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Exogenous ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) reduces synaptic depression during repetitive stimulation
Author(s) -
Garcia Neus,
Santafé Manel M.,
Tomàs Marta,
Priego Mercedes,
Obis Teresa,
Lanuza Maria A.,
Besalduch Nuria,
Tomàs Josep
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of the peripheral nervous system
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1529-8027
pISSN - 1085-9489
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8027.2012.00419.x
Subject(s) - ciliary neurotrophic factor , neuroscience , neuromuscular junction , stimulation , synapse , biology , neurotrophin , neurotrophic factors , neurotrophin 3 , cholinergic , receptor , medicine , endocrinology , brain derived neurotrophic factor
It has been shown that ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has trophic and maintenance effects on several types of peripheral and central neurons, glia, and cells outside the nervous system. Both CNTF and its receptor, CNTF‐R α , are expressed in the muscle. We use confocal immunocytochemistry to show that the trophic cytokine and its receptor are present in the pre‐ and post‐synaptic sites of the neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Applied CNTF (7.5–200 ng/ml, 60 min–3 h) does not acutely affect spontaneous potentials (size or frequency) or quantal content of the evoked acetylcholine release from post‐natal (in weak or strong axonal inputs on dually innervated end plates or in the most mature singly innervated synapses at P6) or adult (P30) NMJ of Levator auris longus muscle of the mice. However, CNTF reduces roughly 50% the depression produced by repetitive stimulation (40 Hz, 2 min) on the adult NMJs. Our findings indicate that, unlike neurotrophins, exogenous CNTF does not acutely modulate transmitter release locally at the mammalian neuromuscular synapse but can protect mature end plates from activity‐induced synaptic depression.