NGF induction of NGF receptor gene expression and cholinergic neuronal hypertrophy within the basal forebrain of the adult rat |
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| Authors: | G A Higgins S Koh K S Chen F H Gage |
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| Institution: | Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Rochester School of Medicine, New York 14642. |
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| Abstract: | Chronic infusion of nerve growth factor (NGF) into the forebrain of the adult rat produced increases in NGF receptor (NGF-R) mRNA hybridization, NGF-R immunoreactivity, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) mRNA hybridization, and neuronal hypertrophy, when compared with vehicle infusion or noninfused rat brain. In situ hybridization showed NGF induction of NGF-R gene expression, documented by increases in the number of NGF-R mRNA-positive cells within the medial septum, diagonal band, and nucleus basalis magnocellularis. NGF also produced hypertrophy of ChAT mRNA-positive neurons. These results suggest that NGF produces cholinergic neuronal hypertrophy through induction of NGF-R gene expression within the basal forebrain. |
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