Immunohistochemical localization of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 in the central nervous system of SOD1 G93A transgenic mice

In the present study, we performed immunohistochemical studies to investigate the changes of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) in the central nervous system of SOD1G93A mutant transgenic mice as an in vivo model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Decreased immunoreactivity for IGFBP2 was observed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and brainstem of SOD1G93A transgenic mice. In the cerebral cortex, the number of IGFBP2-positive cells was decreased in the somatomotor area, somatosensory area, auditory area, visual area, entorhinal area, piriform area and prefrontal area. In the hippocampal formation, IGFBP2 immunoreactivity was significantly decreased in the CA1-3 areas and the dentate gyrus. In the brainstem, few IGFBP2-immunoreactive cells were observed in the medullary and pontine reticular formation, vestibular nucleus, trigeminal motor nucleus, facial nucleus, hypoglossal nucleus and raphe nucleus. In the spinal cord, IGFBP2 immunoreactivity was not significantly decreased in SOD1G93A transgenic mice. This study showing decreased IGFBP2 in different brain regions of SOD1G93A transgenic mice may provide clues for understanding differential susceptibility of neural structures in ALS.