Sodium channels in astrocytes of rat optic nerve in situ: immuno-electron microscopic studies.

Abstract

This paper presents immunocytochemical studies using Antibody 7493. We interpreted immunostaining with Antibody 7493 as providing information about sodium channel localization, based on an immunological characterization of Antibody 7493 carried out in the laboratory of K.J. Angelides, a co-author of this paper. As reported in the Federal Register on March 12, 1999, based on an investigation by the Baylor College of Medicine into allegations of scientific misconduct by Dr. Angelides, the NIH Office of Research Integrity, on March 10, 1997, found that Dr. Angelides falsified the description of the data in the text and in the legend of Figure 1 of this paper and that his conduct constituted scientific misconduct. The Appeals Board of the Department of Health and Human Services issued a decision on February 5, 1999, in which it affirmed the findings of the Office of Research Integrity. More recent immunocytochemical studies, carried out in our laboratory using additional antibodies generated in other laboratories against conserved polypeptide sequences of sodium channels, have confirmed the presence of sodium channel immunoreactivity in astrocytes in vivo and in vitro, but we have not been able to determine whether perinodal astrocyte processes exhibit sodium channel immunoreactivity. Given the allegations of irregularity in the immunological characterization of Antibody 7493 and the findings that ORI and the DAB have made, we do not feel that we can stand behind the interpretation of results using this antibody. We therefore retract this paper.