Follistatin was initially cloned as a monomeric polypeptide that inhibits the release of follicle-stimulating hormone. Although follistatin also plays pivotal roles in skeletal muscle hypertrophy and immunoregulation in the epididymis, little information is available regarding follistatin function in the adult central nervous system (CNS). Hence, we investigated follistatin expression in the adult rat CNS using immunohistochemistry. Follistatin was intensely expressed in most neurons and their axons. Furthermore, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, and some astrocytes also expressed follistatin protein. These data indicate that follistatin is widely expressed throughout the adult CNS. The abundant expression of follistatin in the adult brain suggests that this protein plays important roles in the CNS.

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成年大鼠中枢神经系统中的卵泡抑素表达

卵泡抑素最初被克隆为抑制促卵泡激素释放的单体多肽。尽管卵泡抑素在骨骼肌肥大和附睾免疫调节中也起着关键作用，但关于卵泡抑素在成人中枢神经系统 (CNS) 中的功能的信息很少。因此，我们使用免疫组织化学研究了成年大鼠 CNS 中的卵泡抑素表达。卵泡抑素在大多数神经元及其轴突中强烈表达。此外，少突胶质细胞、室管膜细胞和一些星形胶质细胞也表达卵泡抑素蛋白。这些数据表明，卵泡抑素在整个成人中枢神经系统中广泛表达。卵泡抑素在成人大脑中的大量表达表明该蛋白质在中枢神经系统中起着重要作用。