TY  - JOUR
A1  - ,  
T1  - Expression of cellular prion protein (PrPc) in the cat central nervous system: Some findings
JO  - Eur. J. Anat.
SN  - 1136-4890
Y1  - 2002
VL  - 6
SP  - 23
EP  - 29
UR  - http://www.eurjanat.com/web/paper.php?id=02010023
KW  - kainic acid
KW  - prion protein
KW  - reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate dehydrogenase
KW  - animal experiment
KW  - animal model
KW  - animal tissue
KW  - article
KW  - brain cortex
KW  - brain spongiosis
KW  - brain stem
KW  - cat
KW  - central nervous system
KW  - controlled study
KW  - enzyme activity
KW  - fatal familial insomnia
KW  - female
KW  - forebrain
KW  - immunodetection
KW  - male
KW  - nonhuman
KW  - protein expression
KW  - thalamus dorsomedial nucleus
N2  - The expression of cellular prion protein in the central nervous system of normal cats and in cases of kainic acid injections into the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus were studied. Cellular prion protein immunodetection varied in a rostrocaudal direction: the protein was less abundant in the brainstem than in the prosencephalon. Especially abundant were the positive cells in the cerebral cortex. The immunodetection was present in areas projecting to the intermediate band of the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus and to the anteroventral nucleus of the thalamus. Some of these cells were situated around vessels in the basal prosencephalon. The immunodetection was less abundant in cases of kainic acid lesions. NAPPH-diaphorase activity was also studied. In control cases, we observed positive NADPH-diaphorase cells around vessels, especially in the basal prosencephalon. The amounts of such cells and the intensity of the reaction was lower after kainic acid lesions. Our findings lead us to propose a retrograde propagation of altered prion proteins in human spongiform encephalopathies such as fatal familial insomnia; a possible alteration of nitrergic systems is possible. Moreover, there is possibly an alteration of the prion and nitrergic physiology simply due to the destruction of the thalamic mediodorsal nucleus in fatal familial insomnia.
ER  -