Non-MHC gene regulation of nerve root injury induced spinal cord inflammation and neuron death

Spinal ventral root avulsion leads to an inflammatory response around lesio ned motoneurons and the subsequent degeneration of a large proportion of th e neurons. We demonstrate here differences in the regulation of cytokine mR NAs, microglia/macrophage activation, MHC expression and nerve cell surviva l in the two inbred rat strains DA and ACI. These strains have similar majo r MHC haplotypes, but differ in their non-MHC background genes. T cells wer e rare in the lesioned segments and depletion of T cells did not affect the response. Thus, non-MHC gene(s) regulate the inflammation and neuron death after nerve trauma by mechanisms not involving antigen-specific immune res ponses. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.