Increased Alix (apoptosis-linked gene-2 interacting protein X) immunoreactivity in the degenerating striatum of rats chronically treated by 3-nitropropionic acid.
Chronic intoxication by 3-nitropropionic acid in the Lewis rat reproduces many features reminiscent of Huntington's disease including behavioural alterations and cortico-striatal degeneration. In particular, in this model, striatal degeneration is accompanied by calpain activation as found in the human disease. The present study was undertaken to determine whether the expression of Alix (apoptosis linked gene-2 interacting protein), a widespread protein involved in neuronal death, would be modified in the striatum and cortex of 3NP-treated rats. The results clearly show that Alix immunoreactivity is increased in the neuronal cell bodies of the lateral striatum, where degeneration is massive. The medial striatum and the cortex that lack neurodegeneration remain only weakly labelled. This is further evidence suggesting an involvement of Alix in the events driving neuronal death.
Blum
David
D
Laboratoire de Neurophysiologie, ULB Erasme, 808 route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. dablum@ulb.ac.be
Hemming
Fiona J
FJ
Galas
Marie-Christine
MC
Torch
Sakina
S
Cuvelier
Laetitia
L
Schiffmann
Serge N
SN
Sadoul
Remy
R
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D011422:Propionates / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew
D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D009574:Nitro Compounds; C492143:Pdcd6ip protein, rat; D011422:Propionates; C015392:3-nitropropionic acid