Clusterin upregulation following rubrospinal tract lesion in the adult rat

• We have examined the expression of the multifunctional protein clusterin in the axotomized red nucleus, at the lesion site in the lateral funiculus of C3, as well as along the Wallerian degeneration in the lateral funiculus of T1. There was a marked increase in clusterin-immunoreactivity (IR) and clusterin mRNA in red nucleus nerve cell bodies. An early, transient occurrence of large, heavily clusterin-IR globules were found in axons in the spinal cord at the lesion site in C3 as well as a marked upregulation of mRNA for clusterin, presumably associated with reactive astrocytes and oligodendrocytes from 1 to 4 weeks postoperatively. Clusterin-IR and its mRNA were markedly increased in the zone of Wallerian degeneration at T1, where some strongly expressing cells were identified as oligodendrocytes. Taken together with previous changes in clusterin expression following peripheral nerve and dorsal root injury, we suggest that this protein is involved in regenerative as well as degenerative neural responses.

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