Nerve growth factor protein level increases in the adult rat hippocampus aftera specific cholinergic lesion
- 1 January 1987
- journal article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Neuroscience Research
- Vol. 18 (4), 525-531
- https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.490180404
Abstract
Nerve growth factor (NGF) is the best‐characterized neurotrophic substance and has recently been shown to influence cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. Hippocampus and neocortex, the primary targets for these central neurons, have further been found to contain high levels of NGF. Using enzyme immunoassay and acetylcholine esterase (AChE) histochemistry we have now studied the levels of NGF and AChE after a specific cholinergic lesion, transection of the fimbria fornix comprising the major cholinergic input to hippocampus. Fimbriectomy in adult rats led to a marked decrease in AChE‐positive nerve terminals in both hippocampus and neocortex 10 days later, and to an increase (40%) of NGF protein concentration in hippocampus. Thirty days after surgery, NGF had returned to control levels and remained there after 90 days. Removal of superior cervical ganglion did not after the results. The density of cholinergic terminals in both hippocampus and neocortex increased with time (90 days) after fimbrial transection. The results support the idea that cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain take up and retrogradely transport NGF from their target areas and suggest that transection of the pathway interrupts the transport thereby increasing NGF distal to the lesion. The return of NGF to control levels probably reflects reestablished cholinergic contacts in the hippocampus.Keywords
This publication has 52 references indexed in Scilit:
- Developmental changes of nerve growth factor and its mRNA in the rat hippocampus: Comparison with choline acetyltransferaseDevelopmental Biology, 1987
- Basal forebrain magnocellular neurons stain for nerve growth factor receptor: Correlation with cholinergic cell bodies and effects of axotomyJournal of Neuroscience Research, 1987
- Fimbria-fornix lesion increases nerve growth factor content in adult rat septum and hippocampusNeuroscience Letters, 1986
- Time course of the elevation of nerve growth factor (NGF) content in the hippocampus and septum following lesions of the septohippocampal pathway in ratsBrain Research, 1986
- Neuronotrophic factors for mammalian brain neurons: Injury induction in neonatal, adult and aged rat brainDevelopmental Brain Research, 1985
- The level of nerve growth factor (NGF) as a function of innervationExperimental Cell Research, 1983
- NGF-Mediated increase of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) in the neonatal rat forebrain: Evidence for a physiological role of NGF in the brain?Developmental Brain Research, 1983
- Sprouting of sympathetic nerves in the absence of afferent inputExperimental Neurology, 1979
- Anomalous innervation of the hippocampal formation by peripheral sympathetic axons following mechanical injuryExperimental Neurology, 1977
- Formation of a functional adrenergic input to intraocular cerebellar grafts: Ingrowth of inhibitory sympathetic fibersJournal of Neurobiology, 1975