Induction of a physiologically active brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the infant rat brain by peripheral administration of 4-methylcatechol.
Effects of 4-methylcatechol (4MC), a known potent stimulator of nerve growth factor (NGF) synthesis, on expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA and BDNF-like immunoreactivity (BDNF-LI) was investigated in infant rat brains. A single intraperitoneal administration of 4MC caused transient increases in the levels of BDNF mRNA and BDNF-LI in neurons of the cerebral cortex from 1 to 3 h and 3 to 12 h, respectively, after the injection. Repetitive injections of 4MC to newborn rats (12-h intervals for 10 days) caused a marked and dose-dependent elevation of the level of BDNF mRNA in the whole brain besides elevating the number of cells containing calbindin D-28 and enhancing its immunoreactive intensity in the pyriform cortex and hippocampus. These findings demonstrate that 4MC stimulates de novo synthesis of BDNF in the infant rat brain, resulting in acceleration of the developmental expression of calbindin D-28.
Fukumitsu
H
H
Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Gifu Pharmaceutical University Mitahora-higashi, Japan.
Sometani
A
A
Ohmiya
M
M
Nitta
A
A
Nomoto
H
H
Furukawa
Y
Y
Furukawa
S
S
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D000906:Antibodies; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D064026:Calbindins; D002396:Catechols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000737:chemistry; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D064026:Calbindins; D002396:Catechols; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D064030:S100 Calcium Binding Protein G; C018599:4-methylcatechol