Exogenous NGF alters a critical motor period in rat striatum.
In previous studies we found that there is a critical period during rat postnatal development when motor training starting at age 30 days (P30) but not before or after this age, induces a bilateral lifetime drop in Bmax of the muscarinic radioligand [3H]QNB in striatum. We examined the possibility that striatal NGF level would be a determining factor for the normal occurrence of this synaptic plasticity. With this aim, rats underwent training at P30-37 with or without simultaneous NGF perfusion into the left striatum. At P70, we found the expected bilateral enduring fall of striatal [3H]QNB sites in trained controls. While the non-cannulated side of NGF-treated trained rats showed a similar drop in [3H]QNB binding, the perfused striata from these animals were not affected by training. Thus, the findings add new evidence in favour of a major role of NGF in this critical period of activity-dependent permanent adjustment in the striatal muscarinic system.
Wolansky
M J
MJ
Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cabrera
R J
RJ
Ibarra
G R
GR
Mongiat
L
L
Azcurra
J M
JM
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D001665:Binding Sites; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012016:Reference Values
D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D011813:Quinuclidinyl Benzilate; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor