Ultrastructural and immunochemical studies of glial scar formation in diabetic rats.

We explored the rebuilding of the brain parenchyma after surgical injury due to reactive astrogliosis. In the present study, we investigated the initial stages of rebuilding in the perilesional cortex of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Our methods utilized ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies as well as Western blot analysis of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin.

Constitutive expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in developing brain. A. Choroid plexus in human fetuses.

It is believed that prostanoids produced by COX-1 activity are essential for the physiological functions of tissues while those produced by COX-2 lead to various pathological changes in these tissues. Brain is an exceptional organ where in some neurons COX-2 mRNA and its protein are constitutively expressed. Since some prostaglandins may play an important role in the control of blood-brain barrier and cerebral blood flow the purpose of the present study was to examine the COX-2 expression in choroid plexus, which participate in the nutrition of brain parenchyma of human fetuses.