Relatively low levels of calpain expression in juvenile rat correlate with less neuronal apoptosis after spinal cord injury.
Approximately 5% of spinal cord injuries in the US occur in patients younger than 16 years. These young patients have an increased mortality within the 24 h after trauma but have a greater capacity for functional recovery than adults, suggesting age-related differences in injury tolerance. Unfortunately, the response of the developing cord to secondary injury has not been thoroughly investigated. Calpain, a Ca(2+)-dependent protease, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. Our current investigation revealed that following SCI, calpain upregulation was qualitatively less in the 21-day-old rats than in adult rats, as shown by immunofluorescent labeling. Decreased levels of TUNEL+ neurons were also noted in juvenile rat spinal cord, indicating that the developing cord may have an increased resistance to injury.
Wingrave
J M
JM
Department of Pathology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Sribnick
E A
EA
Wilford
G G
GG
Matzelle
D D
DD
Mou
J A
JA
Ray
S K
SK
Hogan
E L
EL
Banik
N L
NL
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002154:Calpain / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002452:Cell Count; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
D002154:Calpain