Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 20525361 Published · epublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Intrinsic response of thoracic propriospinal neurons to axotomy.

BMC neuroscience ·Vol. 11 ·2010-06-04 ·Pages 69

Siebert JR, Middelton FA, Stelzner DJ

Abstract

Central nervous system axons lack a robust regenerative response following spinal cord injury (SCI) and regeneration is usually abortive. Supraspinal pathways, which are the most commonly studied for their regenerative potential, demonstrate a limited regenerative ability. On the other hand, propriospinal (PS) neurons, with axons intrinsic to the spinal cord, have shown a greater regenerative response than their supraspinal counterparts, but remain relatively understudied in regards to spinal cord injury. Utilizing laser microdissection, gene-microarray, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry, we focused on the intrinsic post-axotomy response of specifically labelled thoracic propriospinal neurons at periods from 3-days to 1-month following T9 spinal cord injury. We found a strong and early (3-days post injury, p.i) upregulation in the expression of genes involved in the immune/inflammatory response that returned towards normal by 1-week p.i. In addition, several regeneration associated and cell survival/neuroprotective genes were significantly up-regulated at the earliest p.i. period studied. Significant upregulation of several growth factor receptor genes (GFRa1, Ret, Lifr) also occurred only during the initial period examined. The expression of a number of pro-apoptotic genes up-regulated at 3-days p.i. suggest that changes in gene expression after this period may have resulted from analyzing surviving TPS neurons after the cell death of the remainder of the axotomized TPS neuronal population. Taken collectively these data demonstrate that thoracic propriospinal (TPS) neurons mount a very dynamic response following low thoracic axotomy that includes a strong regenerative response, but also results in the cell death of many axotomized TPS neurons in the first week after spinal cord injury. These data also suggest that the immune/inflammatory response may have an important role in mediating the early strong regenerative response, as well as the apoptotic response, since expression of all of three classes of gene are up-regulated only during the initial period examined, 3-days post-SCI. The up-regulation in the expression of genes for several growth factor receptors during the first week post-SCI also suggest that administration of these factors may protect TPS neurons from cell death and maintain a regenerative response, but only if given during the early period after injury.

MeSH Terms
Animals Axons/metabolism Axotomy Cell Survival/physiology Female Immunohistochemistry Microscopy, Fluorescence Neurons/metabolism Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis Rats Rats, Long-Evans Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction Spinal Cord Injuries/genetics,metabolism,physiopathology Thoracic Vertebrae
Authors & Affiliations
3 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Siebert Justin R
Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse New York, USA. [email protected]
Middelton Frank A
Stelzner Dennis J
References (112)
112 references, click to expand
  1. Combining an autologous peripheral nervous system "bridge" and matrix modification by chondroitinase allows robust, functional regeneration beyond a hemisection lesion of the adult rat spinal cord.
    J Neurosci. 2006 Jul 12;26(28):7405-15 PMID: 16837588
  2. Neuroprotective and axon growth-promoting effects following inflammatory stimulation on mature retinal ganglion cells in mice depend on ciliary neurotrophic factor and leukemia inhibitory factor.
    J Neurosci. 2009 Nov 11;29(45):14334-41 PMID: 19906980
  3. Novel functions and signalling pathways for GDNF.
    J Cell Sci. 2003 Oct 1;116(Pt 19):3855-62 PMID: 12953054
  4. Reverse leukocyte migration can be attractive or repulsive.
    Trends Cell Biol. 2008 Jun;18(6):298-306 PMID: 18468440
  5. UNC5A promotes neuronal apoptosis during spinal cord development independent of netrin-1.
    Nat Neurosci. 2006 Aug;9(8):996-8 PMID: 16829956
  6. Identification of two distinct macrophage subsets with divergent effects causing either neurotoxicity or regeneration in the injured mouse spinal cord.
    J Neurosci. 2009 Oct 28;29(43):13435-44 PMID: 19864556
  7. Selective up-regulation of the growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene Gadd45 alpha in sensory and motor neurons after peripheral nerve injury.
    Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Aug;18(4):911-22 PMID: 12925017
  8. Myelin-, reactive glia-, and scar-derived CNS axon growth inhibitors: expression, receptor signaling, and correlation with axon regeneration.
    Glia. 2004 May;46(3):225-51 PMID: 15048847
  9. Short-circuit recovery from spinal injury.
    Nat Med. 2008 Jan;14(1):19-20 PMID: 18180714
  10. Fluoro-Gold's toxicity makes it inferior to True Blue for long-term studies of dorsal root ganglion neurons and motoneurons.
    Neurosci Lett. 1991 Jul 8;128(1):137-9 PMID: 1922943
  11. Response of facial and rubrospinal neurons to axotomy: changes in mRNA expression for cytoskeletal proteins and GAP-43.
    J Neurosci. 1991 Aug;11(8):2528-44 PMID: 1831228
  12. Differential gene expression after complete spinal cord transection in adult rats: an analysis focused on a subchronic post-injury stage.
    Neuroscience. 2004;128(2):375-88 PMID: 15350649
  13. The making of successful axonal regeneration: genes, molecules and signal transduction pathways.
    Brain Res Rev. 2007 Feb;53(2):287-311 PMID: 17079020
  14. The glial scar and central nervous system repair.
    Brain Res Bull. 1999 Aug;49(6):377-91 PMID: 10483914
  15. Inflammation near the nerve cell body enhances axonal regeneration.
    J Neurosci. 1991 Apr;11(4):972-8 PMID: 1901354
  16. Gene expression analysis of zebrafish retinal ganglion cells during optic nerve regeneration identifies KLF6a and KLF7a as important regulators of axon regeneration.
    Dev Biol. 2007 Dec 15;312(2):596-612 PMID: 17949705
  17. IL-6 up-regulates CNTF mRNA expression and enhances neurite regeneration.
    Neuroreport. 2001 Apr 17;12(5):1081-5 PMID: 11303750
  18. Leukemia inhibitory factor determines the growth status of injured adult sensory neurons.
    J Neurosci. 2001 Sep 15;21(18):7161-70 PMID: 11549727
  19. Hsp27 upregulation and phosphorylation is required for injured sensory and motor neuron survival.
    Neuron. 2002 Sep 26;36(1):45-56 PMID: 12367505
  20. Neurotrophic factor synergy is required for neuronal survival and disinhibited axon regeneration after CNS injury.
    Brain. 2006 Feb;129(Pt 2):490-502 PMID: 16339795
  21. Interaction between pyrin and the apoptotic speck protein (ASC) modulates ASC-induced apoptosis.
    J Biol Chem. 2001 Oct 19;276(42):39320-9 PMID: 11498534
  22. Differential vulnerability of propriospinal tract neurons to spinal cord contusion injury.
    J Comp Neurol. 2004 Nov 22;479(4):347-59 PMID: 15514981
  23. Axotomy results in delayed death and apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells in adult rats.
    J Neurosci. 1994 Jul;14(7):4368-74 PMID: 8027784
  24. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide prevents cell death in the spinal cord with traumatic injury.
    Neurosci Lett. 2005 Aug 12-19;384(1-2):117-21 PMID: 15913892
  25. The transcription factor ATF-3 promotes neurite outgrowth.
    Mol Cell Neurosci. 2006 May-Jun;32(1-2):143-54 PMID: 16713293
  26. ATF3 increases the intrinsic growth state of DRG neurons to enhance peripheral nerve regeneration.
    J Neurosci. 2007 Jul 25;27(30):7911-20 PMID: 17652582
  27. Regeneration of long spinal axons in the rat.
    J Neurocytol. 1984 Feb;13(1):165-82 PMID: 6707710
  28. Increased beta-actin and tubulin polymerization in regrowing axons: relationship to the conditioning lesion effect.
    Exp Neurol. 2002 Dec;178(2):306-12 PMID: 12504890
  29. Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-enriched bridging transplants promote propriospinal axonal regeneration and enhance myelination after spinal cord injury.
    Exp Neurol. 2003 Oct;183(2):379-93 PMID: 14552879
  30. Neurotrophism without neurotropism: BDNF promotes survival but not growth of lesioned corticospinal neurons.
    J Comp Neurol. 2001 Aug 6;436(4):456-70 PMID: 11447589
  31. A unilateral section of the corticospinal tract at cervical level in primate does not lead to measurable cell loss in motor cortex.
    J Neurotrauma. 2005 Jun;22(6):703-17 PMID: 15941378
  32. ASC is a Bax adaptor and regulates the p53-Bax mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.
    Nat Cell Biol. 2004 Feb;6(2):121-8 PMID: 14730312
  33. Axotomized rubrospinal neurons rescued by fetal spinal cord transplants maintain axon collaterals to rostral CNS targets.
    Exp Neurol. 1997 Nov;148(1):13-25 PMID: 9398446
  34. CNS injury, glial scars, and inflammation: Inhibitory extracellular matrices and regeneration failure.
    Exp Neurol. 2008 Feb;209(2):294-301 PMID: 17617407
  35. Macrophage-derived factors stimulate optic nerve regeneration.
    J Neurosci. 2003 Mar 15;23(6):2284-93 PMID: 12657687
  36. Influences of peripheral nerve grafts on the survival and regrowth of axotomized retinal ganglion cells in adult rats.
    J Neurosci. 1988 Jan;8(1):265-80 PMID: 2448429
  37. Neurotrophin signaling through the p75 neurotrophin receptor.
    Prog Neurobiol. 2002 Jun;67(3):203-33 PMID: 12169297
  38. The molecular basis of neural regeneration.
    Neurosurgery. 2003 Oct;53(4):943-48; discussion 948-50 PMID: 14519226
  39. Down-regulation of UNC5 homologue expression after the spinal cord injury in the adult rat.
    Neurosci Lett. 2007 May 23;419(1):43-8 PMID: 17452076
  40. Survival and regeneration of rubrospinal neurons 1 year after spinal cord injury.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Mar 5;99(5):3246-51 PMID: 11867727
  41. Inflammation, degeneration and regeneration in the injured spinal cord: insights from DNA microarrays.
    Trends Neurosci. 2003 Oct;26(10):555-63 PMID: 14522149
  42. Cell death and axon regeneration of Purkinje cells after axotomy: challenges of classical hypotheses of axon regeneration.
    Brain Res Brain Res Rev. 2005 Sep;49(2):300-16 PMID: 16111558
  43. Overexpression of GAP-43 induces prolonged sprouting and causes death of adult motoneurons.
    Eur J Neurosci. 1999 Jul;11(7):2237-42 PMID: 10383612
  44. LINGO-1 is a component of the Nogo-66 receptor/p75 signaling complex.
    Nat Neurosci. 2004 Mar;7(3):221-8 PMID: 14966521
  45. Expression of the growth-associated protein GAP-43 in adult rat retinal ganglion cells following axon injury.
    Neuron. 1991 Apr;6(4):635-47 PMID: 1826603
  46. Pathology of experimental spinal cord trauma. I. The necrotic lesion as a function of vascular injury.
    Lab Invest. 1978 Sep;39(3):236-53 PMID: 713489
  47. Intracellular control of developmental and regenerative axon growth.
    Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2006 Sep 29;361(1473):1575-92 PMID: 16939976
  48. TM4: a free, open-source system for microarray data management and analysis.
    Biotechniques. 2003 Feb;34(2):374-8 PMID: 12613259
  49. MASCIS evaluation of open field locomotor scores: effects of experience and teamwork on reliability. Multicenter Animal Spinal Cord Injury Study.
    J Neurotrauma. 1996 Jul;13(7):343-59 PMID: 8863191
  50. Axonal elongation into peripheral nervous system "bridges" after central nervous system injury in adult rats.
    Science. 1981 Nov 20;214(4523):931-3 PMID: 6171034
  51. Neuronal repair and replacement in spinal cord injury.
    J Neurol Sci. 2008 Feb 15;265(1-2):63-72 PMID: 17568612
  52. Delayed grafting of BDNF and NT-3 producing fibroblasts into the injured spinal cord stimulates sprouting, partially rescues axotomized red nucleus neurons from loss and atrophy, and provides limited regeneration.
    Exp Neurol. 2003 Nov;184(1):97-113 PMID: 14637084
  53. Novel changes in gene expression following axotomy of a sympathetic ganglion: a microarray analysis.
    J Neurobiol. 2004 May;59(2):216-35 PMID: 15085539
  54. Changes in spinal cord injury-induced gene expression in rat are strain-dependent.
    Spine J. 2006 Mar-Apr;6(2):113-9 PMID: 16517380
  55. Lens injury stimulates axon regeneration in the mature rat optic nerve.
    J Neurosci. 2000 Jun 15;20(12):4615-26 PMID: 10844031
  56. Absence of GAP-43 can protect neurons from death.
    Mol Cell Neurosci. 2000 Jul;16(1):27-33 PMID: 10882480
  57. Structural and functional alterations in rat corticospinal neurons after axotomy.
    J Neurophysiol. 1996 Jan;75(1):248-67 PMID: 8822555
  58. Axonal mRNA in uninjured and regenerating cortical mammalian axons.
    J Neurosci. 2009 Apr 15;29(15):4697-707 PMID: 19369540
  59. Cathepsin B is essential for regeneration of scratch-wounded normal human epidermal keratinocytes.
    Eur J Cell Biol. 2007 Dec;86(11-12):747-61 PMID: 17651862
  60. UNC5H1 induces apoptosis via its juxtamembrane region through an interaction with NRAGE.
    J Biol Chem. 2003 May 9;278(19):17483-90 PMID: 12598531
  61. Siva is an apoptosis-selective p53 target gene important for neuronal cell death.
    Cell Death Differ. 2007 Jul;14(7):1374-85 PMID: 17464332
  62. The GDNF family: signalling, biological functions and therapeutic value.
    Nat Rev Neurosci. 2002 May;3(5):383-94 PMID: 11988777
  63. Retrograde tracing with Fluoro-Gold: different methods of tracer detection at the ultrastructural level and neurodegenerative changes of back-filled neurons in long-term studies.
    J Neurosci Methods. 2000 Nov 15;103(1):11-21 PMID: 11074092
  64. Blocking LINGO-1 function promotes retinal ganglion cell survival following ocular hypertension and optic nerve transection.
    Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2008 Mar;49(3):975-85 PMID: 18326721
  65. Genomic response of the rat brain to global ischemia and reperfusion.
    Brain Res. 2009 Feb 3;1252:1-14 PMID: 19071098
  66. Influence of the axotomy to cell body distance in rat rubrospinal and spinal motoneurons: differential regulation of GAP-43, tubulins, and neurofilament-M.
    J Comp Neurol. 1999 Nov 29;414(4):495-510 PMID: 10531542
  67. Therapeutic interventions after spinal cord injury.
    Nat Rev Neurosci. 2006 Aug;7(8):628-43 PMID: 16858391
  68. LINGO-1 antagonist promotes spinal cord remyelination and axonal integrity in MOG-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
    Nat Med. 2007 Oct;13(10):1228-33 PMID: 17906634
  69. Magnesium sulfate treatment decreases caspase-3 activity after experimental spinal cord injury in rats.
    Surg Neurol. 2005;64 Suppl 2:S17-21 PMID: 16256834
  70. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor applied to the motor cortex promotes sprouting of corticospinal fibers but not regeneration into a peripheral nerve transplant.
    J Neurosci Res. 2002 Jul 15;69(2):160-8 PMID: 12111797
  71. Ro5-4864 promotes neonatal motor neuron survival and nerve regeneration in adult rats.
    Eur J Neurosci. 2008 Feb;27(4):937-46 PMID: 18333964
  72. Spinal interneuron axons spontaneously regenerate after spinal cord injury in the adult feline.
    J Neurosci. 2009 Sep 30;29(39):12145-58 PMID: 19793972
  73. Heat shock protein 27 in neuronal survival and neurite outgrowth.
    Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 Apr 24;382(1):6-8 PMID: 19249290
  74. LINGO-1 and its role in CNS repair.
    Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2008;40(10):1971-8 PMID: 18468478
  75. Effects of ocular injury and administration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor on survival and regrowth of axotomized retinal ganglion cells.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1994 Mar 1;91(5):1632-6 PMID: 8127857
  76. Cellular GDNF delivery promotes growth of motor and dorsal column sensory axons after partial and complete spinal cord transections and induces remyelination.
    J Comp Neurol. 2003 Dec 15;467(3):403-17 PMID: 14608602
  77. Activating transcription factor 3 is integral to the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 kinase stress response.
    Mol Cell Biol. 2004 Feb;24(3):1365-77 PMID: 14729979
  78. The neural cell adhesion molecule NCAM is an alternative signaling receptor for GDNF family ligands.
    Cell. 2003 Jun 27;113(7):867-79 PMID: 12837245
  79. The establishment of neuronal properties is controlled by Sox4 and Sox11.
    Genes Dev. 2006 Dec 15;20(24):3475-86 PMID: 17182872
  80. Corticospinal neurons up-regulate a range of growth-associated genes following intracortical, but not spinal, axotomy.
    Eur J Neurosci. 2003 Aug;18(4):789-802 PMID: 12925005
  81. Possible involvement of a fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9)-FGF receptor-3-mediated pathway in adult pig retinal ganglion cell survival in vitro.
    Mol Cell Neurosci. 2003 May;23(1):39-53 PMID: 12799136
  82. Inflammation and its role in neuroprotection, axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
    Exp Neurol. 2008 Feb;209(2):378-88 PMID: 17662717
  83. Neuroprotective and axon growth promoting effects of intraocular inflammation do not depend on oncomodulin or the presence of large numbers of activated macrophages.
    Exp Neurol. 2008 Feb;209(2):469-82 PMID: 18021771
  84. Degenerative and regenerative mechanisms governing spinal cord injury.
    Neurobiol Dis. 2004 Apr;15(3):415-36 PMID: 15056450
  85. Leukemia inhibitory factor augments neurotrophin expression and corticospinal axon growth after adult CNS injury.
    J Neurosci. 1999 May 1;19(9):3556-66 PMID: 10212315
  86. Diazepam neuroprotection in excitotoxic and oxidative stress involves a mitochondrial mechanism additional to the GABAAR and hypothermic effects.
    Neurochem Int. 2009 Jul-Aug;55(1-3):164-73 PMID: 19428822
  87. Impaired nerve regeneration and enhanced neuroinflammatory response in mice lacking pituitary adenylyl cyclase activating peptide.
    Neuroscience. 2008 Jan 2;151(1):63-73 PMID: 18055122
  88. Role of GAP-43 in mediating the responsiveness of cerebellar and precerebellar neurons to axotomy.
    Eur J Neurosci. 2001 Mar;13(5):857-70 PMID: 11264659
  89. LINGO-1 antagonist promotes functional recovery and axonal sprouting after spinal cord injury.
    Mol Cell Neurosci. 2006 Nov;33(3):311-20 PMID: 17011208
  90. Treatment of chronically injured spinal cord with neurotrophic factors stimulates betaII-tubulin and GAP-43 expression in rubrospinal tract neurons.
    J Neurosci Res. 2003 Nov 15;74(4):502-11 PMID: 14598294
  91. Release of cytochrome c, Bax migration, Bid cleavage, and activation of caspases 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, and 9 during endothelial cell apoptosis.
    Am J Pathol. 1999 Oct;155(4):1021-5 PMID: 10514382
  92. Lens-injury-stimulated axonal regeneration throughout the optic pathway of adult rats.
    Exp Neurol. 2001 Dec;172(2):257-72 PMID: 11716551
  93. Enhanced expression of heat shock protein 27 is correlated with axonal regeneration in mature retinal ganglion cells.
    Brain Res. 2006 Feb 16;1073-1074:146-50 PMID: 16476415
  94. GeneChip analysis after acute spinal cord injury in rat.
    J Neurochem. 2001 Nov;79(4):804-15 PMID: 11723173
  95. Expression of the activating transcription factor 3 prevents c-Jun N-terminal kinase-induced neuronal death by promoting heat shock protein 27 expression and Akt activation.
    J Neurosci. 2003 Jun 15;23(12):5187-96 PMID: 12832543
  96. Assignment of DAP1 and DAPK--genes that positively mediate programmed cell death triggered by IFN-gamma--to chromosome regions 5p12.2 and 9q34.1, respectively.
    Genomics. 1995 Sep 1;29(1):305-7 PMID: 8530096
  97. A monitored contusion model of spinal cord injury in the rat.
    J Neurotrauma. 1992 Summer;9(2):123-6; discussion 126-8 PMID: 1404425
  98. Glial inhibition of CNS axon regeneration.
    Nat Rev Neurosci. 2006 Aug;7(8):617-27 PMID: 16858390
  99. Rapid upregulation of caspase-3 in rat spinal cord after injury: mRNA, protein, and cellular localization correlates with apoptotic cell death.
    Exp Neurol. 2000 Dec;166(2):213-26 PMID: 11085887
  100. ATF3 enhances c-Jun-mediated neurite sprouting.
    Brain Res Mol Brain Res. 2003 Dec 12;120(1):38-45 PMID: 14667575
  101. Effects of lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation on expression of growth-associated genes by corticospinal neurons.
    BMC Neurosci. 2006 Jan 24;7:8 PMID: 16433912
  102. Death associated proteins (DAPs): from gene identification to the analysis of their apoptotic and tumor suppressive functions.
    Oncogene. 1998 Dec 24;17(25):3331-40 PMID: 9916995
  103. Distribution of GAP-43, beta-III tubulin and F-actin in developing and regenerating axons and their growth cones in vitro, following neurotrophin treatment.
    J Neurocytol. 2003 Nov;32(9):1077-89 PMID: 15044840
  104. Identification of BARD1 as mediator between proapoptotic stress and p53-dependent apoptosis.
    Mol Cell. 2001 Dec;8(6):1255-66 PMID: 11779501
  105. Transcriptional upregulation of SCG10 and CAP-23 is correlated with regeneration of the axons of peripheral and central neurons in vivo.
    Mol Cell Neurosci. 2002 Aug;20(4):595-615 PMID: 12213442
  106. Extensive elongation of axons from rat brain into peripheral nerve grafts.
    Nature. 1982 Mar 11;296(5853):150-2 PMID: 7063015
  107. Regulation of intrinsic neuronal properties for axon growth and regeneration.
    Prog Neurobiol. 2007 Jan;81(1):1-28 PMID: 17234322
  108. Experimental analysis of progressive necrosis after spinal cord trauma in the rat: etiological role of the inflammatory response.
    Exp Neurol. 1997 Jan;143(1):141-52 PMID: 9000453
  109. LINGO-1 negatively regulates myelination by oligodendrocytes.
    Nat Neurosci. 2005 Jun;8(6):745-51 PMID: 15895088
  110. Distinct susceptibility of developing neurons to death following Bax overexpression in the chicken embryo.
    Cell Death Differ. 2006 Mar;13(3):435-45 PMID: 16151456
  111. Neuronal plasticity after spinal cord injury: identification of a gene cluster driving neurite outgrowth.
    FASEB J. 2005 Jan;19(1):153-4 PMID: 15522907
  112. HSP27 is markedly induced in Schwann cell columns and associated regenerating axons.
    Glia. 2003 Apr 1;42(1):1-11 PMID: 12594732
Article Info
Journal
BMC neuroscience
Abbr.
BMC Neurosci
ISSN
1471-2202
Published
2010-06-04
Epub
2010-00-04
Pages
69
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
100966986
PMCID
PMC2894843
Subset
IM
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: [email protected]