Immunohistochemical analysis of cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP)/melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) in murine, canine, bovine and equine cerebrospinal tissues.

Cartilage-derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP)/melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA), which appears abundantly in hypertrophic cartilage at the stage of endochondral ossification, is also detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following spinal cord injury. In this study, the localization of the CD-RAP/MIA molecule in normal tissues of the spine and brain obtained from mice, rats, dogs, cattle and horses was examined using immunohistochemistry with a specific antibody. The positive signals of CD-RAP/MIA were found at nerve cells in the spinal cords of all species and were especially strong at cerebellar Purkinje cells. The results suggested that CD-RAP/MIA included in normal cerebrospinal tissues could be a biomarker associated with tissue injuries, as the molecules might flow into the CSF.