Downregulation of glial scarring after brain injury: The effect of purine nucleoside analogue ribavirin

Abstract

The weak regenerative capacity of self-repair after injury to the adult brain is caused by the formation of glial scar due to reactive astrogliosis. In the present study the beginning of reactive astrogliosis in the adult, as shown immunocytochemically by upregulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, was seen two days after the left sensorimotor cortex lesion, being maximal during the first two weeks and declining by 30 days after the lesion. This was accompanied by intensive glial scarring. Conversely, after the neonatal lesion a lack of gliotic scar was seen until 30 days postsurgery, although the pattern of GFAP and vimentin expression during recovery period was the same. The aim of the study was to define an appropriate therapeutic intervention that could modulate astrocyte proliferation and diminish glial scar formation after adult brain lesion. For this purpose the effects of an anti-proliferative agent, the purine nucleoside analogue ribavirin was examined. It was shown that daily injection of ribavirin for 5 and 10 days considerably decreased the number of reactive astrocytes, while slight GFAP labeling was restricted to the lesion site. Obtained results show that ribavirin treatment downregulates the process of reactive astrogliosis after adult brain injury, and thus may be a useful approach for improving neurological recovery from brain damage. © 2005 New York Academy of Sciences.