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Progesterone Effects on Neuronal Ultrastructure and Expression of Microtubule-associated Protein 2 (MAP2) in Rats with Acute Spinal Cord Injury

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Abstract

(1) Following acute spinal cord injury, progesterone modulates several molecules essential for motoneuron function, although the morphological substrates for these effects are unknown. (2) The present study analyzed morphological changes in motoneurons distal to the lesion site from rats with or without progesterone treatment. We employed electron microscopy to study changes in nucleus and cytoplasm and immunohistochemistry for the microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) for changes in cytoskeleton. (3) After spinal cord injury, the nucleoplasm appeared more finely dispersed resulting in reduced electron opacity and the nucleus adopted an eccentric position. Changes of perikarya included dissolution of Nissl bodies and dissociation of polyribosomes (chromatolysis). After progesterone treatment for 3 days, the deafferented motoneurons now presented a clumped nucleoplasm, a better-preserved rough endoplasmic reticulum and absence of chromatolysis. Progesterone partially prevented development of nuclear eccentricity. Whereas 50% of injured motoneurons showed nuclear eccentricity, only 16% presented this phenotype after receiving progesterone. Additionally, injured rats showed reduced immunostaining for MAP2 in dendrites, pointing to cytoskeleton abnormalities, whereas progesterone treatment attenuated the injury-induced loss of MAP2. (4) Our data indicated that progesterone maintained in part neuronal ultrastructure, attenuated chromatolysis, and preclude the loss of MAP2, suggesting a protective effect during the early phases of spinal cord injury.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support of FONCYT (BID OC AR PICT 2004 # 25610), the National Research Council of Argentina (CONICET, PIP 5542), and the University of Buenos Aires (M022 and M808). We deeply thank Ms. Mariana López Ravasio for electron microscopic techniques and Juan Pablo Corazza for help with photography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neuroendocrine Biochemistry, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Obligado 2490, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Susana L. González, Florencia Labombarda, Maria Claudia González Deniselle & Alejandro F. De Nicola

  2. Department of Human Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Susana L. González, Florencia Labombarda, Maria Claudia González Deniselle & Alejandro F. De Nicola

  3. Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias “Prof. Eduardo De Robertis”, Faculty of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Juan José López-Costa

  4. UMR 788 INSERM and University Paris 11: «Steroids, neuroprotection, and neuroregeneration», 94276, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Rachida Guennoun & Michael Schumacher

  5. Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental, Obligado 2490, 1428, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Alejandro F. De Nicola

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  1. Susana L. González
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  2. Juan José López-Costa
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  3. Florencia Labombarda
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  4. Maria Claudia González Deniselle
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  7. Alejandro F. De Nicola
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Correspondence to Alejandro F. De Nicola.

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González, S.L., López-Costa, J.J., Labombarda, F. et al. Progesterone Effects on Neuronal Ultrastructure and Expression of Microtubule-associated Protein 2 (MAP2) in Rats with Acute Spinal Cord Injury. Cell Mol Neurobiol 29, 27–39 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-008-9291-0

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