title: A role of the thymus and thymosin-alpha1 in brain NGF levels and NGF receptor expression.
abstract: Using neonatal rats we investigated the role of the thymus and thymosin-alpha1 (T-alpha1) in brain NGF levels, NGF receptor (p75NGFr) expression, as well as the activity of choline acetyl-transferase, a cholinergic enzyme regulated by NGF. It is shown that early postnatal thymectomy causes a decrease in NGF in the hippocampus and cortex and p75NGFr distribution in the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (FBCN). Intracerebral T-alpha1 injection in thymectomized animals induces a recovery, albeit not complete, of both NGF and p75NGFr. These findings indicate that thymectomy affects both the brain NGF producing and responding cells and that T-alpha1 may be one of the thymic hormones involved in the regulation of cerebral NGF synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, CNR, viale Marx, 15-43, 00137 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turrini
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, CNR, viale Marx, 15-43, 00137 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tirassa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Biology, CNR, viale Marx, 15-43, 00137 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vigneti
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurobiology, CNR, viale Marx, 15-43, 00137 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aloe
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077596:Thymalfasin; D013934:Thymectomy; D013947:Thymosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D020800:Receptor, Nerve Growth Factor; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor; D013947:Thymosin; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000077596:Thymalfasin