Immunohistochemical study of arginase-1 in the spinal cords of rats with clip compression injury

• Published in: Brain research Vol. 1445; pp. 11 - 19
• Main Authors: Ahn, Meejung, Lee, Cheolho, Jung, Kyungsook, Kim, Heechul, Moon, Changjong, Sim, Ki-Bum, Shin, Taekyun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 22.03.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: 2',3'-Cyclic-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterases - metabolism; Animals; Arginase - metabolism; Arginase-1; arginine; Astrocyte; astrocytes; Astrocytes - metabolism; Astrocytes - pathology; Biological and medical sciences; brain; Disease Progression; enzymes; Female; gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation - physiology; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Glycoproteins - metabolism; hydrolysis; Immunohistochemistry; inflammation; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Lectins - metabolism; Macrophage; macrophages; Macrophages - metabolism; Macrophages - pathology; Medical sciences; Neurology; neurons; Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II - metabolism; ornithine; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase - metabolism; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; spinal cord; Spinal Cord - enzymology; Spinal Cord - pathology; Spinal Cord Compression - etiology; Spinal Cord Compression - pathology; Spinal cord injury; Surgical Instruments - adverse effects; Time Factors; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; urea; Western blotting; Astrocyte; Arginase-1; Spinal cord injury; Macrophage; Immunohistochemistry; Spinal cord; Rat; Enzyme; Neuroglia; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Arginase; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Hydrolases; Lesion
• ISSN: 0006-8993; 1872-6240
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2012.01.045

Abstract The expression of arginases, enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of arginine to ornithine and urea, was studied in the inflammatory lesions of spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The level of arginase-1 expression in rat spinal cords with clip compression injury was determined by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. Western blot showed that the level of arginase-1 increased in the core lesion of SCI at day 1 post injury and continued to increase through days 4 ( p < 0.05) and 7 ( p < 0.01). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that arginase-1 was constitutively expressed in neurons and glial cells in sham control spinal cords. In SCI lesions, arginase-1 was additionally detected in inflammatory cells, particularly in isolectin B4-positive macrophages and reactive astrocytes within the core lesion. These findings suggest that the increased level of arginase-1 in SCI is associated with an increase in macrophages and reactive astrocytes, possibly contributing to the modulation of inflammation during the course of SCI.