Glial fibrillary acidic protein is expressed in the aged rat olfactory epithelium.
CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that the aging process induces changes in the phenotype of olfactory supporting cells in the rat.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate age-related changes in the expression of astroglial intermediate filament proteins in the olfactory supporting cells of the rat.


METHODS
The expression of nestin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in the olfactory epithelium (OE) of young (3 months) and aged (25 months) Sprague-Dawley rats was compared using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.


RESULTS
Western blot analysis showed nestin expression only in the young OE, whereas GFAP was detected only in the aged OE. Immunohistochemistry showed that GFAP was localized in the olfactory supporting cells of the aged OE, with regional differences.
Kim
Min Kyu
MK
Department of Anatomy, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.
Park
Joo Hyun
JH
Kwon
Bum Sun
BS
Joo
Kyeung Min
KM
Pyo
Jung-Soo
JS
Cheon
Young Hee
YH
Baik
Tai-Kyong
TK
Cha
Choong Ik
CI
Cho
Sa Sun
SS
Nam
Seon Young
SY
Lee
Byung Lan
BL
D000367:Age Factors; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin