Post Traumatic Lesion absence of β-Dystroglycan-Immunopositivity in Brain Vessels Coincides with the Glial Reaction and the Immunoreactivity of Vascular Laminin

Title: Post Traumatic Lesion absence of β-Dystroglycan-Immunopositivity in Brain Vessels Coincides with the Glial Reaction and the Immunoreactivity of Vascular Laminin

Volume: 5 Issue: 3

Author(s): Adrienn Szabo and Mihaly Kalman

Affiliation:

Keywords: Astrocytes, basal lamina, brain lesion, dystroglycan, GFAP, laminin, reactive glia, gliovascular coupling

Abstract: Following brain lesions, the gliovascular basal lamina undergoes destruction and the gliovascular connections ‘decouple’. Laminin receptors, as dystroglycan, are essential in these processes. The present study compares the immunoreactivities of β-dystroglycan, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and laminin following stab wounds in adult rats. In intact brain the vessels were immunopositive to β-dystroglycan, whereas the laminin of their basal lamina proved to be unavailable to immunoreactions. Following stab wound, however, the adjacent vessels lost their immunopositvity to β-dystroglycan, whereas immunopositivity to laminin became detectable in them. In an advanced stage of glial reaction the territory of GFAP immunopositive reactive astrocytes coincided with the area where vessels lost their immunopositivity to β-dystroglycan. When glial reaction regressed, the β-dystroglycan immunopositivity re-appeared, and laminin immunopositivity became undetectable again. Post-lesional disappearance of vascular β-dystroglycan immunostaining was described earlier, and was attributed to the cleavage of β-dystroglycan by matrix metalloproteinases as a mechanism of the decoupling of the gliovascular connections. Our results, which were obtained in a different type of lesion support that the loss of vascular β-dystroglycan immunopositivity is a general phenomenon following cerebral lesions, and an indirect marker of gliovascular decoupling. For the first time coincidences were presented between vascular immunonegativity to β-dystroglycan, glial reaction and detectability of laminin. Manifestation of laminin immunoreactivity also indicates gliovascular decoupling. Coincidence between glial reaction and lack of vascular β-dystroglycan suggests mutual enhancement between them. The observations may have clinico-pathologic importance since similar investigations may help to follow the progression and regression of post-lesion processes.

Cite this article as:

Szabo Adrienn and Kalman Mihaly, Post Traumatic Lesion absence of β-Dystroglycan-Immunopositivity in Brain Vessels Coincides with the Glial Reaction and the Immunoreactivity of Vascular Laminin, Current Neurovascular Research 2008; 5 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720208785425657