title: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor promotes survival and blocks nitric oxide synthase expression in adult rat spinal motoneurons after ventral root avulsion.
abstract: In adult spinal motoneurons, retrograde cell death is induced by ventral root avulsion. A lethal effect of nitric oxide has been implicated, since nitric oxide synthase (NOS) is expressed in the motoneurons destined to die. Our study investigates the effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on the retrograde cell death and NOS expression of adult rat spinal motoneurons. Following ventral root avulsion and 4 weeks of continuous treatment, BDNF, but not CNTF, was found to prevent cell death and NOS expression in the lesioned motoneurons. This suggests a therapeutic potential for BDNF in the adult nervous system, possibly through blockage of nitric oxide synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Umeå University, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Novikov
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Novikova
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Kellerth
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D002470:Cell Survival; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D020934:Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase