Temporospatial expression and cellular localization of glutamine synthetase following traumatic spinal cord injury in adult rats

Liu,Chunxing; Wu,Wenjie; Zhang,Bin; Xiang,Jie; Zou,Jian

doi:10.3892/mmr.2013.1383

Temporospatial expression and cellular localization of glutamine synthetase following traumatic spinal cord injury in adult rats

Authors:
- Chunxing Liu
- Wenjie Wu
- Bin Zhang
- Jie Xiang
- Jian Zou
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Affiliations: Department of Clinical Testing, Huadong Sanitarium, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214065, P.R. China, Department of Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200127, P.R. China, Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214023, P.R. China, Wuxi Clinical Science Research Institute, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214023, P.R. China
Published online on: March 20, 2013 https://doi.org/10.3892/mmr.2013.1383
Pages: 1431-1436

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Abstract

Glutamine synthetase (GS) is an enzyme involved in an endogenous mechanism of protection against glutamate neurotoxicity and is important in the regulation of astrocyte migration. To date, limited information is available concerning the expression of GS in normal spinal cords and following injury. In the present study, GS expression was identified in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia in normal rat spinal cords. Following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI), the glutamate concentration increased rapidly at 1 h and returned to baseline rapidly. However, the GS activity and protein levels were found to decrease at 4 h and then increase gradually from day 3 following SCI. The quantification of astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and activated microglia/macrophages, as well as immunohistochemistry staining of day 7 post‑injured spinal cords, indicated that the astrocytes and microglia/macrophages contributed to the increase in GS. Collectively, the results provided evidence for the temporospatial expression and location of GS following SCI and suggested that the changes in GS levels may contribute to glutamate neurotoxicity and glial cell response following SCI.

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