Expression of candidate plasticity-related gene 15 is increased following traumatic brain injury

Objectives: Candidate plasticity-related gene 15 (cpg15) is an activity-regulated gene that mediates synaptic plasticity; this study assesses the potential link between cpg15 expression levels and repair and regeneration following traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: We investigated the expression of cpg15 in the frontal lobe of rats subjected to TBI and sham rats, using the following methods: immunohistochemical analysis, Western blotting, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results: CPG15(+) neurons were present in coronal sections of the frontal lobe at Day 1, reached the highest level around Day 14, and maintained elevated levels through Day 21. CPG15 protein and mRNA levels were noticed to increase in a similar temporal pattern. In contrast, rats in the sham group had undetectable levels of CPG15. Conclusions: Elevated cpg15 expression in the frontal cortex suggests its possible involvement in regenerative and reparative processes that follow TBI.