title: Expression of caveolin-1, -2, and -3 in the spinal cords of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
abstract: The expression of caveolin-1, -2, and -3 in the spinal cords of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was analyzed. Western blot analysis showed that three isotypes of caveolins including caveolin-1, -2 and -3 increased significantly in the spinal cords of rats during the early stage of EAE, as compared with the levels in control animals (p<0.05); the elevated level of each caveolin persisted during the peak and recovery stage of EAE. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that caveolin-1 and -2 were expressed constitutively in the vascular endothelial cells and ependymal cells of the normal rat spinal cord, whereas caveolin-3 was almost exclusively localized in astrocytes. In EAE lesions, the immunoreactivity of caveolin-1 was increased in the ependymal cells, some astrocytes, and some inflammatory cells of the spinal cord, while that of caveolin-2 showed an intense immunoreactivity. Caveolin-3 was expressed constitutively in some astrocytes, but not in endothelial cells; its immunoreactivity was increased in reactive astrocytes in EAE lesions. The results of the Western blot analysis largely confirmed the observations obtained with immunohistochemistry. Taking all the findings into consideration, we postulate that the expression levels of each caveolin begin to increase when EAE is initiated, possibly contributing to the modulation of signal transduction pathways in the affected cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, Cheju National University, Jeju 690-756, South Korea. shint@cheju.ac.kr
authors.forename: Taekyun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Heechul
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Kwang
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Changjong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Meejung
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanuma
authors.forename: Yoh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051242:Caveolin 1; D051243:Caveolin 2; D051244:Caveolin 3; D022461:Caveolins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D007106:Immune Sera; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: C495537:Cav1 protein, rat; C495549:Cav3 protein, rat; D051242:Caveolin 1; D051243:Caveolin 2; D051244:Caveolin 3; D022461:Caveolins; D007106:Immune Sera; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D016693:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, alpha-beta