ACIDIC AND BASIC FIBROBLAST GROWTH FACTOR-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN THE STRIATUM AND MIDBRAIN IN HUNTINGTONS-DISEASE

The immunohistochemical localizations of acidic and basic fibroblast g rowth factor (aFGF and bFGF) were investigated in the striatum and mid brain of Huntington's disease (HD) and control cases using specific an tibodies. In the striatum of control cases, the ependymal cell layer w as stained for aFGF and bFGF. In addition, a few subependymal astrocyt es were positive for aFGF, and some neurons stained weakly for bFGF. I n HD striatum, many astrocytes and remaining neurons were strongly sta ined for aFGF. aFGF-positive astrocytes were particularly conspicuous in the subependymal region of the caudate but appeared throughout the caudate and putamen. The number of bFGF-positive astrocytes was slight ly increased. In contrast to the caudate/putamen, the globus pallidus, nucleus of the oculomotor nerve and substantia nigra showed very simi lar patterns for both aFGF and bFGF in control and most HD brains. Rep orts that FGF can protect against glutamate neurotoxicity, and that th e FGF receptor (FGFR3), with its gene located in the HD region on chro mosome 4, appears in striatal neurons. make it tempting to speculate o n a possibly important role for FGF-FGFR3 interactions in HD pathology .