Cj. Garrison et al., GFAP EXPRESSION IN LUMBAR SPINAL-CORD OF NAIVE AND NEUROPATHIC RATS TREATED WITH MK-801, Experimental neurology, 129(2), 1994, pp. 237-243
The objective of the present investigation was to determine if baselin
e glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression and the increases
in GFAP expression induced by chronic constriction of the sciatic nerv
e were modified by the specific N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor a
ntagonist MK-801. Changes in immunohistochemical staining densities of
GFAP within the L4 spinal cord were quantified and compared in three
groups of animals: (1) nonneuropathic rats, (2) nondrug-treated neurop
athic rats, and (3) neuropathic rats treated for 7 days with MK-801. T
he results indicate that baseline GFAP staining density in naive anima
ls is dependent on NMDA receptor activity and that an ongoing NMDA-dep
endent signal is, at least in part, responsible for the increase in GF
AP observed following-peripheral nerve injury. (C) 1994 Academic Press
, Inc.