Transgenic mice for interleukin 3 develop motor neuron degeneration associated with autoimmune reaction against spinal cord motor neurons
AUTOR(ES)
Chavany, Christine
FONTE
The National Academy of Sciences
RESUMO
Interleukin 3 (IL-3) stimulates the proliferation and differentiation of various haematopoietic progenitor cells. Recently, IL-3 and other cytokines were reported to exert a neurotrophic activity and to be associated with neurological disorders, suggesting their complex role in the central nervous system. We now show that overexpression of IL-3 in transgenic mice causes a motor neuron disease with several features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive muscular atrophy. These animals exhibit hind limb paralysis at 7 months of age, associated with dendritic and axonal degeneration, loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord, and autoimmune reaction against these cells. We examined the effect of IL-3 on embryonic motor neurons survival in mixed spinal cord cultures. Our results suggest that motor neuronal degeneration is not directly triggered by the high level of expression of IL-3.
ACESSO AO ARTIGO
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=21646Documentos Relacionados
- Brain and spinal cord MRI in motor neuron disease.
- Brain and spinal cord MRI in motor neuron disease.
- Brain and spinal cord MRI in motor neuron disease.
- Changes in corticospinal facilitation of lower limb spinal motor neurons after spinal cord lesions.
- Trace elements in the spinal cord and other tissues in motor neuron disease.