[Expression of CNTF and PDGF in spared dorsal root ganglion after partial dorsal root rhizotomy].

Objective: To investigate the expression of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) in spared dorsal root ganglion (DRG) after partial dorsal root rhizotomy.

Methods: Twenty adult cats were divided into four groups. Five cats were kept intact in the control group. Fifteen cats were subjected to bilateral root rhizotomy, and on the 3rd day, 7th day and 14th day after operation, they were sacrificed as subjects in the three experiment groups respectively (n=5 per group) and their DRGs (L6) were taken. Immunochemical ABC method was used to detect the distribution of CNTF and PDGF-immunoreactivity neurons in those DRGs. The quantitative analysis was conducted to get the numbers of CNTF, PDGF-positive total, large, and medium-small sized neurons in each group.

Results: CNTF, PDGF-immunoreactants were distributed in large and medium-small sized neurons. The numbers of total and medium-small sized CNTF positive neurons were noted to be decreased on the 3rd day after operation (P<0.05), and no difference 7th and 14th days was seen when compared with control (P>0.05), but the large positive neurons showed no difference. The total and medium-small sized PDGF positive neurons were found decreased apparently on the 3rd day and 7th day, but there was no difference on the 14th day as compared with normal level. Large positive neurons displayed no change at every time.

Conclusion: Partial dorsal root rhizotomy exerts different influence on the expression of CNTF and PDGF for different neurons in spared DRG.