title: The chronic administration of cerebrolysin induces plastic changes in the prefrontal cortex and dentate gyrus in aged mice.
abstract: Cerebrolysin (Cbl) is a mixture of neuropeptides with effects similar to the endogenous neurotrophic factors and is considered one of the best drugs used in the treatment of dementias such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). In brains with AD, morphological changes in the dendrites of pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus have been reported. These changes are reflected particularly in the decrement of both the dendritic tree and spine density. Here we evaluated the effect of this drug on the dendrites of pyramidal neurons of the PFC and CA1 dorsal hippocampus and granule cells from the dentate gyrus (DG) and medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) of aged mice. Cbl (5 ml kg(-1) , i.p.) was administered daily for 60 days to 6-month-old mice. Dendritic morphology was studied by the Golgi-Cox stain procedure followed by Sholl analysis at 8 months ages. In all Cbl-treated mice a significant increase in dendritic spine density and dendritic length in pyramidal neurons of the PFC and granule cells of the DG was observed. Interestingly, the enhancement in dendritic length was close to the soma in pyramidal neurons of the PFC whereas in granule neurons of the DG the increase in dendritic length was further from the soma. Our results suggest that Cbl induces plastic modifications of dendritic morphology in the PFC and DG. These changes may explain the therapeutic effect seen in AD patients treated with Cbl.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Universidad Autónoma de Puebla. 14 Sur 6301, CP 72570, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Ismael
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Juárez
authors.forename: Deniss Janeth
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mena
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flores
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D000596:Amino Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; C006952:cerebrolysin