Effect of sciatic nerve crush on local and target tissue production of neurotrophin-3 transcripts in rats.
The effect of sciatic nerve crush in adult rats on neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) mRNA expression at the site of crush and in ipsilateral foot skin was studied using competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (cRT-PCR). Mid-sciatic nerve crush resulted in a significant reduction in the expression of NT-3 mRNA in nerve segments distal to the injury site at 3 and 7 days (approximate 60% decrease; P < 0.01). The reduced NT-3 rnRNA expression started to increase at days 14 post-crush and returned towards control levels at 21 days following the crush. The nerve segment proximal to the crush site showed a similar changed pattern of NT-3 mRNA expression. The effects of denervation on NT-3 mRNA expression in foot skin were also studied. Reduced expression of NT-3 was observed by 7 days post-crush, with a 25% decrease observed by 14 days (P < 0.002). Levels of NT-3 mRNA had returned to normal by 21 days post-crush. The results show that changes in axon-Schwann cell contact do not account for the nerve crush induced loss, or subsequent recovery, of NT-3 mRNA expression in nerve.
Cai
F
F
Department of Pharmacology, St. Bartholomew's and Royal London Hospital School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, UK.
Tomlinson
D R
DR
Fernyhough
P
P
D000818:Animals; D019771:Axotomy; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009409:Nerve Crush; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000294:innervation; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D012333:RNA, Messenger