title: Astroglial and fibroblast growth factors have neurotrophic functions for cultured peripheral and central nervous system neurons.
abstract: Embryonic and neonatal neurons require specific trophic supplements for their survival and the induction of transmitter-synthesizing enzymes in vivo and in vitro. Acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor (aFGF, bFGF) and the closely related astroglial growth factors AGF-1 and AGF-2 were studied for putative neurotrophic functions using dissociated, highly neuron-enriched cultures from chick and rat peripheral ganglia and central nervous system tissues. Embryonic chick ciliary ganglion neurons were the only peripheral neurons that responded to bFGF and AGF-2 by enhanced survival equivalent to that obtained with ciliary neurotrophic factor. Half-maximal effects were achieved with bFGF at 360 pg/ml or AGF-2 at 3 ng/ml. Small effects seen with aFGF could be potentiated by adding heparin at 1 microgram/ml. bFGF, but not ciliary neurotropic factor, also promoted neuron survival after the factor was bound to polyornithine and laminin. Both AGF-2 and ciliary neurotropic factor induced choline acetyltransferase activity during 48 hr. AGFs and FGFs also enhanced the long-term survival of embryonic chick spinal cord neurons, including motoneurons that had been retrogradely labeled with rhodamine isothiocyanate. These results demonstrate the potency of a class of mitogenic growth factors as neurotrophic agents for embryonic ciliary ganglion and spinal cord neurons--adding to the emerging evidence that mitogenic and neuronal growth factors are not strictly separate entities.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000254:growth & development*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000502:physiology*; D020904:Glia Maturation Factor; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000254:growth & development*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D020904:Glia Maturation Factor; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase