title: Expression of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 in mouse spinal cord under chronic mechanical compression: possible involvement of the stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways in spinal cord cell apoptosis.
abstract: METHODS
  To examine apoptosis signal cascade in neurons and oligodendrocytes under the chronic spinal cord compression of tiptoe-walking Yoshimura (TWY) mouse, which is model of progressive cervical cord compression.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To clarify the biologic mechanisms of apoptosis, which may produce destructive changes in the spinal cord under chronic mechanical compression, with a resulting irreversible neurologic deficit.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  The stress-activated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways including ASK1 transmitted apoptosis signals after acute spinal cord injury. Apoptosis in acute spinal cord injury induced both secondary degeneration around the site of injury and chronic demyelination. Chronic spinal cord compression showed myelin destruction, loss of axons, and oligodendrocytes in white matter, and loss of neurons in gray matter. Apoptosis associated with chronic spinal cord compression contributes to these changes. However, the biologic mechanisms of apoptosis in the spinal cord under chronic mechanical compression remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the expression of phosphorylated-apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1), phosphorylated-c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylated-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38), and activated caspase-3 immunohistologically in TWY mice, an animal model of progressive cervical spinal cord compression, since the ASK1-JNK and -p38 signaling cascades participate in the signaling pathway leading to apoptosis in neural tissue and neuronal culture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Double immunohistochemistry for phosphorylated-ASK1, phosphorylated-JNK, phosphorylated-p38, activated-caspase3, and cell-specific markers confirmed the presence of apoptosis signals in both neurons and oligodendrocytes in compressed spinal cord cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways including ASK1, JNK, and p38 were activated in destructive spinal cord under chronic compression.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Graduated School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan.
authors: Takeshi
authors: T
authors: Takenouchi
authors: Takao
authors: T
authors: Setoguchi
authors: Kazunori
authors: K
authors: Yone
authors: Setsuro
authors: S
authors: Komiya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000502:physiology*; D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008818:Mice, Neurologic Mutants; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical
chemical_list: D048848:MAP Kinase Kinase Kinase 5