Venlafaxine treatment after endothelin-1-induced cortical stroke modulates growth factor expression and reduces tissue damage in rats.

Neuromodulators, such as antidepressants, may contribute to neuroprotection by modulating growth factor expression to exert anti-inflammatory effects and to support neuronal plasticity after stroke. Our objective was to study whether early treatment with venlafaxine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, modulates growth factor expression and positively contributes to reducing the volume of infarcted brain tissue resulting in increased functional recovery. We studied the expression of BDNF, FGF2 and TGF-β1 by examining their mRNA and protein levels and cellular distribution using quantitative confocal microscopy at 5 days after venlafaxine treatment in control and infarcted brains.

Cholinergic abnormalities, endosomal alterations and up-regulation of nerve growth factor signaling in Niemann-Pick type C disease.

Background: Neurotrophins and their receptors regulate several aspects of the developing and mature nervous system, including neuronal morphology and survival. Neurotrophin receptors are active in signaling endosomes, which are organelles that propagate neurotrophin signaling along neuronal processes. Defects in the Npc1 gene are associated with the accumulation of cholesterol and lipids in late endosomes and lysosomes, leading to neurodegeneration and Niemann-Pick type C (NPC) disease.

Axotomy-induced neurotrophic withdrawal causes the loss of phenotypic differentiation and downregulation of NGF signalling, but not death of septal cholinergic neurons.

Background: Septal cholinergic neurons account for most of the cholinergic innervations of the hippocampus, playing a key role in the regulation of hippocampal synaptic activity. Disruption of the septo-hippocampal pathway by an experimental transection of the fimbria-fornix drastically reduces the target-derived trophic support received by cholinergic septal neurons, mainly nerve growth factor (NGF) from the hippocampus. Axotomy of cholinergic neurons induces a reduction in the number of neurons positive for cholinergic markers in the medial septum.