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Ethanol Reduces Expression of the Nerve Growth Factor Receptor, But Not Nerve Growth Factor Protein Levels in the Neonatal Rat Cerebellum
Author(s) -
Dohrman Douglas P.,
West James R.,
Pantazis Nicholas J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1997.tb03853.x
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor , low affinity nerve growth factor receptor , cerebellum , tropomyosin receptor kinase a , neurotrophin , medicine , endocrinology , neurotrophic factors , biology , purkinje cell , receptor , neuroscience
The cerebellum is especially vulnerable to ethanol's neurotoxic effects during development, and ethanol exposure during the brain growth spurt will deplete cerebellar neurons. The mechanisms underlying this neuronal cell loss remain elusive. Nerve growth factor (NGF) is a neurotrophin that promotes cell survival in various brain areas, and there is evidence that NGF may play a role in the developing cerebellum. This study examined whether ethanol exposure of the neonatal rat cerebellum altered the levels of either NGF or the expression of p75 and trkA, which are two components of the NGF receptor. Ethanol exposure had no effect on NGF levels in the neonatal cerebellum, as determined by an NGF‐specific ELISA. Immunohistochemical labeling techniques indicated that both the p75 and trkA NGF receptors were expressed on Purkinje cell dendrites in the developing cerebellum, with posterior lobules expressing higher levels of p75 and trkA NGF receptor, compared with anterior lobules. Ethanol exposure of neonatal rats reduced the expression of both p75 and trkA NGF receptors on the Purkinje cell dendrites. These results suggest that ethanol could interfere with neurotrophic support of Purkinje cells by reducing the levels of available NGF receptor.