Alteration of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha-2 mRNA expression and its co-expression with neuronal nitric oxide synthase in pelvic ganglia following unilateral cavernous nerve injury.
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this study was to determine the alterations of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha-2 (GFRalpha2) mRNA expression in the major pelvic ganglia (MPG) and their relationship to the marker for the neural plasticity (growth-associated protein 43: GAP-43) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-positive neurons following cavernous nerve injury.


METHODS
Cavernous nerves were transected unilaterally in 24 Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8 weeks. We used nine sham operated same animals as controls. Bilateral MPGs were harvested at 1, 3, and 6 months following nerve injury. The GFRalpha2 and GAP-43 mRNA expressions of the sham group and the injury group (3 months after surgery) were investigated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. We also investigated the expression profile of GFRalpha2 mRNA by in situ hybridization combined with nNOS immunostaining.


RESULTS
It was revealed semi-quantitatively that the GAP43 mRNA expression moderately increased in the intact MPG, and GFRalpha2 mRNA was maintained in the intact MPG but not in the injured one. A histological double-labeling study showed that the number of GFRalpha2 mRNA- and nNOS-positive neurons increased in the intact MPG and most GFRalpha2 mRNA expressions were colocalized with nNOS immunostaining.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study suggested that the GFRalpha2 mRNA alteration closely related to the nNOS expression following the cavernous nerve injury, which would be involved in the maintenance and recovery of erectile function.
Hisasue
Shin-Ichi
S
Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University, Sapporo, Japan. hisasue@sapmed.ac.jp
Kato
Ryuichi
R
Kobayashi
Ko
K
Suetomi
Takahiro
T
Kiyama
Hiroshi
H
Tsukamoto
Taiji
T
D000818:Animals; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D015870:Gene Expression; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000235:genetics*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000235:genetics*; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values; D020196:Trauma, Nervous System / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology
D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D051097:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Receptors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I