激活素促进鸡胚神经节神经突起生长作用

为了探讨激活素(activin)促进鸡胚背根神经节(dorsal root ganglia,DRG)突起生长、维持神经节细胞生存作用及其与一氧化氮(NO)释放的关系,实验采用8 d的鸡胚分离背根神经节,原代培养法,观察鸡胚背根神经节的体外生长情况。研究结果表明,添加激活素A培养的背根神经节有明显的神经突起生长,形成密集的网络,背根神经节可存活8~10 d;而阴性对照组几乎无神经突起生长,背根神经节可存活3~4 d。添加激活素A的背根神经节单层培养神经节细胞也可长期存活;而阴性对照组在培养第5 d几乎无神经节细胞生存。NO检测结果显示,添加激活素A培养的背根神经节上清NO分泌水平明显降低,与阴性对照组比较差异显著(P<0.05);激活素A与神经生长因子(nerve growth factor,NGF)具有协同抑制背根神经节NO分泌作用。激活素结合蛋白(follistatin)明显抑制激活素A诱导的背根神经节神经突起生长。研究结果提示,激活素可维持鸡胚神经节细胞存活并刺激神经突起生长,其作用与抑制神经损伤因子NO的释放有关。     

人酸性成纤维细胞生长因子神经营养作用的初步研究

本实验研究了人酸性成纤维细胞生长因子(haFGF)的体外神经营养作用。结果表明,haFGF在体外能明显促进鸡胚(E-8)脊髓组织神经突起的生长,并能明显改变新生大鼠脑星形胶质细胞的形态,使扁平、多角形紧密联接的细胞转化为具有纤维样突起的胶质细胞,同时对胶质细胞DNA合成也有一定促进作用。实验还证明,haFGF可增加体外培养新生大鼠海马神经元的存活,且大大增加神经元胞体体积及突起长度。     

鸡胚脊髓背角中神经营养活性物质的初步分离和检测

从9d龄鸡胚脊髓背、腹角组织提取液中,用SephadexC-75凝胶层析法分离出DⅠ和DⅡ,VⅠ和VⅡ各组蛋白质组分,体外培养检测各组分对鸡胚背根节的神经营养活性,结果表明,DⅡ组分具有明显的促背根节神经突起生长的作用,而DⅠ组分无此作用;经SDS-PAGE电泳检测,DⅡ组分中蛋白质的分子量范围是61-15kD。而腹角的分离组分VⅠ和VⅡ对背根神经节神经突起的生长并无明显作用。     

重组人胶质细胞源性神经营养因子的生物学活性研究

从人星形胶质细胞瘤BT-325细胞中克隆胶质细胞源性神经营养因子(GDNF) cDNA序列.以大肠杆菌作为表达系统,GDNF蛋白在大肠杆菌JM103中获得了高效表达;表达产物经纯化、复性后,以8日龄鸡胚背根节（DRG）、14日龄胎鼠脊髓前角运动神经元以及新生大鼠大脑皮层胶质细胞作为实验材料,研究了GDNF的生物学活性,结果表明： rhGDNF可有效地促进DRG突起的生长,rhGDNF对体外培养的运动神经元表现出明显的促突起生长作用,并可显著提高体外培养运动神经元的存活率,rhGDNF 对体外培养的胶质细胞具有促增殖作用.     

脊髓提取液对培养脊髓神经细胞中GABA能及DYN能神经元突起生长的影响

本文以体外培养的小鼠脊髓神经元为模型研究了人胚脊髓提取液对E 12—15小鼠脊髓中GABA能神经元和DNY能神经元的突起生长的营养作用,结果发现人胚脊髓提取液在蛋白浓度为250μg/ml时对GABA能神经元的突起生长无营养作用,但对DNY能神经元的突起生长有显著的促进作用。提示了人胚脊髓提取液中有促进神经元突起生长的营养物质,且对特定胎龄的不同的神经元有不同的作用。     

脊髓提取液对培养脊髓神经细胞中GABA能及DYN能神经元突起生长的影响

本文以体外培养的小鼠脊髓神经元为模型研究了人胚脊髓提取液对Ｅ１２－１５小鼠脊髓中ＧＡＢＡ能神经元和ＤＮＹ能神经元的突起生长的营养作用,结果发现人胚脊髓提取液在蛋白浓度为２５０μｇ／ｍｌ时对ＧＡＢＡ能神经元的突起生长无营养作用,但对ＤＮＹ能神经元的突起生长有显著的促进作用。提示了人胚脊髓提取液中有促进神经元突起生长的营养物质,且对特定胎龄的不同的神经元有不同的作用。     

人CNTF突变体(CNTFM)基因的克隆、表达和产物纯化及活性鉴定

采用PCR的方法对睫状神经营养因子(CNTF)基因进行改造,获得CNTF突变体基因(CNTFM) ,将CNTFM基因克隆入表达载体pBV2 2 0 ,在大肠杆菌BL 2 1(Gold)中进行了表达.目的蛋白占细胞总蛋白5 5 %左右,以包涵体形式存在,经Superdex 75凝胶过滤柱一步纯化和复性,获得纯度达90 %目的蛋白.纯化的重组CNTFM蛋白能促进培养的鸡胚背根神经节长出神经突起,能明显减轻实验小鼠的体重,表明CNTFM具有良好的体内、体外生物学活性,为开发新型高效的减肥药奠定了基础.     

GDNF对体外运动神经元和感觉神经元的影响

目的:探讨胶质细胞源性神经营养因子(GDNF)对正常胎鼠脊髓运动神经元(SMN)和背根神经节神经元(DRG)生长活性的作用.方法:建立大鼠胚胎SMN和DRG单细胞培养体系,观察1 μg/L、10 μg/L、50 μg/L和100 μg/L GDNF对SMN和DRG存活及突起生长的影响.结果: GDNF组培养的SMN和DRG存活数目明显增加,神经元突起长度比对照组明显增长,且具有剂量依赖趋势.结论: GDNF对正常大鼠胚胎发育期运动神经元和感觉神经元具有神经营养作用.     

睫状神经营养因子的基因结构及受体

睫状神经营养因子最初由于能促进鸡胚胎睫状神经节副交感神经元存活而被发现,现已知道它对神经系统的细胞具有更广泛的作用。最近研究表明睫状神经营养因子与成血细胞因子的一个亚家族成员在结构上相似并共用受体成分。     

表达神经营养因子Neurturin的骨髓间充质干细胞的构建及体外活性检测

研究神经营养因子Neurturin(NTN)在由于神经元损伤而造成的神经退行性疾病中对神经元的保护和修复作用。利用重组腺病毒载体将NTN基因转入恒河猴骨髓间充质干细胞(rMSC),通过RT-PCR、IF及Western blot方法检测NTN的转录和表达,并采用鸡胚背根神经节体外培养实验和胚胎大鼠中脑多巴胺能神经元存活实验对NTN进行体外活性检测。结果表明NTN在rMSC中稳定表达和分泌,并具有体外生物学活性,为由于神经元损伤造成的神经退行性疾病的干细胞移植治疗奠定了一定的基础。     

Modeling and synthesis of non-cyclic derivatives of GPI-1046 as potential FKBP ligands with neurotrophic properties

Prompted by the therapeutic potential of the neuroimmunophilin FK506-binding protein (FKBP) ligand, GPI-1046, in the treatment of nerve injuries and neurodegenerative diseases, a novel series of non-cyclic derivatives of GPI-1046 were designed and synthesized. Computer modeling analysis revealed that these relatively linear derivatives could energy-favorably bind to FKBP12 with an analogous binding mode to GPI-1046. The neurotrophic activity of the target compounds was assessed in chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cultures. As a result, 6 out of 11 test compounds at either or both concentrations of 1 pM and 100 pM significantly promoted neurite outgrowth in DRGs in the presence of 0.15 ng/ml nerve growth factor (NGF). Compound 5c at 100 pM exhibited the greatest neurotrophic effect in promoting both the number and length of neurite processes. However, in the absence of exogenously added NGF, all test compounds, including GPI-1046, failed to afford any positive effect on DRGs. This study suggests the intriguing potential of these compounds for further investigation.     

Effects of pulsed magnetic fields on neurite outgrowth from chick embryo dorsal root ganglia

We have previously shown that neurite outgrowth from 6-day chick embryo dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in vitro was stimulated when nerve growth factor (NGF) and pulsed magnetic fields (PMF) are used in combination. 392 DRGs were studied in a field excited by a commercial PMF generator. We have now analyzed an additional 416 DRGs exposed to very similar PMF's produced by an arbitrary wave from generator and power amplifier. We reproduced our previous findings that combination of NGF and bursts of asymmetric, 220 μs-wide, 4.0 mT-peak pulses induced significantly (p<0.05) greater outgrowth than NGF alone, that fields without NGF do not significantly alter outgrowth, and that, unlike NGF alone, 4.0 mT fields and NGF can induce asymmetric outgrowth. The asymmetry does not seem to have a preferred orientation with respect to the induced electric field. Analysis of the data for the entire 808 DRGs confirms these findings. Importantly, we find similar results for pulse bursts repeated at 15 or 25 Hz. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

DRG Axon Elongation and Growth Cone Collapse Rate Induced by Sema3A are Differently Dependent on NGF Concentration

Regeneration of embryonic and adult dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory axons is highly impeded when they encounter neuronal growth cone-collapsing factor semaphorin3A (Sema3A). On the other hand, increasing evidence shows that DRG axon’s regeneration can be stimulated by nerve growth factor (NGF). In this study, we aimed to evaluate whether increased NGF concentrations can counterweight Sema3A-induced inhibitory responses in 15-day-old mouse embryo (E15) DRG axons. The DRG explants were grown in Neurobasal-based medium with different NGF concentrations ranging from 0 to 100 ng/mL and then treated with Sema3A at constant 10 ng/mL concentration. To evaluate interplay between NGF and Sema3A number of DRG axons, axon outgrowth distance and collapse rate were measured. We found that the increased NGF concentrations abolish Sema3A-induced inhibitory effect on axon outgrowth, while they have no effect on Sema3A-induced collapse rate.     

GDNF promotes neurite outgrowth and upregulates galectin-1 through the RET/PI3K signaling in cultured adult rat dorsal root ganglion neurons

Galectin-1 (GAL-1), a member of a family of β-galactoside binding animal lectins, is predominantly expressed in isolectin B4 (IB4)-binding small non-peptidergic (glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF)-responsive) sensory neurons in the sections of adult rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG), but its functional role and the regulatory mechanisms of its expression in the peripheral nervous system remain unclear. In the present study, both recombinant nerve growth factor (NGF) and GDNF (50 ng/ml) promoted neurite outgrowth from cultured adult rat DRG neurons, whereas GDNF, but not NGF, significantly increased the number of IB4-binding neurons and the relative protein expression of GAL-1 in the neuron-enriched culture of DRG. The GAL-1 expression in immortalized adult rat Schwann cells IFRS1 and DRG neuron-IFRS1 cocultures was unaltered by treatment with GDNF, which suggests that GDNF/GAL-1 signaling axis is more related to neurite outgrowth, rather than neuron-Schwann cell interactions. The GDNF-induced neurite outgrowth and GAL-1 upregulation were attenuated by anti-GDNF family receptor (RET) antibody and phosphatidyl inositol-3′-phosphate-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY294002, suggesting that the neurite-outgrowth promoting activity of GDNF may be attributable, at least partially, to the upregulation of GAL-1 through RET-PI3K pathway. On the contrary, no significant differences were observed between GAL-1 knockout and wild-type mice in DRG neurite outgrowth in the presence or absence of GDNF. Considerable immunohistochemical colocalization of GAL-3 with GAL-1 in DRG sections and GDNF-induced upregulation of GAL-3 in cultured DRG neurons imply the functional redundancy between these galectins.     

Directed and enhanced neurite growth with pulsed magnetic field stimulation

Pulsed magnetic field (PMF) stimulation was applied to mammalian neurons in vitro to influence axonal growth and to determine whether induced current would direct and enhance neurite growth in the direction of the current. Two coils were constructed from individual sheets of copper folded into a square coil. Each coil was placed in a separate water-jacketed incubator. One was energized by a waveform generator driving a power amplifier, the other was not energized. Whole dorsal root ganglia (DRG) explant cultures from 15-day Sprague-Dawley rat embryos were established in supplemented media plus nerve growth factor (NGF) at concentrations of 0-100 ng/mL on a collagen-laminin substrate. Dishes were placed at the center of the top and bottom of both coils, so that the DRG were adjacent to the current flowing in the coil. After an initial 12 h allowing DRG attachment to the substrate floor, one coil was energized for 18 h, followed by a postexposure period of 18 h. Total incubation time was 48 h for all DRG cultures. At termination, DRG were histochemically stained for visualization and quantitative analysis of neurite outgrowth. Direction and length of neurite outgrowth were recorded with respect to direction of the current. PMF exposed DRG exhibited asymmetrical growth parallel to the current direction with concomitant enhancement of neurite length. DRG cultures not PMF exposed had a characteristic radial pattern of neurite outgrowth. These results suggest that PMF may offer a noninvasive mechanism to direct and promote nerve regeneration.     

Studies on the action of nerve growth factor: I. Characterization of a simplified in vitro culture system for dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia

Neurite outgrowth from dorsal root (DRG) and sympathetic ganglia has been studied utilizing a simplified in vitro culture system for intact ganglia. Attachment of ganglia to tissue culture plates was achieved after a brief incubation of ganglia on the plates in the presence of 100% fetal calf serum or 5% ovalbumin in F12 medium. Neurite outgrowth from dorsal root and sympathetic ganglia was dependent on the continued presence of nerve growth factor (NGF) and on the NGF concentration. The NGF induced neurite outgrowth from DRG cultured in serum-free medium was delayed approximately 24 hr compared to the outgrowth in serum-containing medium.     

Schwann cells promote neurite outgrowth of dorsal root ganglion neurons through secretion of nerve growth factor

The transplantation of Schwann cells (SCs) could successfully promote axonal regeneration. This is likely to attribute to the adhesion molecules expression and growth factors secretion of SCs. But which factor(s) play a key role has not been precisely studied. In this study, an outgrowth assay using dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neuron-SC co-culture system in vitro was performed. Co-culture of SCs or application of SC-conditioned medium (CM) substantially and significantly increased DRG neurite outgrowth. Further, nerve growth factor and NGF receptor (TrkA) mRNA were highly expressed in Schwann cells and DRG neuron, respectively. The high concentration of NGF protein was detected in SC-CM. When K-252a, a specific inhibitor of NGF receptor was added, DRG neurite outgrowth was significantly decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. These data strongly suggest that SCs play important roles in neurite outgrowth of DRG neurons by secreted NGF.     

Placode and neural crest-derived sensory neurons are responsive at early developmental stages to brain-derived neurotrophic factor

The response of embryonic chick nodose ganglion (neural placode-derived) and dorsal root ganglion (neural crest-derived) sensory neurons to the survival and neurite-promoting activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was studied in culture. In dissociated, neuron-enriched cultures established from chick embryos between Day 6 (E6) and Day 12 (E12) of development, both nodose ganglion (NG) and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were responsive on laminin-coated culture dishes to BDNF. In the case of NG, BDNF elicited neurite outgrowth from 40 to 50% of the neurons plated at three embryonic ages; E6, E9, and E12. At the same ages, nerve growth factor (NGF) alone or in combination with BDNF, had little or no effect upon neurite outgrowth from NG neurons. The response of NG neurons to BDNF was dose dependent and was sustainable for at least 7 days in culture. Surprisingly, in view of a previous study carried out using polyornithine as a substrate for neuronal cell attachment, on laminin-coated dishes BDNF also sustained survival and neurite outgrowth from a high percentage (60-70%) of DRG neurons taken from E6 embryos. In marked contrast to NG neurons, the combined effect of saturating levels of BDNF and NGF activity on DRG neurons was greater than the effect of either agent alone at all embryonic ages studied. Under similar culture conditions, BDNF did not elicit survival and neurite outgrowth from paravertebral chain sympathetic neurons or parasympathetic ciliary ganglion neurons. We propose that primary sensory neurons, regardless of their embryological origin, are responsive to a "central-target" (CNS) derived neurotrophic factor--BDNF, while they are differentially responsive to "peripheral-target"-derived growth factors, such as NGF, depending on whether the neurons are of neural crest or placodal origin.     

Cyclic phosphatidic acid elicits neurotrophin-like actions in embryonic hippocampal neurons

Cyclic phosphatidic acid (cPA; 1-acyl-sn-glycerol-2,3-cyclic phosphate) is an analog of the growth factor-like phospholipid mediator lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). As brain tissue is the richest source of cPA we tested its effects on hippocampal neurons from day 16/17 embryonic rat cultured in a serum-free medium. Nanomolar concentrations of cPA elicited a neurotrophic effect and promoted neurite outgrowth that exceeded that of 50 ng/mL nerve growth factor (NGF). Pertussis toxin, the LPA1/LPA3 receptor-selective antagonist dioctylglycerol pyrophosphate, the myristoylated inhibitory pseudosubstrate peptide of protein kinase A (PKI), Wortmannin and PD98059 abolished the neurite-promoting effect. cPA elicited a sustained activation of extracellular signal-related kinases (ERK) 1/2 and Akt. Clostridium difficile toxin B, an inhibitor of the Rho family of GTPases, reduced cPA-induced enhancement of neurite outgrowth. In B5P cells, a clonal cell line of PC12 cells overexpressing tyrosine kinase NGF receptor (TrkA), cPA elicited transphosphorylation of TrkA. cPA-elicited ERK activation was blocked by K252a and PKI. These results suggest that cPA mimics the effects of, and activates signaling pathways similar to, the neurotrophin NGF in cultured embryonic hippocampal neurons and B5P cells.     

Neurite outgrowth resistance to rho kinase inhibitors in PC12 Adh cell

Rho kinase (ROCK) inhibitor is a promising agent for neural injury disorders, which mechanism is associated with neurite outgrowth. However, neurite outgrowth resistance occurred when PC12 Adh cell was treated with ROCK inhibitors for a longer time. PC12 Adh cells were treated with ROCK inhibitor Y27632 or NGF for different durations. Neurite outgrowth resistance occurred when PC12 Adh cell exposed to Y27632 (33 µM) for 3 or more days, but not happen when exposed to nerve growth factor (NGF, 100 ng/mL). The gene expression in the PC12 Adh cells treated with Y27632 (33 µM) or NGF (100 ng/mL) for 2 or 4 days was assayed by gene microarray, and the reliability of the results were confirmed by real‐time RT‐PCR. Cluster analysis proved that the gene expression profile of PC12 Adh cell treated with Y27632 for 4 days was different from that treated with Y27632 for 2 days and those treated with NGF for 2 and 4 days, respectively. Pathway analysis hinted that the neurite outgrowth resistance could be associated with up‐regulation of inflammatory pathways, especially rno04610 (complement and coagulation cascades), and down‐regulation of cell cycle pathways, especially rno04110.