Expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor... : NeuroReport (original) (raw)

REGENERATION AND TRANSPLANTATION

Expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family of growth factors in peripheral nerve injury in rats

1Present Address: Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurology, Path 509, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA

2Department of Clinical Neurosciences and the Neuroscience Research Group, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4N1 Canada

3Corresponding Author and Address: Ahmet Höke, Present Address: Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurology, Path 509, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Canada and the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. A.H. was a Clinical Research Fellow and D.W.Z. is a Medical Scholar of the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.

Received 15 February 2000; accepted 13 March 2000

Abstract

The glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family of growth factors may be involved in the regenerative support of neurons in the peripheral nervous system. In order to study the role of these growth factors and their receptors following rat peripheral nerve injury we examined the changes in their mRNA levels in the spinal cord, the dorsal root ganglia and the peripheral nerve trunk. Following transaction of the sciatic nerve GDNF mRNA was up-regulated rapidly in the denervated nerve distal to the cut along with the mRNA for one of its receptors, GFRα-1. GFRα-1 mRNA was also increased in the DRG ipsilateral to the nerve injury suggesting that GDNF may be involved in the trophic support of DRG sensory neurons. In contrast there were no analogous changes in the mRNA levels of neurturin, persephin and artemin following injury.