Foxj2 Expression in Rat Spinal Cord After Injury and Its Role in Inflammation

Foxj2 (forkhead box J2), a novel member of the forkhead/HNF3 family, binds DNA with a dual sequence specificity. It may play a role in maintenance and survival of developing and adult neurons. However, its expression and function in the central nervous system lesion are still unclear. In this study, we performed a spinal cord injury (SCI) model in adult Sprague–Dawley rats and investigated the dynamic changes of Foxj2 expression in the spinal cord. Western blot analysis revealed that Foxj2 was present in normal spinal cord. It gradually increased, reached a peak at day 5 after SCI, and then declined during the following days. Double immunofluorescence staining revealed wide expression of Foxj2, which is detected in neurons and astrocytes. After injury, Foxj2 expression was increased predominantly in astrocytes, which highly expressed proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a marker for proliferating cells. And knockdown of Foxj2 in cultured primary astrocytes by siRNA showed that Foxj2 played an important role in lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses. These results suggested that Foxj2 may be involved in the pathophysiology of SCI, and further research is needed to have a good understanding of its function and mechanism.