Int J Med Sci
2020; 17(4):480-489.
doi:10.7150/ijms.39101 This issueCite
Research Paper
Identification of VGF nerve growth factor inducible-producing cells in human spinal cords and expression change in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
1. Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu 501-1196, Japan. 2. Department of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
✉ Corresponding author: Dr. Masamitsu Shimazawa, Molecular Pharmacology, Department of Biofunctional Evaluation, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, 1-25-4 Daigaku-nishi, Gifu 501-1196, Japan. E-mail: shimazawaac.jp, Telephone and Fax: +81-58-230-8126More
Citation:
Noda Y, Tanaka M, Nakamura S, Ito J, Kakita A, Hara H, Shimazawa M. Identification of VGF nerve growth factor inducible-producing cells in human spinal cords and expression change in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Int J Med Sci 2020; 17(4):480-489. doi:10.7150/ijms.39101. https://www.medsci.org/v17p0480.htm
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a serious disease characterized by the degeneration of motor neurons resulting in muscle weakness and paralysis. The neuroendocrine polypeptide VGF is localized in the central nervous system and peripheral endocrine neurons and is cleaved into several polypeptides with multiple functions. Previous studies revealed that VGF was decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of ALS model mice and sporadic ALS patients. However, it is unknown which cells supply VGF in the spinal cord and a detailed localization is lacking. In this study, we evaluated the VGF-producing cells and protein localization using in situ hybridization and immunostaining in the spinal cords of ALS and control patients. VGF mRNA was localized both in the dorsal and anterior horns of the spinal cords. Moreover, in the anterior horn, VGF mRNA co-localized with a neurofilament heavy chain, which is a motor neuron marker, and VGF mRNA-positive motor neurons were decreased in the spinal cords of ALS patients. We revealed that VGF protein level was decreased in the anterior horn of ALS patients; however, the expression level of VGF protein was not changed in the posterior horn or white matter. Furthermore, the expression level of VGF protein was conserved in ALS patients with long-term survival. These results reveal that VGF is mainly supplied by human motor neurons, and suggest that VGF expression changes may be involved in ALS pathology.
Noda, Y., Tanaka, M., Nakamura, S., Ito, J., Kakita, A., Hara, H., Shimazawa, M. (2020). Identification of VGF nerve growth factor inducible-producing cells in human spinal cords and expression change in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. International Journal of Medical Sciences, 17(4), 480-489. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijms.39101.
ACS
Noda, Y.; Tanaka, M.; Nakamura, S.; Ito, J.; Kakita, A.; Hara, H.; Shimazawa, M. Identification of VGF nerve growth factor inducible-producing cells in human spinal cords and expression change in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Int. J. Med. Sci. 2020, 17 (4), 480-489. DOI: 10.7150/ijms.39101.
NLM
Noda Y, Tanaka M, Nakamura S, Ito J, Kakita A, Hara H, Shimazawa M. Identification of VGF nerve growth factor inducible-producing cells in human spinal cords and expression change in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Int J Med Sci 2020; 17(4):480-489. doi:10.7150/ijms.39101. https://www.medsci.org/v17p0480.htm
CSE
Noda Y, Tanaka M, Nakamura S, Ito J, Kakita A, Hara H, Shimazawa M. 2020. Identification of VGF nerve growth factor inducible-producing cells in human spinal cords and expression change in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Int J Med Sci. 17(4):480-489.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). See http://ivyspring.com/terms for full terms and conditions.