EFFECT OF CNTF ON ISCHEMIC CELL-DAMAGE IN RAT HIPPOCAMPUS

The neuroprotective effect of neurotrophic factors has been demonstrat ed in experimental cerebral ischaemia recently. These include nerve gr owth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), insulin-l ike growth factor-1 (IGF-I), and basic fibroblast growth factor (basic FGF). The neuroprotective effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF ), however, has not been studied so far.We have examined the neuroprot ective effect of recombinant rat CNTF in a rat forebrain ischaemia mod el. A continuous infusion of CNTF was starred 1 week before the induct ion of ischaemia and continued until 1 week after the ischaemia. Rever sible forebrain ischaemia was induced by 7 minutes of bilateral caroti d occlusion with hypotension. Neuronal cell death in the hippocampal C A1 sector was evaluated 1 week after the ischaemia. For the control gr oup artificial CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) was infused instead of CNTF. Per cent neuronal cell death was 83.4 +/- 5.9% (mean +/- SEM, n = 5) i n the control group, and 71.1 +/- 10.0% (mean +/- SEM, n = 5) in the C NTF group. Although percentage of neuronal cell death was lower in the CNTF group, the difference was not statistically significant. This re sult suggests that the protective effect of CNTF in the rat forebrain ischaemia model may be limited compared with other neurotrophic factor s. II is considered that the number of neurons protected by CNTF may b e small.