title: Tenascin C induces a quiescent phenotype in cultured adult human astrocytes.
abstract: Astrocytic scar formation occurs subsequent to brain and spinal cord injury and impedes repair. The exact mechanisms of scar formation have yet to be elucidated but it is known that astrocytes within the scar have a different antigenic phenotype from normal or reactive astrocytes. Astrocyte cell culture offers a suitable system to identify factors that induce the scar phenotype as well as factors that reverse this process and that may help identify therapeutic strategies to treat astrogliosis. However, when placed in standard culture conditions, astrocytes become activated/reactive and express molecules characteristic of scar tissue in vivo. In the present study, we made use of this phenomenon to identify culture conditions that change the activated phenotype of cultured astrocytes into one characteristic of normal quiescent astrocytes. In particular, we examined the effect of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins found in the human brain, on the phenotype of human adult astrocytes. Significantly fewer astrocytes expressed scar properties when grown on tenascin-C (TN-C) than those cultured on other ECM proteins or poly-L-lysine-coated dishes. TN-C also significantly reduced the proliferation rate of the astrocytes in vitro. In addition, further manipulation of culture conditions induced partial astrocyte reactivation. Our findings suggest that astrocytes grown on TN-C revert to a quiescent, nonactivated state that is partially reversible. This raises the possibility that therapeutic strategies aimed at manipulating TN-C levels during CNS injury may help reduce astrocytic scarring.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Peninsula Medical School (Exeter), Department of Neurology, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, United Kingdom. janet.holley@pms.ac.uk
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Holley
authors.forename: Djordje
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gveric
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Whatmore
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Gutowski
mesh_terms: D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002921:Cicatrix / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005911:Gliosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D019063:Tenascin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D019063:Tenascin