerve injury.
3beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3beta-HSD) is an enzyme that converts pregnenolone to progesterone. It has been believed that 3beta-HSD is simply a converting enzyme of female steroid hormone. Recently, 3beta-HSD expressing cells were identified in the spinal cord. Steroid synthesis in the nervous system may indicate that steroid plays a role in the nervous system. We report here the increased expression of 3beta-HSD mRNA in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) after peripheral nerve injury using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization histochemistry techniques. We detected only a few 3beta-HSD signals in the naïve DRG, and found that 3beta-HSD mRNA expression increased 3 days after injury and this increase was still observed at 14 days. Our results suggest that progesterone may have a role in the process against neuronal injury or in regeneration in the peripheral nervous system.
Hashimoto
Norio
N
Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, Hyogo 663-8501, Japan.
Yamanaka
Hiroki
H
Mizushima
Toshiyuki
T
Noguchi
Koichi
K
D000818:Animals; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000201:enzymology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D011375:Progesterone Reductase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020426:Sciatic Neuropathy / Q000201:enzymology*; D013251:Steroid Isomerases / Q000096:biosynthesis*
C021425:3 beta-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase-delta(5) 3-ketosteroid isomerase; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011375:Progesterone Reductase; D013251:Steroid Isomerases