Plectin immunopositivity appears in the astrocytes in the white matter but not in the gray matter after stab wounds.

Plectin is associated with intermediate filaments, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and vimentin, which have an important role in the glial reactions after lesions. The present study investigates the plectin immunoreactivity following stab wounds in the cortex and the underlying white matter of adult rats. Without lesion, plectin immunoreactive astrocytes were not found in the cortex and only scarcely in the white matter. Following lesion, a number of astrocytes became immunopositive in the white matter, while no immunoreactivity was found in the overlying cortex. GFAP and vimentin showed intense immunopositivity in both areas. Therefore, the participation of the plectin seems to distinguish the glial reactions developed in the white or gray matters.