Agerelated changes of NGF BDNF parvalbumin and

Authors: Natsumi Hayakawa Manami Abe Risa Eto Hiroyuki Kato Tsutomu Araki

Publish Date: 2008/04/18

Volume: 23, Issue: 2, Pages: 199-

PDF Link

Abstract

We investigated the agerelated alterations in nerve growth factor NGF brainderived neurotrophic factor BDNF parvalbumin and neuronal nitric oxide synthase nNOS immunoreactivity of the mouse hippocampal CA1 sector NGF and BDNF immunoreactivity was unchanged in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons from 2 to 50–59 weeks of birth In contrast a significant increase in the NGF and BDNF immunoreactivity was observed in glial cells of the hippocampal CA1 sector from 40–42 to 50–59 weeks of birth On the other hand the number of parvalbumin and nNOSpositive interneurons was unchanged in the hippocampal CA1 sector during aging processes except for a significant decrease of nNOSpositive interneurons 2 weeks of birth Our results indicate that NGF and BDNF immunoreactivity was unaltered in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons during aging processes In contrast a significant increase in the NGF and BDNF immunoreactivity was observed in glial cells of the hippocampal CA1 sector during aging processes The present study also shows that the number of parvalbumin and nNOSpositive interneurons was unchanged in the hippocampal CA1 sector during aging processes except for a significant decrease of nNOSpositive interneurons 2 weeks of birth These results demonstrate that the expression of glial NGF and BDNF may play a key role for helping survival and maintenance of pyramidal neurons and neuronal functions in the hippocampal CA1 sector during aging processes Furthermore our findings suggest that parvalbumin and nNOSpositive interneurons in the hippocampal CA1 sector are resistant to aging processes Moreover our findings suggest that nitric oxide synthesized by the nNOS may play some role for neuronal growth during postnatal development

Keywords: