title: Ciliary neurotrophic factor prevents degeneration of adult rat substantia nigra dopaminergic neurons in vivo.
abstract: We have investigated the neuroprotective effects of recombinant human ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) for injured dopaminergic neurons of the adult rat substantia nigra compacta. Fourteen days after a unilateral transection of the nigrostriatal pathway two-thirds of the neurons (identified by retrograde labeling) had degenerated. In sharp contrast, 73% (a few cases, > 90%) of this cell loss was prevented by continuous infusion of CNTF close to the injured neurons. However, CNTF did not prevent the disappearance of the transmitter-synthesizing enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. Thus, CNTF has potent neurotrophic effects for injured adult rat dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons, whose degeneration plays a major causative role in Parkinson disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093-0601.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hagg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Varon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000032:analysis; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D002232:Carbocyanines; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C024286:3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D004298:Dopamine