Estrogen and progesterone synthesis with cellular response in a C57BL/6 mouse model of cuprizone-induced demyelination

ABSTRACT

Background: Demyelination refers to the degradation or loss of myelin sheath. In demyelination model studies, it has been reported that demyelination is regressed by giving steroid hormones such as estrogen and progesterone. However, there are not many studies investigating the synthesis of these two hormones by the brain during demyelination and remyelination. Neurosteroids are steroid hormones synthesized by the brain independently from peripheral tissues. In this study, it was aimed to have knowledge about the synthesis of these two hormones by the brain in experimentally formed demyelination process in brains of C57BL/6 mice and their role in the cellular response formed in the region.Materials, Methods & Results: In the study, 36 C57BL/6 mice were used 12 mice were fed normal diet for 12 weeks as control group (Group I); 12 of them were fed 0.2% cuprizone diet for 8 weeks (Group II) and 12 mice were fed normal diet for 4 weeks after feeding cuprizone diet for 8 weeks (Group III). At the end of the experiment, mice were perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde and brain tissues were blocked in paraffin. 6 μm-thick section was taken from each block. Sections were stained histologically with LFB staining and immunohistochemically with MBP staining in order to determine the demyelination in sections. All sections were also immunohistochemically stained with GFAP to detect astrocytes, with NG2 to detect young OPCs, with aromatase for estrogen synthesis and with 3βHSD antibodies for progesterone synthesis. At the end of the study, complete myelination was observed in group I, while severe demyelination was determined in group II as a result of blind evaluation of LFB and MBP staining by two pathologists. In group III, demyelination was found to be mild. In immunostaining with GFAP and NG2 antibodies, the number of GFAP and NG2 positive cells in Group II was found to be increased compared to the control group.[...]