文本框: IMMUNOREACTIVITIES OF GDNF AND ITS RECEPTOR IN NUEROMUSCULAR DISORDERS Murakami N1, Sakuta R1, Nagai T1, Nonaka I2 1 Koshigay Hospital, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Saitama, Japan 2 Nataional Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan Objective: Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is one of neuron survival factors. To clarify what GDNF dose in muscle, we investigated immunoreactivities of GDNF and RET in motor neuron diseases and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Methods: We examined muscle biopsies from 4 patients with Werdnig-Hoffmann disease (WHD), 4 patients with ALS, 7 patients with DMD and 5 normal controls. We stained frozen sections form these patients with anti-GDNF and -RET antibodies immunohistochemically. Results: Immunoreactivity of GDNF was found in atrophic fibers in WHD and ALS. The atrophic fibers, however, showed no reactivity against RET. Both immunoreactivities against GDNF and RET were found in regenerating fibers but not in necrotic fibers in DMD. Conclusion: Atrophic fibers in motor neuron diseases could express GDNF to induce reinnervation. GDNF may be related with muscle regeneration because GDNF and RET are found in regenerating fibers. 1903