[Cellular prion protein in the central nervous system of mammals. Anatomoclinical associations]. / La proteína priónica celular en el sistema nervioso central de mamíferos. Correlatos anatomoclínicos.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: The scrapie prion protein (PrPsc) requires the cellular prion protein (PrPc) for its propagation and replication. In this work we studied the expression and localization of the PrPc in the central nervous system (SNC) of the rat, mouse, cat, cow and human, using immunohistochemistry and Western blot techniques to understand more about prionopathies and Alzheimer's disease (EA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: For the immunohistochemistry study we used human, cat, rat and cow samples to analyse frontal, temporal and occipital cortex, as well as the hippocampus and the thalamus. For the Western blot analysis we used mouse, cat, cow and human brain samples. RESULTS: We observed a decrease in the amount of PrPc in the SNC in a rostrocaudal shift in the species mentioned above. We observed inhibitory cells in the cat cortex. The Western blot analysis showed a similar pattern of expression in the different species studied with a preponderance of the diglycosylated band, in relation to the other bands observed in the analysis. DISCUSSION: These data suggest that in prionopathies PrPsc could be transmitted and could be replicated in and from the areas with most expression of PrPc. Similarly, a higher amount of this protein (PrPc) in some brain areas could explain some histopathological aspects of EA. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the hypothesis of a retrograde transport of PrPsc in the SNC. PrPc could be related to the pathophysiology of EA.