title: Trophic factor modulation of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide expression in explant cultured guinea-pig cardiac neurons.
abstract: The present study investigated the influence of trophic factors on the expression of cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (CARTp) in guinea-pig cardiac ganglia maintained in explant culture. In acutely isolated cardiac ganglia preparations, <1% of the cholinergic cardiac neurons exhibited CARTp immunoreactivity. In contrast, this number increased to >25% of the cardiac neurons after 72 h in explant culture. This increase in the number of CARTp neurons in cultured cardiac ganglia explants was accompanied by an increase in CARTp transcript levels as assessed by real time polymerase chain reaction. Treatment of cardiac ganglia cultures with neurturin or glial-derived trophic factor (both at 10 ng/ml) for 72 h prevented the increase in neurons that exhibited CARTp immunoreactivity. In contrast, treatment with ciliary neurotrophic factor (50 ng/ml) for 72 h produced a small significant increase in the percentage of CARTp-immunoreactive cardiac neurons and treatment with nerve growth factor (100 ng/ml) had no effect. Neurturin treatment also decreased cardiac neuron CARTp levels after 72 h in explant culture. Cardiac neurons exhibited immunoreactivity to the neurturin receptor GFRalpha2 whereas non-neural cells preferentially exhibited immunoreactivity to the glial-derived neurotrophic factor receptor GFRalpha1 and neurturin transcripts were detected in cardiac tissue extracts. We hypothesize that a target-derived inhibitory factor, very likely neurturin, is a critical factor suppressing the expression of CARTp in guinea-pig cardiac neurons. These observations contrast with those reported in sympathetic neurons that suggest up-regulation of trophic factors after axotomy or during explant culture is a key factor contributing to the up-regulation of many neuropeptides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Vermont College of Medicine, Burlington, 05405, USA.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Buttolph
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Locknar
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Parsons
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000166:cytology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D051098:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006325:Heart Atria; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051381:Rats; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D013997:Time Factors; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein
chemical_list: D051098:Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000098882:Cocaine- and Amphetamine-Regulated Transcript Protein; D013007:Growth Hormone-Releasing Hormone