Prenatally compromised neurons respond to brain-derived neurotrophic factor treatment in vitro.
Prenatal hypoxia affects neuronal survival and process outgrowth. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which influences neural growth, is decreased in these conditions. We tested whether addition of brain-derived neurotrophic factor enhances growth of neurons cultured from guinea pig fetuses (n=7) compromised by chronic placental insufficiency from 30-52 days gestation (term approximately 67 days). Cultures were prepared from the olfactory bulb, hippocampus and cerebellum. Compared with controls (n=7), chronic placental insufficiency resulted in reduced total neurite length in olfactory bulb cultures. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor treatment for 5 days increased the total olfactory neurite length and somal size and number of primary neurites in all cultures from both control and compromised animals. Thus, brain-derived neurotrophic factor can influence the growth of compromised fetal neurons supporting its therapeutic use following chronic placental insufficiency.
Briscoe
Todd A
TA
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
Tolcos
Mary
M
Dieni
Sandra
S
Loeliger
Michelle
M
Rees
Sandra M
SM
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005260:Female; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016501:Neurites / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D010927:Placental Insufficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid