Chen Xiang-Dong, Zhao Wei, Shen Ai-Guo
Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226001, China.
Chin J Traumatol. 2011;14(5):277-81.
To observe p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) expression and its possible role after spinal cord injury (SCI) in adult rat.
Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to spinal cord injury. To explore the pathological and physiological significance of PAK6, the expression patterns and distribution of PAK6 were observed by Western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence.
Western blot analysis showed PAK6 protein level was significantly up-regulated on day 2 and day 4, then reduced and had no up-regulation till day 14. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that the expression of PAK6 was significantly increased on day 4 compared with the control group. Besides, double immunofluorescence staining showed PAK6 was primarily expressed in the neurons and astrocytes in the control group. While after injury, the expression of PAK6 was increased significantly in the astrocytes and neurons, and the astrocytes were largely proliferated. We also examined the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and found its change was correlated with the expression of PAK6. Importantly, double immunofluorescence staining revealed that cell proliferation evaluated by PCNA appeared in many PAK6-expressing cells on day 4 after injury.
The up-regulation of PAK6 in the injured spinal cord may be associated with glial proliferation.
观察成年大鼠脊髓损伤（SCI）后p21激活激酶6（PAK6）的表达及其可能作用。
对Sprague-Dawley大鼠进行脊髓损伤。为探究PAK6的病理生理意义，采用蛋白质印迹法、免疫组织化学和免疫荧光法观察PAK6的表达模式和分布。
蛋白质印迹分析显示，PAK6蛋白水平在第2天和第4天显著上调，随后降低，直至第14天均未再次上调。免疫组织化学分析表明，与对照组相比，PAK6的表达在第4天显著增加。此外，双重免疫荧光染色显示，PAK6在对照组主要表达于神经元和星形胶质细胞。而损伤后，PAK6在星形胶质细胞和神经元中的表达显著增加，且星形胶质细胞大量增殖。我们还检测了增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）的表达，发现其变化与PAK6的表达相关。重要的是，双重免疫荧光染色显示，损伤后第4天，通过PCNA评估的细胞增殖出现在许多表达PAK6的细胞中。
脊髓损伤后PAK6的上调可能与胶质细胞增殖有关。
