Nerve growth factor increases stimulus-evoked metabolic activity in acetylcholine-depleted barrel cortex

被引:5
|
作者
Rahimi, O
Eslin, DE
Hill, GF
Juliano, SL
机构
[1] Uniformed Serv Univ Hlth Sci, Dept Anat & Cell Biol, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
[2] Uniformed Serv Univ Hlth Sci, Program Neurosci, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
来源
SOMATOSENSORY AND MOTOR RESEARCH | 1999年 / 16卷 / 02期
关键词
somatosensory cortex; 2-deoxyglucose; vibrissa; basal forebrain; neural plasticity;
D O I
10.1080/08990229970582
中图分类号
Q189 [神经科学];
学科分类号
071006 ;
摘要
Lesions of the basal forebrain deplete the neocortex of cholinergic fibers. Acetylcholine depletion in the somatosensory cortex of rats results in reduced stimulus-evoked activity in response to whisker stimulation. Previous studies demonstrate that embryonic basal forebrain transplants improve functional activity toward normal. It is not clear if the activity increase is due to cholinergic replacement or other factors present in the graft. In this study, we examined the possibility that nerve growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophin known as a survival factor and a specific protectant for cholinergic basal forebrain neurons, can preserve basal forebrain cells after a lesion and restore functional activity in the somatosensory cortex. We report that NGF alone is capable of restoring functional activity in the barrel cortex of animals with basal forebrain lesions, while vehicle injections of saline do not alter activity. Both high (10 mu g) and low (5 mu g) doses of NGF unilaterally injected into the lateral ventricle improved stimulus-evoked functional activity during bilateral whisker stimulation. The mechanism of NGF action is not clear since the restoration of functional activity in cortex Was not accompanied by increased cholinergic activity as detected by acetylcholinesterase fiber staining. NGF may act directly on cortical neurons, although its site of action is not well defined.
引用
收藏
页码:151 / 162
页数:12
相关论文
共 50 条