PMID- 14534158
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20040310
LR  - 20101118
IS  - 0006-8950 (Print)
IS  - 0006-8950 (Linking)
VI  - 127
IP  - Pt 1
DP  - 2004 Jan
TI  - Gradual loss of myelin and formation of an astrocytic scar during Wallerian 
      degeneration in the human spinal cord.
PG  - 34-44
AB  - Axons undergo Wallerian degeneration distal to a point of injury. Experimental 
      investigations have documented many of the cellular and molecular events that 
      underlie this behaviour. Since relatively little is known about such events in 
      human CNS pathologies and current experimental intervention strategies indicate 
      the possibility of significant axon regeneration along the original degenerated 
      fibre tract, we performed an immunohistochemical investigation of the dynamics of 
      Wallerian degeneration in post mortem spinal cords of patients who died 2 days to 
      30 years after either cerebral infarction or traumatic spinal cord injury. 
      Neurofilament (NF) staining demonstrated a spatio-temporal pattern of axonal loss 
      within degenerating descending nerve fibre tracts that could be detected close to 
      the lesion as early as 12 days after injury and progressed to an almost complete 
      loss of NF immunoreactivity at survival times of 1 year and longer. 
      Immunohistochemistry for glial fibrillary acidic protein revealed a late 
      astrocytic reaction starting at 4 months after injury in the degenerating tracts, 
      leading to the long-term deposition of a dense astrocytic scar. These events were 
      accompanied by the gradual reduction of myelin basic protein in affected nerve 
      fibre tracts, leading to almost complete loss by 3 years after injury. Since the 
      extracellular matrix molecule chondroitin sulphate proteoglycan (CSPG) is known 
      to be strongly inhibitory for axonal regeneration and to be a major component of 
      gliotic scar tissues, we investigated the possible deposition of CSPG within the 
      degenerating nerve fibre tracts. Apart from a local up-regulation close to the 
      lesion site, our results show no enhanced CSPG expression within degenerated 
      tracts at any survival time. This suggests that despite the apparent lack of CSPG 
      in Wallerian degeneration, the slow reduction of CNS myelin and the long-term 
      deposition of a dense astrocytic scar may present an environment that is 
      non-supportive for axon regrowth.
FAU - Buss, A
AU  - Buss A
AD  - Department of Neurology, Aachen University Hospital, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 
      Aachen, Germany. arminbuss@hotmail.com
FAU - Brook, G A
AU  - Brook GA
FAU - Kakulas, B
AU  - Kakulas B
FAU - Martin, D
AU  - Martin D
FAU - Franzen, R
AU  - Franzen R
FAU - Schoenen, J
AU  - Schoenen J
FAU - Noth, J
AU  - Noth J
FAU - Schmitt, A B
AU  - Schmitt AB
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
DEP - 20031008
PL  - England
TA  - Brain
JT  - Brain : a journal of neurology
JID - 0372537
RN  - 0 (Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans)
RN  - 0 (Neurofilament Proteins)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aged
MH  - Aged, 80 and over
MH  - Astrocytes/*pathology
MH  - Cerebral Infarction/metabolism/*pathology
MH  - Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans/metabolism
MH  - Cicatrix/metabolism/pathology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Myelin Sheath/*pathology
MH  - Neurofilament Proteins/metabolism
MH  - Spinal Cord Injuries/metabolism/*pathology
MH  - Time Factors
MH  - Up-Regulation
MH  - Wallerian Degeneration/metabolism/*pathology
EDAT- 2003/10/10 05:00
MHDA- 2004/03/11 05:00
CRDT- 2003/10/10 05:00
PHST- 2003/10/10 05:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2004/03/11 05:00 [medline]
PHST- 2003/10/10 05:00 [entrez]
AID - awh001 [pii]
AID - 10.1093/brain/awh001 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Brain. 2004 Jan;127(Pt 1):34-44. doi: 10.1093/brain/awh001. Epub 2003 Oct 8.