J Vet Sci.  2004 Dec;5(4):289-293.

Increased expression of osteopontin in the spinal cords of Lewis rats with experimental autoimmune neuritis

• Moon C
• Shin T

Abstract

To investigate the pattern of expression of osteopontin (OPN) in tissues of the central nervous system (CNS) responding to peripheral immunological stimulation, the expression of OPN was studied in the spinal cord of rats with experimental autoimmune neuritis (EAN). In this model system, the sciatic nerves and spinal nerve roots are the target organs of EAN and the spinal cord is a remote organ that may be indirectly affected. OPN was constitutively expressed in some astrocytes adjacent to the pia mater and neurons in normal rats. In rats with EAN, OPN was increased in the same cells and in some inflammatory cells, including macrophages in the subarachnoid space. Expression of CD44, a receptor of OPN, was weak in normal spinal cord tissue and increased in the entire spinal cord parenchyma in rats with EAN, as well as in inflammatory cells. These findings suggest that inflammatory cells as well as reactive astrocytes are major sources of OPN and CD44 in the spinal cord of rats with EAN. Further study is needed to elucidate the functional role of OPN in the spinal cord affected by EAN.

Keyword

Experimental autoimmune neuritis; osteopontin; CD44; spinal cord

MeSH Terms

Animals
Antigens, CD44/metabolism
Astrocytes/metabolism
Ectodysplasins
Female
Immunohistochemistry
Macrophages/metabolism
Membrane Proteins
Neuritis, Autoimmune, Experimental/*metabolism
Neuroglia/metabolism
Neurons/metabolism
Osteopontin
Rats
Rats, Inbred Lew
Sciatic Nerve/metabolism
Sialoglycoproteins/*metabolism
Spinal Cord/*metabolism
Spinal Nerve Roots/metabolism