Toluene is a neurotoxic organic solvent widely used in industry. Acute toluene administration in rats induced a significant increase in the numbers of neural cells immunostained for p75NTR in several brainstem regions, such as the raphe magnus and the nucleus of the solitary tract, as well as in the lateral reticular, gigantocellular, vestibular and ventral cochlear nuclei, without any in the f...

The generation of biologically active proteins by regulated intramembrane proteolysis is a highly conserved mechanism in cell signaling. Presenilin-dependent gamma-secretase activity is responsible for the intramembrane proteolysis of selected type I membrane proteins, including beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and Notch. A small fraction of intracellular domains derived from both APP and N...

Altered neurotrophism in diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is associated in part with substantial degenerative changes in Schwann cells (SCs) and an increased expression of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is highly expressed in adult SCs, and changes in its expression can regulate signaling through Erb B2, a co-receptor that mediates the effects of neuregulins in p...

The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) is an alpha- and gamma-secretase substrate expressed preferentially in the cholinergic neurons of the nucleus basalis of Meynert, the hippocampus, and the cerebellum of the adult brain. Mutations of the gamma-secretase, presenilin, have been implicated in familial Alzheimer's disease. Furthermore, oxidative and inflammatory injury to the cholinergic neuron...

The trophic effect of continuous intraventricular infusion of nerve growth factor (NGF) on morphology of the basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons was tested in 4- and 28-month-old male Wistar rats. All studies were conducted using behaviorally uncharacterized animals from the same breeding colony. Immunohistochemical procedure for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and p75NTR receptor has bee...

The majority of newborn neurons migrate from their birthplace to final destination in the developing brain. Migration of cerebellar granule cells (CGCs) requires multiple factors. Mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) positively regulates the proliferation, migration, survival and differentiation of CGCs in rodents. However, the role of the BDNF precursor, proBDNF, in neuronal develop...