LIPOSOME-MEDIATED NGF GENE TRANSFECTION INCREASES CHAT ACTIVITY IN CNS CELL-CULTURES

LIPOSOME-mediated NGF gene transfection has been shown to increase the expression and secretion of NGF in primary rat septo-hippocampal cell cultures. Here we report that along with increased NGF expression, th e activity of choline acetyltransferase, the synthetic enzyme for acet ylcholine, is increased by 18% within 2 days, by 41% within 4 days and by 32% within 8 days to-hippocampal cell after NGF gene transfection in septo-hippocampal cell cultures. This result further confirms that biologically active NGF is functionally expressed in septo-hippocampal cells when transfected with cDNA for NGF completed with liposomes.