RESUMO
The rat acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model was used to investigate the effects of ocularly administered nerve growth factor (oNGF) on disease development and brain inflammation. It was found that oNGF affects clinical scores. However, EAE rats receiving oNGF treatment showed reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the cerebellum and the hippocampus, but not in the frontal cortex. These data confirm the ability of oNGF to counteract the effects of EAE in the brain and suggest a role for oNGF in the regulation of local inflammatory responses observed in the acute phase of EAE.
RESUMO
The ocular administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) as eye drops (oNGF) has been shown to exert protective effects in forebrain-injured animal models, including adult diabetes induced by a single injection of streptozotocin (STZ) (60 mg/kg body weight). This type 1 diabetes model was used in this study to investigate whether oNGF might extend its actions on neuronal precursors localised in the subventricular zone (SVZ). NGF or saline was administrated as eye drops twice daily for 2 weeks in rats with STZ-induced diabetes and healthy control rats. The expression of mature and precursor NGF and the NGF receptors, tropomyosin-related kinase A and neurotrophin receptor p75, and the levels of DNA fragmentation were analysed by ELISA and western blotting. Incorporation of bromodeoxyuridine was used to trace newly formed cells. Nestin, polysialylated neuronal cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM), doublecortin (DCX) and glial fibrillary acidic protein antibodies were used to identify the SVZ cells by confocal microscopy. It was found that oNGF counteracts the STZ-induced cell death and the alteration of mature/pro-NGF expression in the SVZ. It also affects the survival and differentiation of SVZ progenitors. In particular, oNGF counteracts the reduction in the number of cells expressing PSA-NCAM/DCX (neuroblast type A cells) and the related reductions in the number and distribution of nestin/DCX-positive cells (C-type cells), or glia-committed cells (type B cells), observed in the SVZ of diabetic rats. These findings show that oNGF treatment counteracts the effect of type 1 diabetes on neuronal precursors in the SVZ, and further support the neuroprotective and reparative role of oNGF in the brain.
Assuntos
Diabetes Mellitus Experimental/tratamento farmacológico , Retinopatia Diabética/tratamento farmacológico , Ventrículos Laterais/efeitos dos fármacos , Fator de Crescimento Neural/uso terapêutico , Células-Tronco Neurais/efeitos dos fármacos , Neurogênese , Animais , Sobrevivência Celular , Proteínas do Domínio Duplacortina , Proteína Duplacortina , Proteína Glial Fibrilar Ácida/genética , Proteína Glial Fibrilar Ácida/metabolismo , Ventrículos Laterais/citologia , Ventrículos Laterais/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Proteínas Associadas aos Microtúbulos/genética , Proteínas Associadas aos Microtúbulos/metabolismo , Fator de Crescimento Neural/administração & dosagem , Nestina/genética , Nestina/metabolismo , Moléculas de Adesão de Célula Nervosa/genética , Moléculas de Adesão de Célula Nervosa/metabolismo , Células-Tronco Neurais/citologia , Células-Tronco Neurais/metabolismo , Neuropeptídeos/genética , Neuropeptídeos/metabolismo , Proteínas Quinases/genética , Proteínas Quinases/metabolismo , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-Dawley , Receptor de Fator de Crescimento Neural/genética , Receptor de Fator de Crescimento Neural/metabolismoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Based on our previous findings on the efficacy of ocular applied nerve growth factor as eye drops (oNGF) to act in brain and counteract neuronal damage, we hypothesized that oNGF treatment might revert neuronal atrophy occurring in diabetic brain also by controlling neurotrophin system changes. The major NGF brain target areas, such as the septum and the hippocampus, were used as an experimental paradigma to test this hypothesis. METHODS: Bilateral oNGF treatment was performed twice a day for 2 weeks in full-blown streptozotocin-treated adult male rats. The forebrain distribution of cholinergic and endothelial cell markers and NGF receptors were studied by confocal microscopy. The septo-hippocampal content of NGF mature and precursor form and NGF receptors expression were also analyzed by Elisa and Western blot. RESULTS: oNGF treatment recovers the morphological alterations and the neuronal atrophy in septum and normalized the expression of mature and pro-NGF, as well as NGF receptors in the septum and hippocampus of diabetic rats. In addition, oNGF stimulated brain vascularization and up-regulated the TRKA receptor in vessel endothelium. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm that reduced availability of mature NGF and NGF signaling impairment favors vascular and neuronal alterations in diabetic septo-hippocampal areas and corroborate the ability of oNGF to act as a neuroprotective agent in brain.
