Objective
To exhibit the caveolin-3 immunoreactivities (IRs) in the peripheral nerve, which was previously known to be present only within the muscle and to be a causative agent of myopathy Method: The sciatic nerves of the rat were removed after the perfusion and frozen after cryoprotection by sucrose. The tissue specimens were cut on cryostat and immunostained with anti-caveolin-3 and growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) antibodies. The sections were observed with a fluorescence microscope. Results: We detected caveolin-3 IRs in myelin sheath of the peripheral nerves, while GAP IRs were detected in the axon. Caveolin-3 IRs were active in the rat of postnatal 1 week, but they were reduced in the rat of postnatal 3 week and disappeared in that of 5 week. Conclusion: We detected caveolin-3 IRs in the myelin sheath of peripheral nerve. Caveolin-3 might play roles in the early myelination of peripheral nerve. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2006; 30: 353-356)

Objective
Caveolae are the microdomain of the plasma membrane that have been implicated in signal transduction and caveolin is a principal component of the caveolae. Caveolin-3, a family of caveolin related protein, is expressed only in muscle tissue. Here we examined the expression of caveolin-3 in the course of myobalst differentiation and within the muscle tissue.

Method: L6 cell, rat skeletal myoblast, was cultured in the low mitogen medium and caveolin-3 expression was observed both by immunocytochemistry and western blot analysis. Localization of caveolin-3 within the muscle tissue was investigated and compared to that of dystrophin. Results: While caveolin-3 was not expressed in the proliferating myolast, caveolin-3 was expressed in the differentiated myoblast. Caveolin-3 and dystrophin were co-expressed in the membrane of muscle tissue and integrated density of caveolin-3 was elevated in the area of muscle injury. In the Duchenne muscular dystrophy, caveolin-3 was expressed in the membrane of muscle tissue, but dystrophin was not.

Conclusion: Caveolin-3 was induced during the myobalst differentiation and its expression was increased during the muscle regeneration. Caveolin-3 was physically associated with dystrophin as a complex, but not absolutely required for the biogenesis of dystrophin complex. (J Korean Acad Rehab Med 2003; 27: 382-387)