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. 2012 Nov 15;7(32):2485-91.
doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2012.32.001.

Correlation between spina bifida manifesta in fetal rats and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling

Yinghuan Ma  1 , Yongxin Bao  2 , Chenghao Li  3 , Fubin Jiao  4 , Hongjie Xin  2 , Zhengwei Yuan  5
Affiliations

Correlation between spina bifida manifesta in fetal rats and c-Jun N-terminal kinase signaling

Yinghuan Ma et al. Neural Regen Res. .

Abstract

Fetal rat models with neural tube defects were established by injection with retinoic acid at 10 days after conception. The immunofluorescence assay and western blot analysis showed that the number of caspase-3 positive cells in myeloid tissues for spina bifida manifesta was increased. There was also increased phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, a member of the mitogen activated protein kinase family. The c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation level was positively correlated with caspase-3 expression in myeloid tissues for spina bifida manifesta. Experimental findings indicate that abnormal apoptosis is involved in retinoic acid-induced dominant spina bifida formation in fetal rats, and may be associated with the c-Jun N-terminal kinase signal transduction pathway.

Keywords: apoptotic kinase; c-Jun N-terminal kinase; caspase-3; mitogen-activated protein kinase; myeloid tissues; neural development; neural regeneration; neural tube defects; regeneration; retinoic acid.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rats showed neural tube defects after retinoic acid induction. (A) Normal fetal rat. (B) Spina bifida manifesta rat.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Expression of caspase-3 in myeloid tissues of fetal rats with spina bifida manifesta (immunofluorescence staining, × 200). (A–D) 12, 15, 17, 20 days after conception. Caspase-3 staining was carried out on the myeloid tissues cryosections using rabbit polyclonal anti-caspase-3 antibody followed by incubation with tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC)-conjugated goat anti-rabbit IgG. Counterstaining was performed with DAPI. Red (TRITC) represents positive capase-3 cells. Blue (DAPI) represents cell nuclei. The slips were visualized with an immunofluorescence microscopy. ex: Spina bifida manifesta group; ctrl: control group.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Number of caspase-3-positive cells in myeloid tissues of fetal rats in spina bifida manifesta group and control group. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. There were 23, 15, 16 and 17 rats in spina bifida manifesta group, and each 10 rats in control group were detected at 12, 15, 17 and 20 days respectively. aP < 0.05, vs. control group (Student's t-test). ex: Spina bifida manifesta group; ctrl: control group.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Levels of c-Jun N-terminal kinase phosphorylation in myeloid tissues in fetal rats in spina bifida manifesta group and control group. Data were expressed as mean ± SD. There were 23, 15, 16 and 17 rats in spina bifida manifesta group, and each 10 rats in control group were detected at 12, 15, 17 and 20 days respectively. aP < 0.05, vs. control group (Student's t-test). ex: Spina bifida manifesta group; ctrl: control group.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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