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Epidermal growth factor treatment during early postnatal development: Glutamine synthetase and glutamate decarboxylase activities in mouse brain
Author(s) -
Condorelli Daniele,
Nicoletti Vincenzo,
Carpano Patrizia,
Insirello Lucia,
Avola Roberto,
GiuffridaStella Anna Maria
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
international journal of developmental neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.761
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1873-474X
pISSN - 0736-5748
DOI - 10.1016/0736-5748(90)90018-w
Subject(s) - forebrain , glutamine synthetase , endocrinology , glutamate decarboxylase , medicine , biology , epidermal growth factor , glutamate receptor , cerebellum , glutamine , receptor , biochemistry , central nervous system , enzyme , amino acid
Results of experiments in cell cultures suggested that epidermal growth factor might influence an early stage of astroglial or neuronal cell differentiation. In order to evaluate this hypothesis the effects of subcutaneous and intracerebral treatment with epidermal growth factor on glutamine synthetase, an astroglial marker enzyme, and glutamate decarboxylase activity, a marker enzyme of GABAergic neurons, were investigated during postnatal development of mouse brain. Epidermal growth factor, at the dose used, induced the well‐known effects of the in vivo treatment, such as a decrease in body weight and a precocious incisor eruption and eyelid opening. A decrease in forebrain and cerebellum wet weight was also observed. However, repeated epidermal growth factor treatment, during early postnatal life, failed to influence glutamine synthetase activity in forebrain or cerebellum, while a significant decrease was observed in the brain stem. No effect of epidermal growth factor on forebrain glutamate decar‐boxylase activity was observed. Although epidermal growth factor receptors have been detected in the newborn rodent brain, the role of this growth factor in brain development remains to be elucidated.