Role of neurotrophins on astrogliosis induced by mechanical injury.

ANDREA B. CRAGNOLINI, DANIEL H MASCÓ.

Congreso; Sociedad Argentina de Neurociencia ,; 2012

Neurotrophins have been extensively studied for their ability to support neuronal survival via Trk receptors, and to induce apoptosis via the p75NTR. However, the p75NTR is also detected on cell populations that do not undergo apoptosis in response to neurotrophins, such as astrocytes. In particular, p75NTR expression is induced on astrocytes during development and after seizureinduced injury. P75NTR receptor also mediates the anti-proliferative effect of the neurotrophic growth factor (NGF) on hippocampal astrocytes. In this study we investigated whether neurotrophins and their receptors influence different aspects of the astrogliosis induced by a mechanical injury. In vivo we showedthat, after a stab injury, p75NTR increased in the tissue surrounding the injured area while TrkB-t decreased, although the specific role mediated by these receptors after a lesion remains unclear. In our in vitro experiments we observed that a scratch lesion increased levels of p75 NTR in astrocytes and NGF increased the migration of astrocytes after the lesion. These results are consistent with the idea that activation of p75NTR may serve to modulate gliosis after injury.