ABSTRACT
Objective To compare the expression of pancreatic triglyceride lipase in type-1(T1A) and type-2 astrocytes(T2A).Methods Purified cultures of cortical T1A and T2A were prepared from neonatal rats.The expression of pancreatic triglyceride lipase mRNA was detected by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).And the protein level was determined by immunocytochemistry with laser scanning confocal microscope.Results RT-PCR showed that the expression of pancreatic triglyceride lipase mRNA was negative in T1A and positive at a high level in T2A.Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that pancreatic triglyceride lipase expressed at a low level in T1A and was mainly distributed in the nuclei.By contrast,pancreatic triglyceride lipase expressed at a high level in T2A and was distributed diffusedly in the cytoplasm,nuclei and processes.Conclusion T1A and T2A showed different expression levels of pancreatic triglyceride lipase. Pancreatic triglyceride lipase expressed at a high level in T2A,which indicated that T2A may play an important role in the metabolism of lipids in the central nervous system.