Katakai K, Shinoda M, Kabeya K, Watanabe M, Ohe Y, Mori M, Ishikawa K
Department of Molecular Physiology, Gunma University, Maebashi, Japan.
J Neuroendocrinol. 1997 Apr;9(4):247-53. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2826.1997.t01-1-00566.x.
To clarify the mechanism underlying the process of degeneration of injured CNS neurons, we have immunohistochemically examined the distribution of cystatin C, apolipoprotein E, IgG, transferrin and ferritin in the hypophysectomized rat hypothalamus. Stainings for ferritin revealed that reactive microglial cells massed in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei 14 days after hypophysectomy, when the degeneration of vasopressin neuronal cell bodies was apparent. Cystatin C-positive magnocellular neurons first appeared at 4 days and the number of intensely-stained cells increased rapidly up to the 7th day of hypophysectomy, followed by a decrease thereafter. Most of such cystatin C-positive neurons were simultaneously stained with anti-vasopressin serum. Accumulation of apolipoprotein E in extracellular spaces was obvious in the both hypothalamic magnocellular nuclei at 7 days. Several apolipoprotein E-positive cells were localized in the supraoptic nucleus, although the number of apolipoprotein E-positive cells was much smaller than that of cystatin C-positive cells. The experiments performed with the transferrin and IgG antibodies showed undetectable levels of such molecules in and around the degenerating magnocellular neurons during whole experimental periods. These findings suggest the importance of cystatin C and apolipoprotein E in the process of degeneration and/or regeneration of magnocellular neurons after hypophysectomy.
为阐明受损中枢神经系统神经元退变过程的潜在机制，我们采用免疫组织化学方法检测了垂体切除大鼠下丘脑胱抑素C、载脂蛋白E、免疫球蛋白G、转铁蛋白和铁蛋白的分布。铁蛋白染色显示，垂体切除14天后，室旁核和视上核中反应性小胶质细胞聚集，此时加压素神经元细胞体明显退变。胱抑素C阳性的大细胞神经元在第4天首次出现，到垂体切除第7天时，强染色细胞数量迅速增加，此后减少。大多数此类胱抑素C阳性神经元同时被抗加压素血清染色。7天时，下丘脑两个大细胞核的细胞外间隙中载脂蛋白E明显积聚。视上核中有几个载脂蛋白E阳性细胞，尽管载脂蛋白E阳性细胞的数量远少于胱抑素C阳性细胞。用转铁蛋白和免疫球蛋白G抗体进行的实验表明，在整个实验期间，退变的大细胞神经元及其周围未检测到这些分子。这些发现提示胱抑素C和载脂蛋白E在垂体切除后大细胞神经元退变和/或再生过程中具有重要作用。
