title: Serotonergic fibres degenerating in the aging rat brain or sprouting from grafted fetal neurons are not affected by the neurotrophic ACTH analogue Org 2766.
abstract: The effects of chronic treatment with the purported neurotrophic factor ACTH(4-9) analogue Org 2766 were studied on age-related degeneration of serotonergic fibres and on gliosis in the rat hippocampus and caudate putamen complex. In addition, the potential growth-promoting effects of Org 2766 were investigated on fetal serotonergic cells implanted in a previously denervated hippocampus of young adult rats. Chronic treatment of rats from the age of 11 months to 17-18 months did not affect the incidence of aberrant serotonergic fibres in the caudate-putamen complex or the fibres densities in the hippocampus or the caudate-putamen complex. Gliosis was unaffected by Org 2766 treatment as indicated by increased number and staining intensity of glial fibrillary acidic protein-immunoreactive cell bodies in both brain areas. Grafting of fetal raphe cells in young adult rats caused a time-dependent reinnervation of the previously denervated hippocampus. The reinnervation was not affected by treatment of the rats with Org 2766 for 4 weeks following implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: van Luijtelaar
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tonnaer
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Steinbusch
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000187:drug effects; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011699:Putamen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012701:Serotonin / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012701:Serotonin; C013765:Org 2766; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone