Premium
Nerve growth factor sensitivity is broadly distributed among myenteric neurons of the rat colon
Author(s) -
Lin Agueda,
Lourenssen Sandra,
Stanzel Roger D.P.,
Blennerhassett Michael G.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of comparative neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.855
H-Index - 209
eISSN - 1096-9861
pISSN - 0021-9967
DOI - 10.1002/cne.20654
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor , enteric nervous system , tropomyosin receptor kinase a , biology , choline acetyltransferase , low affinity nerve growth factor receptor , myenteric plexus , receptor , neuroscience , medicine , endocrinology , microbiology and biotechnology , central nervous system , immunology , immunohistochemistry , biochemistry
Nerve growth factor (NGF) acts on the two‐receptor system of trkA and p75 to mediate neuroprotection and influence phenotype and function in the peripheral nervous system, but the effects of NGF on the enteric nervous system (ENS) are virtually unknown. To establish a basis for enteric responsiveness to NGF, we studied the presence and distribution of NGF‐sensitive receptors in the myenteric neurons of the normal rat colon and examined their activation via trkA phosphorylation. Fluorescent immunocytochemistry on wholemounts showed that the two NGF receptors were abundantly present in the ENS, with 71% of all neurons positive for trkA and 78% for p75. More thanr 60% of the myenteric neurons expressed both receptors, and exogenous application of NGF resulted in trkA phosphorylation, evidence for high NGF sensitivity within the ENS. trkA was co‐expressed with choline acetyltransferase (61% of trkA‐positive neurons), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (22%), or calbindin (10%), suggesting widespread potential for NGF action. We conclude that functional receptors for NGF are widely distributed among the diverse enteric phenotypes and argue for a novel NGF‐mediated regulatory system within the ENS. J. Comp. Neurol. 490:194–206, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.