title: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor release with neuronal activity in fetal rats.
abstract: Patterned spontaneous activity is generated in developing neuronal circuits in the brain and spinal cord. Here we test the hypothesis that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is released with spontaneous rhythmic neural discharge in the embryonic rat. The level of endogenous rhythmic discharge generated by in vitro brainstem-spinal cord preparations was increased from control by elevating extracellular potassium and decreased by tetrodotoxin or a cocktail of receptor antagonists. The concentration of BDNF in the bathing medium was detected via ELISA. BDNF levels were decreased by 45-65% in the presence of TTX or receptor antagonists and increased by 25% in elevated extracellular potassium. These data demonstrate that BDNF is released in association with an endogenous rhythmic activity generated by the developing CNS.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Greer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D013779:Tetrodotoxin