title: Phenotypic changes in NG2+ cells after spinal cord injury.
abstract: Following contusive spinal cord injury (SCI), 50% of oligodendrocytes in the residual white matter are lost within 24 h. NG2-expressing cell proliferation is maximal 3 days after SCI, and may be the source of mature oligodendrocytes and astrocytes that chronically replace those that were lost. We studied NG2(+) cells dissociated from the 3-day injured spinal cord for comparison with those from uninjured adult and early postnatal cords. After 24 h in serum-containing medium, we performed patch clamp analysis and immunocytochemistry for NG2 in combination with nestin (progenitors), and A2B5, O4, and O1 (oligodendrocyte lineage markers). We observed an NG2(+)/A2B5-/O4-/O1- population in both adult preparations. More than double the normal number of NG2(+) cells was isolated from the injured cord, but OX42(+) microglia/macrophages were the predominant cell type after injury. Most cells isolated at P7 were NG2-/A2B5(+), whereas those from the normal adult were NG2(+)/A2B5-. NG2(+) cells after SCI displayed altered voltage-gated potassium current profiles compared to normal adult and P7 animals. Additionally, less than 25% of adult cells (normal and injured) responded to GABA and glutamate, compared to 100% of P7 cells. Our results indicate that the adult NG2(+) cell pool is antigenically and physiologically different than the early postnatal pool, and that contusive injury induces changes in adult NG2(+) cells.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: Judith M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lytle
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vicini
authors.forename: Jean R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wrathall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count; D025802:Electric Capacitance; D005260:Female; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D000099216:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D011509:Proteoglycans; D000099216:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycan 4; C577486:Nes protein, rat