title: Blocking the NGF-TrkA interaction rescues the developmental loss of LTP in the rat visual cortex: role of the cholinergic system.
abstract: Although nerve growth factor (NGF) is a crucial factor in the activity-dependent development and plasticity of visual cortex, its role in synaptic efficacy changes is largely undefined. We demonstrate that the maintenance phase of long-term potentiation (LTP) is blocked by local application of exogenous NGF in rat visual cortex at an early stage of postnatal development. Long-term depression (LTD) and bidirectional plasticity are unaffected. At later postnatal ages, blockade of either endogenous NGF by immunoadhesin (TrkA-IgG) or TrkA receptors by monoclonal antibody rescues LTP. Muscarinic receptor activation/inhibition suggests that LTP dependence on NGF is mediated by the cholinergic system. These results indicate that NGF regulates synaptic strength in well-characterized cortical circuitries.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Program, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pesavento
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Margotti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Righi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Domenici
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019706:Excitatory Postsynaptic Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000494:pharmacology; D017774:Long-Term Potentiation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D016716:PC12 Cells; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020917:Receptor, trkA / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D001285:Atropine; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor; D020917:Receptor, trkA; C013411:biocytin; D008239:Lysine