Helmholtz Gemeinschaft

Search
Browse
Statistics
Feeds

TrkB and neurotrophin-4 are important for development and maintenance of sympathetic preganglionic neurons innervating the adrenal medulla

[thumbnail of 4316oa.pdf] PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
2MB

Item Type:Article
Title:TrkB and neurotrophin-4 are important for development and maintenance of sympathetic preganglionic neurons innervating the adrenal medulla
Creators Name:Schober, A., Wolf, N., Huber, K., Hertel, R., Krieglstein, K., Minichiello, L., Kahane, N., Widenfalk, J., Kalcheim, C., Olson, L., Klein, R., Lewin, G.R. and Unsicker, K.
Abstract:The adrenal medulla receives its major presynaptic input from sympathetic preganglionic neurons that are located in the intermediolateral (IML) column of the thoracic spinal cord. The neurotrophic factor concept would predict that these IML neurons receive trophic support from chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla. We show here that adrenal chromaffin cells in the adult rat store neurotrophin (NT)-4, but do not synthesize or store detectable levels of BDNF or NT-3, respectively. Preganglionic neurons to the adrenal medulla identified by retrograde tracing with fast blue or Fluoro-Gold (FG) express TrkB mRNA. After unilateral destruction of the adrenal medulla, 24% of IML neurons, i.e., all neurons that are preganglionic to the adrenal medulla in spinal cord segments T7-T10, disappear. Administration of NT-4 in gelfoams (6 microgram) implanted into the medullectomized adrenal gland rescued all preganglionic neurons as evidenced by their presence after 4 weeks. NT-3 and cytochrome C were not effective. The action of NT-4 is accompanied by massive sprouting of axons in the vicinity of the NT-4 source as monitored by staining for acetylcholinesterase and synaptophysin immunoreactivity, suggesting that NT-4 may enlarge the terminal field of preganglionic nerves and enhance their access to trophic factors. Analysis of TrkB-deficient mice revealed degenerative changes in axon terminals on chromaffin cells. Furthermore, numbers of FG-labeled IML neurons in spinal cord segments T7-T10 of NT-4-deficient adult mice were significantly reduced. These data are consistent with the notion that NT-4 from chromaffin cells operates through TrkB receptors to regulate development and maintenance of the preganglionic innervation of the adrenal medulla.
Keywords:Adrenal Chromaffin Cells, Neurotrophins, Neurotrophin Receptors, Spinal Cord Neurons, Knock-Out Mice, NT-4, Animals, Mice, Rats
Source:Journal of Neuroscience
ISSN:0270-6474
Publisher:Society for Neuroscience
Volume:18
Number:18
Page Range:7272-7284
Date:15 September 1998
Additional Information:Copyright (c) 1998 by The Society for Neuroscience
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.18-18-07272.1998
PubMed:View item in PubMed

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Open Access
MDC Library