Expression of oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein and its receptor NgR after the injury of rat central nervous system

Oligodendrocyte myelin glycoprotein (OMgp) is one kind of myelin-derived inhibitor, which strongly inhibits axonal regeneration through binding to its receptor NgR after the injury to the adult central nervous system (CNS). However, expression of OMgp and NgR after the adult spinal cord injury (SCI) remains unclear. Study on these problems will help to understand more comprehensively about the functions of these proteins in CNS during regeneration. Here, by using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR), we found that after SCI, both OMgp and NgR expressions were detected in neurons and oligodendrocytes with a similar change profile that increased immediately and decreased gradually. We also found that the expression of OMgp is not limited in oligodendrocytes and its receptor NgR is not limited in neurons. They both can be expressed by these two kinds of cells. The roles of these factors in CNS regeneration require further study.