The degree of astrocyte activation is predictive of the incubation time to prion disease.

ABSTRACT: In neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and prion diseases, astrocytes acquire disease-associated reactive phenotypes. With growing appreciation of their role in chronic neurodegeneration, the questions whether astrocytes lose their ability to perform homeostatic functions in the reactive states and whether the reactive phenotypes are neurotoxic or neuroprotective remain unsettled. The current work examined region-specific changes in expression of genes, which report on astrocyte physiological functions and their reactive states, in C57Black/6J mice challenged with four prion strains via two inoculation routes. Unexpectedly, strong reverse correlation between the incubation time to the diseases and the degree of astrocyte activation along with disturbance in functi

SUBMITTER: Makarava N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8114720 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature