2 resultados para Double tract tracing
em National Center for Biotechnology Information - NCBI
Resumo:
Members of the Eph family of tyrosine kinase receptors have been implicated in the regulation of developmental processes and, in particular, axon guidance in the developing nervous system. The function of the EphA4 (Sek1) receptor was explored through creation of a null mutant mouse. Mice with a null mutation in the EphA4 gene are viable and fertile but have a gross motor dysfunction, which is evidenced by a loss of coordination of limb movement and a resultant hopping, kangaroo-like gait. Consistent with the observed phenotype, anatomical studies and anterograde tracing experiments reveal major disruptions of the corticospinal tract within the medulla and spinal cord in the null mutant animals. These results demonstrate a critical role for EphA4 in establishing the corticospinal projection.
Resumo:
The purine nucleoside inosine has been shown to induce axon outgrowth from primary neurons in culture through a direct intracellular mechanism. For this study, we investigated the effects of inosine in vivo by examining whether it would stimulate axon growth after a unilateral transection of the corticospinal tract. Inosine applied with a minipump to the rat sensorimotor cortex stimulated intact pyramidal cells to undergo extensive sprouting of their axons into the denervated spinal cord white matter and adjacent neuropil. Axon growth was visualized by anterograde tracing with biotinylated dextran amine and by immunohistochemistry with antibodies to GAP-43. Thus, inosine, a naturally occurring metabolite without known side effects, might help to restore essential circuitry after injury to the central nervous system.