Effects of a chronic myositis on structural and functional features of spinal astrocytes in the rat

• Verfasst von: Tenschert, Sibylle [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Hoheisel, Ulrich [VerfasserIn]
• Verfasst von: Mense, Siegfried [VerfasserIn]
• Titel: Effects of a chronic myositis on structural and functional features of spinal astrocytes in the rat
• Verf.angabe: S. Tenschert, A. Reinert, U. Hoheisel, S. Mense
• Umfang: 4 S.
• Fussnoten: Gesehen am 01.09.2017
• Titel Quelle: Enthalten in: Neuroscience letters
• Jahr Quelle: 2004
• Band/Heft Quelle: 361(2004), 1, S. 196-199
• ISSN Quelle: 1872-7972
• DOI: doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2003.12.003
• Datenträger: Online-Ressource
• Sprache: eng
• K10plus-PPN: 156297159X

Abstract

The study aimed at the question if astrocytes react with morphological or functional changes when a skeletal muscle is pathologically altered. In rats, a myositis was induced in the gastrocnemius-soleus muscle. After 12 days, the immunoreactivity (IR) for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), morphometric parameters, and fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) expression of astrocytes were quantitatively evaluated in the dorsal horn of the spinal segment L4. Following inflammation, the area density of GFAP-IR as well as the proportion of astrocytes expressing FGF-2 increased significantly while the degree of astrocyte arborisation decreased as shown by a shape factor. The density of cell nuclei was unchanged suggesting that no myositis-induced cell divisions occurred. The data indicate that spinal astrocytes may influence pain processes particularly by increased FGF-2 synthesis.