[The expression of BDNF and NT-3 in dorsal root ganglion following peripheral and central axotomy--an immunohistochemical study].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3(NT-3) in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) following peripheral and central axotomy.


METHODS
Fifteen male adult cats were divided into intact group, peripheral axotomy group and central axotomy group. The ten cats of the latter two groups were subjected to unilateral peripheral cut and central processes cut respectively. The animals were allowed to survive 4 days long; L5 DRG was taken from each animal and made into frozen sections 20 microns thick. The sections were stained using antisera of BDNF and NT-3 respectively by immunohistchemical ABC method. The neuronal numbers of BDNF and NT-3 of the three groups were counted and compared.


RESULTS
The positive products of BDNF were mainly distributed in small to medium sized neurons (13-57 microns) while those of NT-3 were mainly in large sized neurons (57-100 microns). The neuronal numbers of BDNF and NT-3 in peripheral and central axotomy groups (24.1 +/- 3.5, 29.4 +/- 5.2; 19.4 +/- 2.4, 20.2 +/- 1.9) increased significantly than those of intact group (12.1 +/- 2.2, 13.3 +/- 2.9), P < 0.01. And the neuronal numbers of BDNF and NT-3 in peripheral axotomy groups were more than those of central axotomy group(P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that peripheral axotomy and central axotomy lead to the increase of the expression of BDNF and NT-3 in DRG neurons. And the effect of peripheral axotomy is greater than that of central axotomy.
Ni
S
S
Department of Neurosurgery, No. 1 Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming 650032, China.
Wang
T
T
Chen
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D002415:Cats; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D011897:Random Allocation; D019051:Rhizotomy / Q000379:methods
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D020933:Neurotrophin 3