Affiliations: MRC Group, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Babraham, Cambridge (U.K.)
Note: [] Correspondence: U.H. Wiese, MRC Group, Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics Research, Babraham, Cambridge, U.K. Fax: (44) (223)833676.
Abstract: The methods of non-radioisotopic in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry were used to visualize sites of GAP-43 expression after a mid-thoracic spinal cord transection in adult rats. Neurons which expressed moderate to high levels of GAP-43 mRNA and showed strong GAP-43-like immunoreactivity were located immediately above the lesion site as well as at greater distances from the lesion site in the lower cervical and mid-lumbar spinal cord. The results of this study suggest a widespread occurrence of lesion-induced neuroplastic changes and may indicate that the increase in GAP-43 expression can be caused by axotomy, deafferentation and increased compensatory motor activity in the spinal cord of paraplegic rats.
Keywords: Spinal cord transection, Neuronal plasticity, Growth-associated protein (GAP-43), Axotomy, Deafferentation, Compensatory motor activity
