Gap junction protein connexin 43 and its distribution in damaged nerve cells

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Connexins, particularly connexin 43, form gap junctions that mediate neuron-glial communication. To date, the expression of connexin 43 in phenotypically distinct neurolemmocytes, in particular non-myelinating (Remak cells) and repair Schwann cells, has not been studied.

AIM: To determine the presence of connexin 43 in Schwann cells of the rat sciatic nerve under normal conditions and after mechanical damage by applying a ligature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on Wistar rats (n = 10). In experimental rats, the sciatic nerve was damaged by applying a ligature (40 s). 7 days after surgery, sciatic nerve segments were isolated for subsequent immunohistochemical study using antibodies to connexin 43 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). In the control group rats, segments of intact sciatic nerves were isolated in a similar way.

RESULTS: It has been shown that in the endoneurium of the intact rat sciatic nerve there are no cells expressing connexin 43. It was found that 7 days after injury, a large number of connexin-43-immunopositive cells of irregular shape with several processes were identified in the endoneurium of the damaged nerve. There was a lack of expression of connexin 43 in GFAP-containing Schwann cells.

CONCLUSIONS: It can be stated that nerve damage leads to active synthesis of the studied protein by endoneurium cells; however, the origin of the cells expressing connexin 43 remains to be elucidated.

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About the authors

Elena A. Kolos

Institute of Experimental Medicine

Email: koloselena1984@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-9643-6831
SPIN-code: 1479-5992
Scopus Author ID: 55354374400
ResearcherId: D-1579-2012

Research Associate, Laboratory of Functional Morphology of the Central and Peripheral Nervous System, Department of General and Special Morphology

Russian Federation, 12 Academician Pavlov St., Saint Petersburg, 197022

Dmitrii E. Korzhevskii

Institute of Experimental Medicine

Author for correspondence.
Email: DEK2@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2456-8165
SPIN-code: 3252-3029
Scopus Author ID: 12770589000
ResearcherId: C-2206-2012

MD, Dr. Sci. (Medicine), Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of General and Special Morphology

Russian Federation, 12 Academician Pavlov St., Saint Petersburg, 197022

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2. Fig. 1. GFAP-immunopositive (a) and Cx43-immunopositive (b) cells in the distal segment of the rat sciatic nerve 7 days after injury. Serial slices. Topographic markers for sections: M — macrophage, C — vessel, * and ** — structures containing Cx43 (а) and not containing GFAP (b). Immunohistochemical reactions to GFAP (a) and Cx43 (b). Scale bar 20 µm

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3. Fig. 2. Cx43-immunopositive (a, b) and GFAP-immunopositive (c) structures in the rat sciatic nerve 7 days after injury. a — fragment of a blood vessel in the epineurium of the damaged nerve; b — Cx43-immunopositive process cells in the endoneurium; c — reparative Schwann cells. Confocal microscopy, immunohistochemical reaction for Cx43 (a, b) and GFAP (c) visualization using RRX fluorochrome, nuclei stained with nuclear fluorescent dye SYTOX Green. Scale bar 20 µm

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4. Fig. 3. Cx43-immunopositive cell in endoneurium 7 days after rat sciatic nerve injury. Immunofluorescent reaction for Cx43 (RRX) with additional staining of cell nuclei (SYTOX Green). Confocal laser microscopy. Orthogonal projection over a series of 16 planar images making up a Z-stack (3.9 µm) (a). Distribution of Cx43 along the depth of a histological section (b). Scale bar 10 µm

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