Vasoactive intestinal peptide regulates embryonic growth through the action of activity-dependent neurotrophic factor.
Activity-dependent neurotrophic factor is a potent, neuroprotective protein released from astroglia by VIP and accounts in part for the neuroprotective properties of this neuropeptide. The growth-regulatory actions of VIP during embryogenesis may also occur indirectly through the release of activity-dependent neurotrophic factor. Whole cultured day-9 mouse embryos treated with activity-dependent neurotrophic factor (10(-13) M) for 4 hr grew 3.1 somites, compared with 1.6 somites in control embryos. Treated embryos appeared morphologically normal and exhibited significant increases in cross-sectional area, protein, and DNA content and bromodeoxyuridine incorporation. Anti-activity-dependent neurotrophic factor significantly inhibited growth. Co-treatment of embryos with anti-activity-dependent neurotrophic factor inhibited VIP-stimulated growth; however, anti-VIP did not inhibit activity-dependent neurotrophic factor-induced growth. These data indicate that an activity-dependent neurotrophic factor-like substance is an endogenous embryonic growth factor and that VIP-regulated growth occurs, at least in part, through activity-dependent neurotrophic factor.
Hill
J M
JM
Section on Developmental and Molecular Pharmacology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. jh139h@nih.gov
Glazner
G W
GW
Lee
S J
SJ
Gozes
I
I
Gressens
P
P
Brenneman
D E
DE
D000818:Animals; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009842:Oligopeptides; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D009842:Oligopeptides; C410622:activity-dependent neurotrophic factor; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide