LEUKEMIA INHIBITORY FACTOR MAINTAINS CHOLINE-ACETYLTRANSFERASE EXPRESSION IN-VIVO

FOLLOWING axotomy most medial septal neurons in the adult rat brain ha ve dramatically reduced numbers of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) po sitive neurons. Since leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) promotes cholin ergic expression in several neuronal populations, the aim of this stud y was to determine if LIF would continue to support cholinergic expres sion in axotomized medial septal neurons. Mini-osmotic pumps were used to infuse saline or LIF into the lateral cerebral ventricle. Counts o f ChAT and low-affinity nerve growth factor (p75NGFR) immunostained ne urons indicated that LIF-treated animals retained ChAT expression in > 90% of axotomized neurons whereas in saline-infused animals this was < 30%. Also, LIF was equally effective in maintaining p75NGFR expressi on levels in axotomized medial septal neurons. (C) 1998 Rapid Science Ltd.