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GAP-43 expression correlates with spinal motoneuron regeneration following root avulsion

BACKGROUND: The growth-associated protein GAP-43 plays a crucial role in axonal regeneration in injured neurons. METHODS: We have used immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of GAP-43 in spinal motoneurons during nerve reconstruction following root avulsion in the neonatal and adult rats...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Yuan, Qiuju, Hu, Bing, Su, Huanxing, So, Kwok-Fai, Lin, Zhixiu, Wu, Wutian
Formato: Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BioMed Central 2009
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2771005/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19852861
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1749-7221-4-18
Descripción
Sumario:BACKGROUND: The growth-associated protein GAP-43 plays a crucial role in axonal regeneration in injured neurons. METHODS: We have used immunohistochemistry to investigate the expression of GAP-43 in spinal motoneurons during nerve reconstruction following root avulsion in the neonatal and adult rats. RESULTS: Following the injury, GAP-43-immunoreactivity (IR) could be found in adult avulsed motoneurons as early as 1 day, increased from 3 to 7 days and reached a maximal level at 2 weeks post-injury. The up-regulation of GAP-43 in adult avulsed motoneurons was accompanied with the axonal regeneration indicated by numerous regenerating motor axons entering the reimplanted ventral root and nerve. In contrast, GAP-43-IR could not be found in the neonatal avulsed motoneurons at any examined post-injury time points. This failure of up-regulation of GAP-43 was coincident with no axonal regeneration in the reimplanted nerve in the neonatal rats. CONCLUSION: Close association of GAP-43 expression and capacity of regeneration in reimplanted spinal nerve of avulsed motoneurons suggests that GAP-43 is a potential therapeutic target for treatment of root avulsion of brachial plexus.