[The distribution of androgen receptor like protein in the central nervous system of rat and human medulla and spinal cord--immunohistochemical study].

The distributions of androgen receptor (AR) like protein were studied immunohistochemically in the central nervous system of rat and human medulla and spinal cord. Six male rats, weighing 160-180 g and medulla and spinal cord from three non-neurological human cases were used. The rats were perfused through the heart and fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. Small blocks of the medulla and spinal cord from the human samples were also fixed with the same manner. Tissue sections of 20 microns were incubated with primary antibody (NH27; anti-human androgen receptor) and processed by the peroxidase-avidin-biotin complex methods. The specificity of this antibody was analyzed by Western blotting. A band of approximately 95 kDa which corresponds to AR and other several bands which may be degradating products were seen. Immunohistochemical examination of the rat brain and spinal cord revealed that positive neurons were localized in the amygdala, hypothalamus, motor nuclei of cranial nerves in brainstem, reticular formation of pons and medulla, Purkinje cells and anterior horn cells. The localizations of the immunoreactivity were chiefly in the cytoplasm as well as the processes. In the non-neurological human tissues, hypoglossal nucleus and anterior horn cells had positive immunoreactivity for AR like protein. They were localized in the cytoplasm and their processes. The abnormality of CAG repeat site of gene which code the androgen receptor has been recognized in X-linked spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (Kennedy-Alter-Sung syndrome; KAS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)