Reactivated astrocytes as a possible source of oligodendrocyte precursors for remyelination in remitting phase of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis rats.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is ademyelinating disease in the central nervous system (CNS). Majority of the MS patients show relapsing-remitting disease course. Evidences show that oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which remain relatively quiescent in normal adult CNS, play a key role in the remitting phase by proliferation and remyelination. In the present study, we found that spinal cord astrocytesco-expressed progenitor cell marker and oligodendroglial lineage markers in the remittance phase in adult rat experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. We suggest that activated astrocyte could de-differentiate into OPCs and re-differentiate into mature oligodendrocytes, raising the possibility that astrocytes can be a potential source of OPCs in the adult demyelinated spinal cord.