Effect of the control proliferation of astrocyte on the formation of glial scars by antisenseGFAP retrovirus

Astrocytes play an important role in the formation of glial scars. In order to investigate the effect of inhibitingGFAP gene expression on normal, reactive astrocytes and on glial scar formation, the efficiency of the recombinant antisenseGFAP retrovirus (PLBskG) on the growth, cell cycle, morphology andGFAP gene expression of astrocytesin vitro and on the formation of glial scarsin vivo has been studied by cell growth curves, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry,in situ hybridization, RT-PCR and Southern blot. The results confirm the recombinant retrovirus (PLBskG) produced growth suppression and G1 arrest of the normal and injured astrocytes. The infected cells become round or ellipoid. The cell processes become fine or retracted. The intensity of staining ofGFAP is reduced. Expression ofGFAP mRNA is down regulated. However, in the control experiment, no obvious effects on the morphology or synthesis ofGFAP on cultured normal and scratched astrocytes infected by primary retrovirus vector (PLXSN) have been observed. The supernatant of PLBskG has been injected into an injured site by microinjectionin vivo. The number and process lengths of GFAP positive cells are obviously reduced around the injured site. The formation of the glial scar is inhibited, showing that the recombinant antisenseGFAP retrovirus can effectively inhibit the growth andGFAP expression of normal and injured astrocytesin vitro and the formation of glial scarin vivo. It is suggested thatGFAP plays an important role in glial scar formation.