QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

HOME  |   SEARCH  |   ARCHIVE  |   SUBSCRIBE  |   CONTACT  |   HELP

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit an eLetter Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Catania, M. V. Articles by Troost, D. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Catania, M. V. Articles by Troost, D. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

The Journal of Neuroscience, 2001, 21:RC148:1-5

RAPID COMMUNICATION
Increased Expression of Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Spliced Variants in Reactive Astrocytes of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Human Spinal Cord

Maria Vincenza Catania¹, Eleonora Aronica², Bulent Yankaya², and Dirk Troost²

¹ Institute of Bioimaging and Pathophysiology of the Central Nervous System, National Research Council, 95123 Catania, Italy, and ² Department of (Neuro)Pathology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The expression of three different neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) spliced variants, named nNOS, nNOS, and nNOS, was investigated in the spinal cord of control and both familiar and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS and SALS) patients. Western blot analysis showed a consistent increase in nNOS expression in six SALS patients compared with controls when antibodies recognizing both nNOS and nNOS, or nNOS, nNOS, and nNOS were used, whereas no change was observed when a selective anti-nNOS antibody was used. Immunoreactivity signal for nNOS-- and nNOS- was equally present in ventral horn neurons of control and ALS spinal cord but was dramatically increased in reactive astrocytes of the ventral horn and white matter in both FALS and SALS. nNOS signal was equally expressed in motor neurons of normal and ALS spinal cord but was not evident in astrocytes. This finding indicates that nNOS and nNOS spliced variants are upregulated in reactive astrocytes in ALS. This may contribute to the peroxynitrite-mediated oxidative damage involved in the pathogenesis of both FALS and SALS.

Key words: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; spinal cord; reactive astrocytes; nNOS; spliced variants; glia

---

Copyright © Society for Neuroscience  0270-6474//$05.00/0

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. Raoul, E. Buhler, C. Sadeghi, A. Jacquier, P. Aebischer, B. Pettmann, C. E. Henderson, and G. Haase Chronic activation in presymptomatic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) mice of a feedback loop involving Fas, Daxx, and FasL PNAS, April 11, 2006; 103(15): 6007 - 6012. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				D. C. Newton, S. C. Bevan, S. Choi, G. B. Robb, A. Millar, Y. Wang, and P. A. Marsden Translational Regulation of Human Neuronal Nitric-oxide Synthase by an Alternatively Spliced 5'-Untranslated Region Leader Exon J. Biol. Chem., January 3, 2003; 278(1): 636 - 644. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home  |   Search  |   Archive  |   Subscribe  |   Contact  |   Help