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Expression and distribution of CC chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha/LD78 in the human brain
K Ishizuka1, R Igata-Yi, T Kimura
1Department of Neuropsychiatry, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Abstract:
Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha, also known as LD78, is a member of a family of chemokines which recruit leukocytes to sites of inflammation. We have shown by Northern blot analyses that MIP-1 alpha mRNA is expressed in several human tissues, including brain. To explore MIP-1 alpha distribution in brain tissue, we immunohistochemically examined brain tissues from 13 neuropsychiatric patients. Glial cells in the white matter of brain tissues from four patients with schizophrenia and one with manic depressive illness were MIP-1 alpha positive. Glial cells in the cortex from these patients were negative, except in one patient with schizophrenia in whom neurones as well as glial cells in the cortex stained positively for MIP-1 alpha. In situ hybridization showed that MIP-1 alpha mRNA was expressed in both neurones as well as glial cells in this patient. These results suggest a heterogeneous distribution of MIP-1 alpha in human brain.
Insights
Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha, a key chemokine, shows varied distribution in human brain tissue. This protein is found in glial cells and sometimes neurons in patients with schizophrenia and manic depressive illness.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1 alpha is a chemokine involved in leukocyte recruitment to inflammatory sites.
- MIP-1 alpha mRNA has been detected in various human tissues, including the brain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distribution of MIP-1 alpha in human brain tissue.
- To explore the cellular localization of MIP-1 alpha in neuropsychiatric conditions.
Main Methods:
- Northern blot analysis for mRNA expression.
- Immunohistochemistry to detect protein localization in brain tissue.
- In situ hybridization to confirm mRNA expression in specific cells.
Main Results:
- MIP-1 alpha positive glial cells were observed in the white matter of patients with schizophrenia and manic depressive illness.
- In one schizophrenia patient, both glial cells and neurons in the cortex stained positively for MIP-1 alpha.
- In situ hybridization confirmed MIP-1 alpha mRNA expression in both neurons and glial cells in this patient.
Conclusions:
- MIP-1 alpha exhibits a heterogeneous distribution within the human brain.
- The findings suggest a potential role for MIP-1 alpha in the neuropathology of certain neuropsychiatric disorders.