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Differences in their interactions with astrocytes distinguish the behaviour of olfactory ensheathing cells and Schwann cells
Author(s) -
Lakatos A.,
Barnett S. C.,
Franklin R. J. M.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
neuropathology and applied neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.538
H-Index - 95
eISSN - 1365-2990
pISSN - 0305-1846
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2990.2002.39286_18.x
Subject(s) - olfactory ensheathing glia , olfactory bulb , transplantation , neuroscience , biology , astrocyte , neuroglia , schwann cell , olfactory system , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , medicine , surgery
The olfactory ensheathing cell (OEC) is able to remyelinate axons in demyelinating lesions and support regrowth of transected axons following transplantation. Schwann cells (SCs) share these repair properties but have limitations imposed on their behaviour by the presence of astrocytes. Since OECs exist alongside astrocytes in the olfactory bulb we have hypothesized that they have advantages over SCs in transplant‐mediated CNS repair, because of their compatibility with astrocytes. In this study we have tested this hypothesis by comparing the interactions between astrocytes and either SCs or OECs using a range of in vitro assays. We have shown that (1) astrocytes undergo hypertrophy when in contact with SCs but not with OECs; (2) astrocytes and SC aggregate in defined nonoverlapping domains in mixed coculture, whereas astrocytes and OECs freely intermingle; (3) SCs spend less time in contact with astrocytes than do OECs; and (4) a larger number of OECs migrate over astrocytes monolayers compared with SCs although the distance migrated is the same. Taken together, these data support the hypothesis that transplanted OECs will integrate more extensively in astrocytic environments than will transplanted SCs.