title: Current concepts on the expression of neurotrophins in the greater omentum.
abstract: The omentum has been utilized in Neurosurgery since the late 1960s. Its overwhelming effects on fibroblast and peripheral nerve growths were soon noticed. However, there was no direct evidence of production of any of the growth factors by the omentum, although substances were shown to be present in the omentum. Three animals were used in the study. After removal of the omentum in one, the tissue was submitted to PCR for BDNF, NT3/4 and NT5. Water was the negative control utilized. There was marked expression of all neurotrophins in the omentum, indicating local production of all those substances. The omentum has, for the first time, demonstrated to produce and not only accumulate neurotrophins. Utilization of this concept may permit transplant or transposition of parts of the omentum into the central nervous system for the management of multiple diseases, including vascular dementia, strokes, Alzheimer's disease or Moya-Moya disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA. mdujovny@aol.com
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dujovny
authors.forename: Yun Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Yuchuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Celso
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agner
authors.forename: Eimir
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez-Arjona
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D009852:Omentum / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D009414:Nerve Growth Factors