Cholinergic differentiation of rat sympathetic neurons in culture: Effects of factors applied to distal neurites☆

摘要

Cholinergicpropertiesareinducedinsympatheticneuronsbyseveralfactorsappliedtoentireneuronsinculture.Evidencefromworkwiththeratsweatglandmodelindicatesthatfactorslocatedintargettissuescaninducecholinergicdifferentiationinvivo.Wenowreportthatwhenleukemiainhibitoryfactor(LIF),heartcell-conditionedmedium(HCCM),ordermalfibroblast-conditionedmedium(DFCM)isappliedtoonlydistalneuritesincompartmentedculturesofratsympatheticneurons,theneuronsexhibitanincreaseinspecificcholineacetyltransferaseactivityandaconcomitantdecreaseinlevelsoftyrosinehydroxylase.LIF,HCCM,andDFCMalsoinduceneuritefasciculation,thussuggestinganadditionalroleofcholinergicswitchingfactorsinregulatingaxon-axonand/oraxon-substrateadhesion.Theseresultsdemonstratethatratsympatheticneuronshavethecellularmachinerytorespondtocholinergicdifferentiationcueslocatedinperipheraltargets,analogoustotheresponsetonervegrowthfactor.