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Effects of Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor on the Survival and Response to Nerve Growth Factor of Cultured Rat Sympathetic Neurons
- Source :
- Developmental Biology. 161:96-106
- Publication Year :
- 1994
- Publisher :
- Elsevier BV, 1994.
-
Abstract
- The development and maturation of cells depends not only on their genetic history, but also on sequences and combinations of environmental signals appropriate to their developmental age. Early postnatal rat sympathetic neurons are dependent on nerve growth factor (NGF) for survival in vivo and in vitro , but earlier sympathetic neuroblasts may not require NGF. Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) provides short-term in vitro trophic support to embryonic and neonatal sympathetic neurons, but its role in vivo is not understood. In this study we examined further the capability of CNTF to support neonatal rat superior cervical ganglion (SCG) sympathetic neurons in vitro and the effect of CNTF on the trophic activities of NGF. SCG neurons cultured with either CNTF or NGF survived for 24 hr in low-density cultures depleted of nonneuronal cells, in contrast to neurons with neither factor. However, with CNTF only a fraction of the NGF-maintained number of neurons survived for 6 days. CNTF given in combination with NGF in these nonneuron-depleted cultures produced a significant decrease in the number of neurons surviving for 6 days, compared to the number supported by NGF alone. If such cultures were supplemented with Schwann cells, very different results were obtained: CNTF alone supported the 6-day survival of 80% as many neurons as did NGF, and the combination of CNTF with NGF produced no decrease in neuronal survival. Antibody to NGF did not block the support provided by CNTF and Schwann cells. Immunostaining for the low-affinity NGF receptor (LNGFR), intense in the NGF-supported neurons, was absent in the CNTF-supported neurons and reduced in the neurons exposed to the combination of NGF and CNTF. These results show that CNTF can act synergistically with a Schwann cell-derived agent to provide trophic support to neonatal sympathetic neurons, and that it can down-regulate the responsiveness of those neurons to NGF.
- Subjects :
- medicine.medical_specialty
Superior cervical ganglion
Cell Survival
medicine.medical_treatment
Schwann cell
Nerve Tissue Proteins
Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor
Superior Cervical Ganglion
Biology
Ciliary neurotrophic factor
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Neuroblast
Internal medicine
medicine
Animals
Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor
Nerve Growth Factors
Molecular Biology
Cells, Cultured
Growth factor
Cell Biology
Rats
Nerve growth factor
Endocrinology
medicine.anatomical_structure
nervous system
biology.protein
Neuron
Immunostaining
Developmental Biology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00121606
- Volume :
- 161
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Developmental Biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....c84795c205fac5300688975d38d8020d