title: Comparison of expression of inflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord between young adult and aged beagle dogs.
abstract: Aging is an inevitable process that occurs in the whole body system accompanying with many functional and morphological changes. Inflammation is known as one of age-related factors, and inflammatory changes could enhance mortality risk. In this study, we compared immunoreactivities of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-2 (a pro-inflammatory cytokine), its receptor (IL-2R), IL-4 (an anti-inflammatory cytokine), and its receptor (IL-4R) in the cervical and lumbar spinal cord of young adult (2-3 years old) and aged (10-12 years old) beagle dogs using immunohistochemistry and western blotting. IL-2 and IL-2R-immunoreactive nerve cells were found throughout the gray matter of the cervical and lumbar spinal cord of young adult and aged dogs. In the spinal cord neurons of the aged dog, immunoreactivity and protein levels were apparently increased compared with those in the young adult dog. Change patterns of IL-4- and IL-4R-immunoreactive cells and their protein levels were also similar to those in IL-2 and IL-2R; however, IL-4 and IL-4R immunoreactivity in the periphery of the neuronal cytoplasm in the aged dog was much stronger than that in the young adult dog. These results indicate that the increase of inflammatory cytokines and their receptors in the aged spinal cord might be related to maintaining a balance of inflammatory reaction in the spinal cord during normal aging.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Rehabilitation Science, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, South Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Hwan
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ji Hyeon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Joon Ha
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Bing Chun
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Jeong-Hwi
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: In Hye
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Chul
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Myoung Hyo
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: In Koo
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Seung Myung
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Bonghee
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun Hwi
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Hyung-Cheul
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jin Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Moo-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Won
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004285:Dogs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000473:pathology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D015847:Interleukin-4