title: Epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2 cause proliferation of ependymal precursor cells in the adult rat spinal cord in vivo.
abstract: We investigated the mitogenic effect of continuous intrathecal infusion of epidermal growth factor (EGF) or fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) on ependymal precursor cells of the adult rat spinal cord in vivo. Either EGF, FGF2, EGF plus FGF2, or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) was infused at a flow rate of 0.5 microl/h (15 ng/h of EGF or FGF2) for 3 or 14 days into the intrathecal space at T1 through a catheter attached to an osmotic minipump. To assess proliferation, the bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling index (LI) in the ependyma at T1 was calculated at 3 or 14 days. At 3 days there was no statistical difference in LI between these groups, but at 14 days the LI was significantly higher in the EGF plus FGF2 group (27.2% = 16.0%) than in the aCSF group (5.4% +/- 4.7%; p < 0.05). With EGF alone or FGF2 alone, the LI increases were not significantly different from the aCSF group. With EGF plus FGF2 for 14 days, some BrdU-positive cells in the ependyma also expressed nestin. These results suggest that the intrathecal infusion of EGF plus FGF2 has a mitogenic effect on precursor cells in the ependyma of the adult rat spinal cord.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto and Toronto Western Research Institute, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tator
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004805:Ependyma / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; C577484:NES protein, human; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine