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Differential Na + channel β1 subunit mRNA expression in stellate and flat astrocytes cultured from rat cortex and cerebellum: A combined in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry study
Author(s) -
Oh Youngsuk,
Waxman Stephen G.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.440130303
Subject(s) - biology , in situ hybridization , immunocytochemistry , astrocyte , cerebellum , messenger rna , neuroglia , microbiology and biotechnology , hepatic stellate cell , gene expression , cerebrum , central nervous system , neuroscience , biochemistry , endocrinology , gene
Astrocytes have been shown to express voltage‐sensitive Na + channels, but the molecular structure of these channels is not yet known. Recent studies have demonstrated the expression of rat brain voltage‐sensitive Na + channel mRNAs in astrocytes. In this study, we used a combined non‐radioactive in situ hybridization immunocytochemistry method to investigate the expression of voltage‐sensitive Na + channel ß1 subunit (Naß1) mRNA in definitively identified, GFAP‐positive astrocytes cultured from two different regions of the rat brain, cerebrum and cerebellum. In general, two morphologically distinct types of GFAP‐positive astrocytes were observed in culture: flat, fibroblast‐like and stellate, process‐bearing. We observed a differential expression ofNaß1 mRNA in GFAP‐positive astrocytes: (1) stellate astrocytes expressed Naß1 mRNA, although the level of Naß1 mRNA expression was variable, and (2) flat astrocytes generally did not express Naß1 mRNA. Moreover, Bergmann‐like cells from cerebellum did not express Naß mRNA, while the granule cells associated with Bergmann‐like cell expressed Naß mRNA. These observations indicate that Naß mRNA is differentially expressed in rat astrocytes with various morphologies in vitro. © 1995 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.