title: Retrogradely transported CTB-saporin kills sympathetic preganglionic neurons.
abstract: Aiming to ablate sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN) innervating a defined target, we injected saporin conjugated to cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) unilaterally into the superior cervical ganglion of rats. In spinal cord segments T1-T3, the numbers of cholinergic neurons in the intermediolateral cell column ipsilateral and contralateral to the injected ganglion were significantly different by 3 days post-injection. By day 14, 77% of ipsilateral cholinergic neurons had disappeared. A higher percentage of neurons were killed in T1-T2 than in T3. Comparing SPN counts from CTB-saporin injected rats and counts from rats receiving unconjugated CTB into the superior cervical ganglion indicated that 84% of SPN supplying the ganglion had died by 14 days. Retrogradely transported CTB-saporin kills sympathetic preganglionic neurons and may also eliminate other types of neurons that transport CTB.
authors: Cardiovascular Medicine and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors: I J
authors: IJ
authors: Llewellyn-Smith
authors: C L
authors: CL
authors: Martin
authors: L F
authors: LF
authors: Arnolda
authors: J B
authors: JB
authors: Minson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001693:Biological Transport, Active / Q000502:physiology; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D000922:Immunotoxins; D008297:Male; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D000076985:Saporins; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000922:Immunotoxins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054789:Ribosome Inactivating Proteins, Type 1; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D009699:N-Glycosyl Hydrolases; D000076985:Saporins