Lukacova, et al. (2001). Effect of spinal cord compression on cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate in the white matter columns of rabbit

[Wise Young]

• Lukacova N, Pavel J, Jalc P, Cizkova DV, Marsala M, Lukac I, Chalimoniuk M, Strosznajder J and Marsala J (2001). Effect of spinal cord compression on cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate in the white matter columns of rabbit. Neurochem Int. 39 (4): 275-82. Summary: Changes in the level of cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) were studied one day after a surgically induced spinal cord constriction performed at the Th7 segment level in the dorsal, lateral and ventral white matter columns and in the non-compartmentalized white matter of Th5-Th6 segments, i.e., above the site of the spinal cord constriction and in Th8-Th9 segments, located below the spinal cord constriction. The midthoracic spinal cord constriction caused a significant decrease in the level of cGMP in the ventral column of Th5- Th6 segments and a significant increase in the lateral column of Th8- Th9 segments. The level of cGMP in the dorsal column, located either rostrally or caudally to the site of the spinal cord injury, remained unchanged. In addition, no significant changes in the level of cGMP were found in the non-compartmentalized white matter of Th5-Th6 and Th8- Th9 segments in response to constriction of the Th7 segment. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/htbin-post/Entrez/query?db=m&form=6&dopt=r&uid=11551667> Institute of Neurobiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Soltesovej 4, 040 01, Kosice, Slovak Republic

[This message was edited by Wise Young on September 23, 2001 at 10:10 PM.]

[Wise Young]

cyclic AMP is sometimes called the universal messenger. It signals many behaviors of cells. Recently, several groups reported the increasing cAMP in growing axons will not only stimulate the axon to grow but also to ignore a variety of axonal growth inhibitors including Nogo and Mag. So, it is of interest to find that in a spinal cord injury model in rabbits, damage to the spinal cord results in an increase in cAMP levels. The question is how much and whether increasing the amount of cAMP with a drug such as Rollipram (a phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor) would enhance growth and recovery of function.

Wise.