Expression of gicerin, a novel cell adhesion molecule, is unregulated in the astrocytes after hypoglossal nerve injury in rats

Gicerin is an integral membrane glycoprotein which mediates cell-cell and c ell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions in the nervous system, We studi ed gicerin expression in the hypoglossal nucleus post transection using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. We found that hypoglossal nerve injury resulted in a significant increase in gicerin expression. Its expre ssion levels reached peak values in reactive astrocytes surrounding axotomi zed motoneurons of the ipsilateral hypoglossal nucleus 14 days after hypogl ossal nerve injury. The results indicate that gicerin is up-regulated durin g nerve regeneration, suggesting that gicerin expressed in the reactive ast rocytes might be involved in the processes of nerve regeneration. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.