Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of MnSOD in the central nervous system of the transgenic mice expressing a human Cu/Zn SOD mutation

In the present study, we used the SOD1^G93A mutant transgenic mice as an animal model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and performed immunohistochemical studies to investigate the changes of MnSOD in the central nervous system of transgenic mice at the age of 8, 13, and 18 weeks. In the spinal cord of wild-type SOD1 (wtSOD1) and SOD1^G93A transgenic mice, MnSOD-immunoreactive neurons were distributed mainly in the anterior horn, although they were also observed in the posterior horn. The staining intensity of MnSOD was significantly increased in the spinal cord of SOD1^G93A transgenic mice at presymptomatic and symptomatic stage. In the brainstem of symptomatic SOD1^G93A transgenic mice, significantly increased immunoreactivity for MnSOD was observed in abducens nucleus, facial nucleus, dorsal motor nucleus of vagus, hypoglossal nucleus, medullary and pontine reticular formation, superior and inferior olivary nucleus, and cochlear nucleus. The present study provides the first evidence that MnSOD immunoreactivity was increased in the central nervous system of SOD^G93A transgenic mice, suggesting that mitochondria may play an important role in the pathogenesis and progress of ALS. The mechanisms underlying the increased immunoreactivity for MnSOD, and the functional implications of these increases, require elucidation.