LOCALIZATION OF CNTF IMMUNOREACTIVITY TO NEURONS AND ASTROGLIA IN THECNS

Species specific antibodies were raised to a peptide of rat ciliary ne urotrophic factor (CNTF - amino acids number 131-147). Following affin ity purification, these antibodies were used to determine the pattern of CNTF immunoreactivity in adult rat and mouse brain, spinal cord, an d sciatic nerve. Alternate sections stained using neurofilament and th e affinity purified anti-CNTF antibody (HARC-1) demonstrate that CNTF immunoreactive neurons are present within the facial nucleus, dentate gyrus, olfactory bulb, basal forebrain, locus coeruleus, cortex and su bstantia nigra. In addition, neurons throughout the hippocampus, and P urkinje cells within the cerebellum also exhibit CNTF immunoreactivity . CNTF immunopositive neurons demonstrate a preponderance of nuclear s taining, with some staining present in the cytoplasm. Alternate sectio ns incubated with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibody also demonstrate glia which are positive for CNTF. In the peripheral nervo us system, Schwann cells of the sciatic nerve exhibit strong immunorea ctivity for CNTF, however staining is confined to the cytoplasm and is absent from the cell nucleus. These data demonstrate that CNTF immuno reactivity is broadly distributed throughout neurons and glia of the a dult rodent nervous system.