title: Effect of cervical spinal cord hemisection on the expression of axon growth markers.
abstract: To evaluate the plasticity processes occurring in the spared and injured tissue after partial spinal cord injury, we have compared the level of axon growth markers after a C2 cervical hemisection in rats between the contralateral (spared) and ipsilateral (injured) cervical cord using western blotting and immunohistochemical techniques. In the ipsilateral spinal cord 7 days after injury, although GAP-43 levels were increased in the ventral horn caudal to the injury, they were globally decreased in the whole structure (C1-C6). By contrast, in the contralateral intact side 7 days and 1 month after injury, we have found an increase of GAP-43 and betaIII tubulin levels, suggesting that processes of axonal sprouting may occur in the spinal region contralateral to the injury. This increase of GAP-43 in the contralateral spinal cord after cervical hemisection may account, at least partially, to the spontaneous ipsilateral recovery observed after a cervical hemisection.
authors: Université Paul Cézanne Aix-Marseille III, UMR-CNRS 6231, CRN2M, Marseille, France. vinit@wisc.edu
authors: Stéphane
authors: S
authors: Vinit
authors: Fannie
authors: F
authors: Darlot
authors: Jean-Claude
authors: JC
authors: Stamegna
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Gauthier
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Kastner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014404:Tubulin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; C488416:Tubb3 protein, rat; D014404:Tubulin