title: Unilateral enucleation induces an increase of 160 kd neurofilament in lateral geniculate nuclei synapses.
abstract: Ultrastructural synaptic changes of retinal origin in the pars dorsalis lateral geniculate nuclei (dLGN) after enucleation have been studied in this laboratory, showing a filamentous hypertrophy with maximal expression at 4-6 days post-lesion in monkeys (Pecci Saavedra et al., 1970, 1971). The aim of this work was to elucidate the nature of the newly formed filament in dLGN in post-enucleated rats. Male Wistar rats were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde plus 0.25% glutaraldehyde in 0.1M phosphate buffer, through the abdominal aorta after 3, 5, and 7 days postenucleation. Sections obtained were incubated with antibodies to the phosphorylated portion of the 160 Kd neurofilaments (1:3000) and anti-GFAP (1:25000). There was an increase in 160 Kd neurofilament staining in axons and degenerating nerve endings in dLGN, as well as a typical astroglial immunostained reaction. Our results show that the newly formed neurofilaments after deafferentation are of the 160 Kd type, commonly present in normal axons.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencias Prof. Eduardo De Robertis, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, República Argentina.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Capani
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Loidl
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pecci Saavedra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005829:Geniculate Bodies / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000502:physiology; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013569:Synapses / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins