Altered neuronal responses and regulation of neurotrophic proteins in the medial septum following fimbria-fornix transection in CNTF- and leukaemia inhibitory factor-deficient mice.

Degeneration of axotomized GABAergic septohippocampal neurones has been shown to be enhanced in ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF)-deficient mice following fimbria-fornix transection (FFT), indicating a neuroprotective function of endogenous CNTF. Paradoxically, however, the cholinergic population of septohippocampal neurones was more resistant to axotomy in these mutants. As leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) has been identified as a potential neuroprotective factor for the cholinergic medial septum (MS) neurones, FFT-induced responses were compared in CNTF(-/-), LIF(-/-) and CNTF/LIF double knockout mice.

Maturation and maintenance of cholinergic medial septum neurons require glucocorticoid receptor signaling.

Glucocorticoids have been shown to influence trophic processes in the nervous system. In particular, they seem to be important for the development of cholinergic neurons in various brain regions. Here, we applied a genetic approach to investigate the role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) on the maturation and maintenance of cholinergic medial septal neurons between P15 and one year of age by using a mouse model carrying a CNS-specific conditional inactivation of the GR gene (GRNesCre).

Activation of STAT3 signaling in axotomized neurons and reactive astrocytes after fimbria-fornix transection.

It is an open question to what extent neuroprotective mechanisms involving neurotrophic proteins are activated after central nervous system (CNS) lesions. Results from previous studies have indicated that ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and other members of the family of gp130-associated cytokines have neuroprotective effects on septohippocampal projection neurons axotomized by fimbria-fornix transection (FFT). Here we demonstrate that the transcription factor STAT3, a component of the primary cytokine signal transduction pathway, is transiently activated after FFT in the medial septum and in the lateral septum deafferented by the lesion.

Endogenous ciliary neurotrophic factor protects GABAergic, but not cholinergic, septohippocampal neurons following fimbria-fornix transection.

Application of neurotrophic proteins including ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), members of the family of gp130-associated cytokines, can rescue CNS neurons from injury-induced degeneration. However, it is not clear so far if these effects reflect a physiological function of the endogenous cytokines. Using fimbria-fornix transection as a model, we examined whether responses of GABAergic and cholinergic septohippocampal neurons to axotomy are altered in mice lacking CNTF.

The relationship between limb muscle and endothelial cells migrating from single somite.

Somites contribute myogenic and endothelial precursor cells to the limb bud. Transplantations of single somites have shown the pattern of muscle cell distribution from individual somites to individual limb muscles. However, the pattern of the endothelial cell distribution from individual somites to the limb has not been characterized.