title: Midkine, a novel neurotrophic factor, promotes survival of mesencephalic neurons in culture.
abstract: Midkine (MK), a retinoic acid responsive gene product, is a novel neurotrophic factor with a molecular weight of 14,000. MK at the optimal concentration of 10 ng/ml promoted the survival of mouse mesencephalic neurons in culture as demonstrated by the increased number of microtubule-associated protein-2 (MAP2) immunostaining-positive and tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining-positive neurons and an elevated uptake of radiolabeled dopamine. These results suggest that MK has ubiquitous neurotrophic activity towards mesencephalic neurons which contain a large number of dopaminergic neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: S U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000078792:Midkine; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D000078792:Midkine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine