title: Axonal transport of neprilysin in rat sciatic nerves.
abstract: Axonal transport of neprilysin, a putative neuropeptide degrading-enzyme, was examined in the proximal, middle, and distal segments of rat sciatic nerves using a double ligation technique. Neprilysin activity was significantly increased not only in the proximal segment but also in the distal segment 12-120 h after ligation, and the maximal neprilysin activity was found in the proximal and distal segments at 96 and 72 h, respectively. Western blot analysis of neprilysin showed that its immunoreactivities in the proximal and distal segments were 2.8- and 2.4-fold higher than that in the middle segment, indicating that neprilysin is transported by anterograde and retrograde axonal flow. These observations suggest that neprilysin may be involved in the metabolism of neuropeptides in nerve terminals or synaptic clefts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Analytical Chemistry of Medicines, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165 Higashi-tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8543, Japan.
authors.forename: Genki
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ohkushi
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chikuma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001370:Axonal Transport; D008297:Male; D015260:Neprilysin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015260:Neprilysin