title: Reactive astrocytes express PARP in the central nervous system of SOD(G93A) transgenic mice.
abstract: In the present study, we used the transgenic mice expressing a human Cu/Zn SOD mutation (SOD1(G93A)) as an in vivo model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and performed immunohistochemical studies to investigate the changes of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) in the central nervous system. In the spinal cord of symptomatic transgenic mice, immunohistochemistry showed intensely stained PARP-immunoreactive glial cells with the appearance of astrocytes, which were confirmed as astrocytes by double-immunofluorescences. In the brainstem and cerebellum, PARP-immunoreactive astrocytes were observed in the medullary and pontine reticular formation, hypoglossal nucleus, vestibular nucleus, cochlear nucleus and cerebellar nuclei. On the contrary, no PARP-immunoreactive glial cells were observed in control mice although PARP-immunoreactive motor neurons were found. In presymptomatic transgenic mice, a few moderately stained neurons were observed, whereas PARP-immunoreactive astrocytes were not detected. The present study provides the first evidence that PARP-immunoreactive astrocytes were found in the central nervous system of symptomatic SOD1(G93A) transgenic mice, suggesting that reactive astrocytes may play an important role in the pathogenesis and progress of ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-Dong, Chongno-Gu, Seoul 110-799, South Korea.
authors.forename: Yoon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Kyeung Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Joo
authors.forename: Yun Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Hoon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Choong Ik
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Cha
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000201:enzymology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1
chemical_list: C000606290:SOD1 protein, human; C000606291:Sod1 protein, mouse; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D000072105:Superoxide Dismutase-1; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases