Nerve growth factor regulates substance P in adult sensory neurons through both TrkA and p75 receptors

Expression of the nociceptive peptide, substance P (SP) is regulated by the neurotrophin, nerve growth factor (NGF), and exogenous exposure to high levels of NGF increases its cellular content and release. NGF utilizes two receptors, the NGF-specific tyrosine kinase receptor, TrkA, and also the non-specific neurotrophin receptor, p75(NTR) (p75). The purpose of this study is to determine the relative involvement of these receptors in nociception. To investigate the role of TrkA in SP signaling, sensory neurons from adult rats were grown in vitro and exposed to a TrkA-blocking antibody. Pretreatment with the antibody inhibited NGF-induced SP elevation. Furthermore, when neurons were exposed to K252a, a relatively specific TrkA kinase inhibitor, the NGF effect on SP was also inhibited. K252a did not prevent SP up-regulation in cells exposed to forskolin or glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), two agents which increase SP expression independently of TrkA. When p75 was blocked by antiserum, SP up-regulation by NGF was also inhibited. The antiserum neither impacted neuronal survival or basal levels of SP expression, nor did it inhibit SP up-regulation induced by forskolin. Two other neurotrophins, which are also ligands for p75, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) did not block NGF-induced SP up-regulation, raising the possibility that activated p75 is able to cooperate in SP regulation regardless of which neurotrophin ligand occupies it. Our data suggest that NGF up-regulation of SP expression requires the involvement of both TrkA and p75, although the specific contribution of each receptor to SP signaling remains to be determined.     

NGF prevention of neurotoxicity induced by cisplatin, vincristine and taxol depends on toxicity of each drug and NGF treatment schedule:: In vitro study of adult rat sympathetic ganglion explants

The simultaneous administration of nerve growth factor (NGF) has been found to prevent experimental neuropathies induced by anti-cancer drugs such as cisplatin, vincristine and taxol. However, it is clinically important to know whether NGF is beneficial once the neuropathy is already manifest. We established a bioassay system to examine the preventive effects of NGF in various treatment schedules. NGF significantly prevented the inhibition of neurite outgrowth by vincristine and taxol regardless of treatment schedules. The pre-treatment and co-treatment schedules were effective against cisplatin, but the post-treatment schedule was not. With regard to the neurite and nerve cell population densities, only the cisplatin group treated with NGF showed lower values than the control. These results indicate that NGF-treatment is effective for the toxic sympathetic nerve injury induced by vincristine and taxol regardless of the treatment schedule, but is not protective against cisplatin-induced nerve cell injury.     

Differential endocytic sorting of p75NTR and TrkA in response to NGF: a role for late endosomes in TrkA trafficking

NGF binds to two receptors, p75NTR and TrkA. The endosomal trafficking of receptors is of emerging importance for the understanding of their signaling. We compared the endocytic trafficking of the two NGF receptors in PC12 cells. Both p75NTR and TrkA were internalized in response to NGF and colocalized with early endosomes. However, surprisingly, the subsequent endosomal trafficking paths of both NGF receptors diverged: whereas p75NTR recycled back to the surface, TrkA moved to late endosomes and underwent lysosomal degradation. By performing subcellular fractionations of NGF stimulated PC12 cells, tyrosine-phosphorylated TrkA was recovered in fractions corresponding to late endosomes. This implicates these organelles as novel endosomal NGF signaling platforms. Furthermore, the trafficking of NGF receptors could be manipulated by pharmacological means. Disrupting p75NTR recycling diminished TrkA activation in response to low concentrations of NGF, demonstrating a functional role for the recycling of p75NTR.     

Cerebrovascular nerve fibers immunoreactive for tryptophan-5-hydroxylase in the rat: distribution, putative origin and comparison with sympathetic noradrenergic nerves

The distribution of serotonergic nerves in major basal and isolated small pial arteries (diameter > or = 50 microns) was investigated immunohistochemically using an antibody directed against tryptophan-5-hydroxylase (TPOH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT or serotonin), and compared to that of the noradrenergic system labeled for the selective noradrenaline (NA) synthesizing enzyme, dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH). In addition, the possible peripheral and/or central origins of the cerebrovascular serotonergic (TPOH-positive) nerve fibers were examined. Strongly labeled TPOH-immunoreactive (TPOH-I) fiber bundles were observed in major basal arteries and gave rise to small varicose fibers organized in a meshwork pattern. The highest density of TPOH-I fibers was found in the middle cerebral artery followed by the anterior cerebral and the anterior communicating arteries, with a moderate to low density in the internal carotid and the vertebro-basilar trunk. Of the isolated pial arteries, only the larger ones (diameter > 75 microns) were significantly endowed with TPOH-I varicose fibers. However, free floating TPOH-I nerves were observed coursing through the pia-arachnoid membranes and reaching small pial vessels. In contrast, DBH-I nerve fibers were fine and were visualized primarily as numerous varicosities distributed in a circumferential manner around the vessel wall. A very high density of DBH-I varicosities was seen in the rostral part of the circle of Willis, with the internal carotid being the most richly supplied followed by the anterior cerebral and the anterior communicating arteries; comparatively, the middle cerebral artery was moderately innervated. The differences in distribution pattern and density between TPOH-I and DBH-I cerebrovascular fibers clearly suggest that these two innervation systems are not exactly superimposable. Superior cervical ganglionectomy caused an almost complete disappearance of TPOH-I nerves in all vascular segments, with some residual fibers in selected vessels. Lesion of the central serotonergic component with the neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine had virtually no effect on the TPOH-I fibers in the major basal and isolated pial arteries. These results strongly suggest that the serotonergic innervation of major cerebral as well as pial arteries has a prominent peripheral origin closely related to the sympathetic system. Processing of superior cervical ganglion slices for TPOH immunocytochemistry, however, failed to unequivocally detect TPOH-I neurons.     

Effects of decentralization on the levels of GAP-43 and p38 (synaptophysin) in sympathetic adrenergic neurons: a semi-quantitative study using immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy

The distribution of GAP-43 in superior cervical ganglion (SCG) and iris were studied in normal animals and following decentralization using immunofluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). GAP-43-like immunoreactivity (LI) was compared with p38 (synaptophysin)-LI, and tyrosin hydroxylase (TH)-LI. In the control SCG, GAP-43-LI and p38-LI were mainly localized in nerve terminals around the principal neurons. The neuronal perikarya were negative for GAP-43, but positive for p38 in a perinuclear zone, as well as positive for TH. SIF cells (Small Intensely Fluorescent cells, ganglionic interneurons) were positive for GAP-43, TH and p38. One day after decentralization, GAP-43-LI and p38-LI in nerve terminals around principal neurons had disappeared. Some of the principal neurons showed a weak GAP-43-immunoreactivity. Three days post-decentralization, GAP-43- and p38-positive nerve terminals around the neurons had reappeared in considerable numbers and the intra-ganglionic nerve bundles were positive for both antibodies. In the control irides, GAP-43-LI and p38-LI were distributed in a varicose pattern in the nerve bundles, around blood vessels and in the network of terminals. Double labelling studies showed that GAP-43-LI was colocalized with TH-LI and p38-LI. The network of terminals in the dilator plate of the irides was quantified by measuring the fluorescence intensity of randomly selected areas, using CLSM. Three days after decentralization the intensity of GAP-43-LI and p38-LI had significantly increased. TH-LI had decreased 8 days after decentralization. The results indicate that GAP-43-LI and p38-LI are normally present in the nerve fibers and terminals of both pre- and post-ganglionic neurons in adult rats. The expression of GAP-43-LI and p38-LI in post-ganglionic neurons is preganglionically regulated, as indicated by the increased expression after decentralization. The expression of p38 in these neurons is probably regulated via mechanisms that are separate from those which regulate GAP-43, since it showed a different time course than that of GAP-43-LI.     

TrkA-expressing trigeminal sensory neurons display both neurochemical and structural plasticity despite a loss of p75NTR function: responses to normal and elevated levels of nerve growth factor

In neural crest-derived sensory ganglia, approximately half of the neuronal population expresses the transmembrane trkA receptor that is required for neuronal binding of target-derived nerve growth factor (NGF). These same neurons also express the p75 neurotrophin receptor (NTR) that increases the affinity of trkA for NGF. Depleting p75NTR expression reduces both the survival of trkA-positive sensory neurons and their afferent innervation of peripheral targets. In this investigation, we assessed the neurochemical and structural plasticity of trigeminal sensory neurons in p75NTR-deficient mice in response to either normal or elevated levels of NGF during postnatal development and into adulthood. Although p75NTR-deficient mice have 30% fewer trigeminal neurons, levels of trkA mRNA expression are modestly elevated in these mutant mice as compared to control mice. The density of central afferent axons and local levels of NGF are, however, comparable between mutant and control animals. Thus, despite the survival of fewer trigeminal neurons, neither ganglionic levels of trkA mRNA expression nor the density of central afferent projections are depleted in p75NTR-deficient mice. In response to elevated levels of NGF protein, transgenic mice with and without p75NTR expression display both increased levels of trkA mRNA expression and a greater density of trigeminal central afferent axons as compared to control mice. These data further reveal that an absence of p75NTR function in trigeminal sensory neurons does not diminish their capacity for NGF-dependent plasticity, namely trkA mRNA expression and collateral growth of central afferent axons.