title: Temporal and spatial pattern of RhoA expression in injured spinal cord of adult mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To quantitatively analyze the temporal and spatial pattern of RhoA expression in injured spinal cord of adult mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A spinal cord transection model was established in adult mice. At 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, 56 and 112 days after the surgery, the spinal cords were dissected and cryosectioned for RhoA/NF200, RhoA/GFAP, RhoA/CNPase or RhoA/IBA1 double fluorescent immunohistochemistry to visualize RhoA expressions in the neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia. The percentages as well as the immunostaining intensities of RhoA-positive cells in the parenchymal cells were quantitatively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RhoA was weakly expressed in a few neurons and oligodendrocytes in normal spinal cord. After spinal cord injury, the percentage of RhoA-positive cells and RhoA expression intensity in the spinal cord increased and peaked at 7 days post injury (dpi) in neurons, oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, followed by a gradual decrease till reaching a low level at 112 dpi. In the microglia, both the RhoA-positive cells and RhoA expression intensity reached the maximum at 14 dpi and maintained a high level till 112 dpi.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traumatic spinal cord injury can upregulate RhoA expression in the neurons as well as all the glial cells in the spinal cord. RhoA expression patterns vary with post-injury time, location and among different parenchymal cells in the injured spinal cord.
authors: Department of Histology and Embryology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. kxnwccg@126.com
authors: Xiaoning
authors: X
authors: Kang
authors: Jingkun
authors: J
authors: Wen
authors: Xianghai
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: Mengjie
authors: M
authors: Pan
authors: Weiwei
authors: W
authors: Zhang
authors: Xiaoduo
authors: X
authors: Zhan
authors: Zhongying
authors: Z
authors: Liu
authors: Wutian
authors: W
authors: Wu
authors: Jiasong
authors: J
authors: Guo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D017628:Microglia / Q000378:metabolism; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000378:metabolism*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000378:metabolism*; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein
chemical_list: C526380:RhoA protein, mouse; D020741:rho GTP-Binding Proteins; D020742:rhoA GTP-Binding Protein